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Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)

Chapter · January 2016

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1100-1

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P

Psychopathy Checklist-Revised affective (e.g., lack of empathy), behavioral (e.g.,

(PCL-R) parasitic lifestyle), and antisocial (e.g., criminal
versatility) features. Although the PCL-R was not
Julie Blais1 and Mary B. Ritchie2 designed as a risk or recidivism measure, consid-
1
Department of Psychology, Carleton University, erable research indicates that the PCL-R is a
Ottawa, ON, Canada robust predictor of violence across diverse
2
Western University, London, ON, Canada populations (e.g., correctional violent offenders,
forensic psychiatric patients, sexual offenders,
community substance abusers) and across differ-
ent countries. Higher scores on the PCL-R are also
related to a number of other negative outcomes
Definition such as engagement in instrumental (e.g., aggres-
sion that is proactive in nature and oriented by an
The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; external goal) and reactive aggression (i.e.,
Hare 1991, 2003) is a construct rating scale aggression resulting from an emotional response
designed to assess the traits and behaviors associ- to a threat or provocation), sexual offending,
ated with psychopathy among adults. Psychopa- domestic violence, substance abuse, and treat-
thy refers to a constellation of personality traits ment dropout.
and behaviors with interpersonal, affective,
behavioral, and antisocial components. The
PCL-R consists of 20 items scored on a 3-point Administration and Scoring
scale (0, 1, 2) resulting in a total dimensional score
ranging from 0 to 40. Higher scores are indicative The standard PCL-R assessment consists of a
of more psychopathic features. semi-structured interview combined with a review
of file and collateral information. While the inter-
view may be conducted over several sessions, it
Introduction typically lasts 90–120 min. As the credibility of
psychopathic individuals is questionable, infor-
The PCL-R is a construct rating scale designed to mation obtained during the interview should be
assess the personality traits and behaviors related corroborated with information available in files.
to the construct of psychopathy among adults. Although the semi-structured interview is an inte-
Psychopathy, as defined by the PCL-R, consists gral part of the PCL-R assessment, if an interview
of a cluster of interpersonal (e.g., manipulative), is not possible (e.g., within the adversarial setting
# Springer International Publishing AG 2016
V. Zeigler-Hill, T.K. Shackelford (eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1100-1
2 Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)

of the justice system), valid PCL-R ratings can be Ed., M.S.W., Ph.D., D.Ed., or M.D.); have com-
made based solely on file information given that pleted graduate courses in psychopathology, sta-
sufficient and high-quality information is avail- tistics, and psychometric theory; be familiar with
able. The PCL-R cannot be used to make present the clinical and research literature on psychopa-
state assessments of psychopathy nor as a measure thy; have appropriate professional credentials
of pre- or posttreatment change. The PCL-R has (e.g., registration in a local provincial registration
no exclusion criteria, allowing for the assessment body that regulates the assessment and diagnosis
of individuals with psychiatric or comorbid of mental disorder); have experience in forensic or
diagnoses. relevant populations; insure they have adequate
The PCL-R contains 20 items, each coded on a training and experience using the PCL-R (e.g.,
3-point scale with a “0” indicating that the item complete five to ten practice assessments and
does not apply to the individual, a “1” indicating achieve an acceptable level of inter-rater reliabil-
that the item applies to a certain extent, and a “2” ity); and be cautious and judicious when using the
indicating that the item fully applies to the indi- PCL-R with populations or groups of individuals
vidual. Item scores are summed to obtain a total for whom it has not been validated. The above
dimensional score ranging from 0 to 40, where user recommendations are based on the second
higher scores indicate more psychopathic fea- edition of the manual.
tures. In North America, a score of 30 or higher
on the PCL-R has typically been used as a thresh-
old for a psychopathy diagnosis. In a number of Inter-rater Reliability
European countries, clinicians and researchers
interpret a score of 25 as emblematic of The most common metric for reporting the reli-
psychopathy. ability of continuous data is the intraclass correla-
tion coefficient (ICC). ICC1 (two-way mixed
effects model for single raters) values for individ-
Factor Structure ual PCL-R items are moderate to excellent rang-
ing from 0.41 to 0.82 in samples of offenders and
Research into the factor structure of the PCL-R male psychiatric patients (Hare 2003). Across the
originally described a two-factor model: Factor same samples, ICC1 values for the total PCL-R
1 (interpersonal and affective) and Factor 2 (life- score, Factor 1, Factor 2, and all four facets are
style and antisocial). More recently, the items of reported to be excellent (0.67–0.84; Hare 2003).
the PCL-R have been found to form four first- There is therefore good evidence that institutional
order factors (also referred to as facets): interper- PCL-R assessments can be very reliable if done
sonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial. The four- properly and in accordance with professional
facet solution has received ample support from standards and the procedures described in the
subsequent research (e.g., Babiak et al. 2010; PCL-R manual.
Weaver et al. 2006). It should also be noted that Within the adversarial context of the Criminal
a three-factor model (excluding the antisocial Justice System (e.g., sexually violent predator
facet) for the PCL-R is also empirically defensible [SVP] hearings and dangerous offender hearings),
(Cooke and Michie 2001). reported reliability estimates for the PCL-R have
tended to fall below those reported within more
traditional research settings and within the PCL-R
User Qualifications manual. When competing parties hire two experts,
there is the possibility of “partisan allegiance”
Clinicians who use the PCL-R or who supervise which refers to the tendency of experts to assign
its use should meet the following user recommen- scores in keeping with the expectation of the party
dations: possess an advanced degree in the social, that retained them (Lloyd et al. 2010; Murrie
medical, or behavioral sciences (e.g., M.A., M. et al. 2013). Experience, thorough training,
Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) 3

adherence to scoring guidelines, and reliability Forensic Uses

checks are part of the key to obtaining reliable
field assessments, not only for the PCL-R but for Given that the PCL-R is a robust predictor of
other forensic evaluations. violence and recidivism, it is not surprising that
it is often cited in criminal and civil court pro-
ceedings. More specifically, the PCL-R has been
used to inform decisions of future dangerousness
Predictive Validity
during sentencing and parole hearings, to make
decisions about the death penalty, and to deter-
The predictive validity of the PCL-R has been
mine if offenders should be detained indefinitely
studied in samples of forensic psychiatric patients
in SVP hearings in the USA and dangerous
and correctional offenders in Canada and Europe
offender hearings in Canada. This increased use
(Scotland, England, Belgium, Sweden, and Ger-
has been met with debate and concerns about the
many). The predictive accuracy of the PCL-R has
proper scoring and interpretation of PCL-R
been investigated for a number of outcomes such
results, the probative value for its inclusion, and
as institutional and post-release general, violent,
its inter-rater reliability within the adversarial set-
and sexual offending. Several meta-analyses have
ting of the criminal justice system. It is therefore
confirmed that the PCL-R is moderately predic-
important for clinicians and evaluators to ensure
tive of general, violent, and sexual recidivism
that the PCL-R is necessary in aiding the decision-
(e.g., Hawes et al. 2013; Yang et al. 2010).
maker, that it is scored appropriately and reliably,
Although the PCL-R was not developed as a risk
and that the conclusions drawn are in keeping
assessment measure, it is one of the most widely
with the broader research literature.
used psychological instruments in forensic psy-
chiatry and psychology (Neal and Grisso 2014).
Notably, it is not recommended that the PCL-R be
used as the sole scale in risk assessment but rather Conclusion
as part of a comprehensive assessment including
other validated risk assessment tools. The PCL-R is a valid and reliable measure of the
construct of psychopathy. However, to ensure the
continued accuracy of the PCL-R and to avoid
misuse, it is imperative that clinicians and
Cross Validation
researchers administering and/or interpreting the
PCL-R remain well informed regarding the cur-
The PCL-R has been validated for use with a
rent empirical research.
number of populations. These populations include
male and female offenders, substance abusers,
sexual offenders, African American offenders,
forensic psychiatric patients, and offenders from Cross-References
various countries (e.g., Spain, the Netherlands,
Sweden). The four-facet solution has also been ▶ Antisocial Behavior
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offender populations (e.g., Babiak et al. 2010; ▶ Hare, Robert D.
Weaver et al. 2006). Descriptive and validation ▶ Hare Psychopathy Checklist
data are provided in the second edition of the ▶ Personality and Criminal Behavior
PCL-R manual. ▶ Personality and Sexual Behavior
▶ Personality and Violence
▶ Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Versions
(PCL: SV)
4 Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)

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