Research indicates that approximately one in 100 individuals may qualify as psychopaths, yet identifying these traits can be challenging.
Often, the characteristics of psychopathy may go unnoticed, even by those close to the individual.
However, a criminologist from the UK has highlighted a checklist that could potentially identify someone as a psychopath.
In an interview with LADbible, Professor David Wilson shared insights on the behaviors that make psychopaths difficult to recognize.
He remarked: “Psychopaths don’t have horns on their head or a long-pointed tail, if it were that easy, it would be easy to spot a psychopath.”
Having spent 30 years interviewing and profiling murderers, Wilson mentioned the original ‘Hare Psychopathy Checklist’, which evaluates psychopathy through 22 questions, assessing traits such as a sense of ‘grandeur’ or ‘promiscuity’ in individuals.
He disclosed that a ‘significant number of the people that I would encounter who have used lethal violence would score highly on Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist’, although not everyone who scores high necessarily engages in violent acts.
“There is definitely a correlation between scoring highly and the kinds of crimes that they would commit,” Wilson noted.
The Hare Psychopathy Checklist is a tool used in psychology to determine if someone exhibits signs of psychopathy.
Originally created in the 1970s by Canadian psychologist Robert Hare, the checklist was intended for use in psychological research.
Since its creation, it has been revised into the PCL-R (Psychopathy Checklist – Revised), removing two questions from the original version as they were deemed unhelpful.
The revised version now contains 20 questions, but for historical context, we present the original test (not revised).
The checklist requires respondents to use a three-point scale to answer (zero means it does not apply, one means applies somewhat, and two means the item definitely applies).
The total score ranges from zero to 40; a lower score is generally preferable.
1. Are you glib or display superficial charm?
2. Do you have a previous diagnosis as psychopath (or similar)?
3. Are you egocentric or have a grandiose sense of self-worth?
4. Are you prone to boredom / have a low frustration tolerance?
5. Do you take part in pathological lying and deception?
6. Do you con or lack of sincerity?
7. Do you have a lack of remorse or guilt?
8. Do you have a lack of affect and emotional depth?
9. Callous / lack of empathy
10. Do you take part in a parasitic lifestyle?
11. Short-tempered / poor behavioral controls
12. Do you have promiscuous sexual relations?
13. Did you display early behavior problems?
14. Do you lack of realistic, long-term plans?
15. Are you impulsive?
16. Did/do you display irresponsible behavior as parent?
17. Have you had frequent marital relationships?
18. Have you exhibited juvenile delinquency?
19. Do you display a poor probation or parole risk?
20. Do you have failure to accept responsibility for own actions?
21. Have you had many types of offense?
22. Is your drug or alcohol abuse not a direct cause of antisocial behavior?
Note: This test should be administered by a professional to ensure accurate results.
The University of Toronto states that the average score for a typical person is around five or six points, while a score of 25 to 30 or higher suggests a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with psychopathic personality disorder.
Wilson theorized that for a diagnosis of psychopathy, a person must score significantly high on the test, which correlates with an inability to grasp moral norms, and these individuals often cannot be rehabilitated.