Lecture 4: Clinical and Forensic Assessment of Psychopathy II
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Transcript Lecture 4: Clinical and Forensic Assessment of Psychopathy II
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
LECTURE 4
Clinical and Forensic Assessment
of Psychopathy
Forensic Psychology
1
Learning Outcomes
Review of Lecture 3 – History of Psychopathy,
Cleckley’s “Mask of Sanity”, Anti Social Personality
Disorder, Psychopathy, Hare Psychopathy
Checklist.
Evaluate the usefulness of the Hare Psychopathy
Checklist –Revised (PCL-R).
Examine the concept of assessing risk and
recidivism in forensic populations.
Investigate the mind set of the psychopath.
Forensic Psychology
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Hare PCL-R. . . . . Use and Misuse
Reliable and valid assessment of the clinical
construct of “psychopathy”
Personality and behaviour is different from other
offenders
Violence and aggression is remorseless – without
“conscience”
1% of the general population
Forensic Psychology
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Hare PCL-R. . . . . Use and Misuse
Manifested by “persistent criminals, killers, drug
dealers, corrupt politicians, child abusers, con men,
doctors, terrorists, salesmen, unethical lawyers, gang
members....”
Misused
by
experience, etc.
those
with
improper
training,
Concept of “Labelling”
Forensic Psychology
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Subtypes of Psychopathy
Millon & Davis
The Unprincipled Psychopath
The Disingenous Psychopath
The Risk Taking Psychopath
The Covetous Psychopath
The Spineless Psychopath
The Explosive Psychopath
The Abrasive Psychopath
The Malevolent Psychopath
The Tyrannical Psychopath
The Malignant Psychopath
Forensic Psychology
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PCL-R Validity Related Findings
Hare & Hart (1999)
Psychopaths commit criminal acts at an earlier
age.
Psychopaths
commit
a
greater
variety
of
offences.
Psychopaths offend at a higher rate than do non
psychopaths.
For non-violent offences, psychopaths may
burnout at age 35.
Forensic Psychology
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PCL-R Validity Related Findings
Hare & Hart (1999)
Even while serving a sentence, psychopaths
engage in more disruptive behaviour than do
non-psychopaths.
Malingering
correlate
hospitals.
and psychopathy significantly
in insanity acquittees in forensic
Escape behaviour and psychopathy correlate in
forensic patients.
Forensic Psychology
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PCL-R Validity Related Findings
Hare & Hart (1999)
Psychopathy is a predictor of violence and
recidivism.
Psychopaths tend to engage in predatory
violence and may threaten strangers with
weapons motivated by vengeance, retribution or
sadism
Forensic Psychology
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PCL-R Validity Related Findings
Non psychopaths tend to engage in expressive
violence and may commit criminal acts that
include sexual assault or battery and are often
motivated by anger, jealously or sexual arousal.
Among sex offenders, psychopathy is associated
with sexual sadism and violent recidivism.
Forensic Psychology
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Risk Assessment
Hare PCL-R predictor of recidivism
Why should we assess dangerousness?
Evaluating criminal responsibility.
Pre-sentencing/pre pleading.
Post sentencing (Temporary Release)
Civil Commitment.
Appraisal of honesty/truth.
Forensic Psychology
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Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Usefulness
Gacono
Prescreening prevents inappropriate admissions
Assessment of psychopathy protects staff from
violence
Identification of high risk offenders can guide
staff in developing specialised plans for
monitoring, controlling and treating behaviour.
Forensic Psychology
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Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Usefulness
Assessment of psychopathy makes testing
important for security reasons
Useful for the assessment of community risk
Useful for the prevention of victimisation among
other patients
Forensic Psychology
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Schemas
“An organised
structure of information about a
particular domain of life – a structure that serves
the person as a pattern for selecting and
processing new information” (Craighead et al.
1997)
Psychopathy
–
failure
of
schema
based
processes
Dysfunctional schemas – “ I need to be the
aggressor or I will be the victim”
Forensic Psychology
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Schemas
Dysfunctional
information
psychopaths
Non
schemas + ASPD/ADHD lead to
processing
deficiencies
in
psychopaths
distortions
with
ASPD
-
cognitive
Psychopaths - cognitive deficiencies and failures
of schema based processes
Forensic Psychology
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Thinking and Psychopathy
Kendall & Dobson (1993)
Cognitive Deficiencies Vs. Cognitive Distortions
Deficiencies
involve a lack or deficit in
information negative processing / the inability to
learn new information
Distortions involve intact information processes
but thoughts may be negative and dysfunctional
Psychopaths - Cognitive Deficiencies
Forensic Psychology
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Thinking and Psychopathy
Kendall & Dobson (1993)
Deficit in response modulation – “brief and relatively
automatic shifts of attention from the organisation and
implementation of goal-directed behaviour to the
evaluation of the ongoing behaviour of the current
response set (Patterson & Newman, 1993)
Self regulation processes (self monitoring, self
evaluation and self reinforcement)
If functioning properly, behaviour is modified
If maladaptive, inappropriate behaviour continues –
psychopath.
Forensic Psychology
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The Internal World of the Psychopath
Meloy & Gacono – Rorschach sample of
prison/hospital inmates who met criteria for ASPD
– children,adolescents, male and female inmates.
Attachments deficits in all groups.
Non aggressive responses to Rorschach
Psychopaths high on narcissism
Psychopaths
had
significant
cognitive
impairments.
Forensic Psychology
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Analysis of Studies
Ross & Porporino – All shared a characteristic that
had an effect on the individuals thinking
Deviant behaviour occurs because individuals
operate deficits in thinking.
Self Control/Impulsivity
Cognitive style problem
Forensic Psychology
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Analysis of Studies
Concrete thinking versus abstract thinking
Conceptual rigidity
Problematic interpersonal skills
Ego centric
Value system.
Forensic Psychology
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Critique of Hare Psychopathy Checklist
Millon et al.
Gunn – “psychopathic” synonymous with “bad”
- law sees psychopaths as “bad” rather than
“mad”.
Concept of labeling – feels psychopathy is a
moral term and serves as a trigger for rejection in
terms of treatment, etc.
Forensic Psychology
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Critique of Hare Psychopathy Checklist
Miller (1991) – labels and diagnosis as “social
prescriptions”.
Toch - Psychopathy is a pejorative label and is
subjective – aimed at incapacitation of offenders.
Psychopathy highlights personality traits but
does not facilitate understanding of those traits.
Forensic Psychology
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