Robert Hare’s Psychopathy Test, or PCL-R, is an international reference tool, is mainly used to evaluate the prison population, but it is also useful in the clinical and forensic field, it is a reliable and valid test capable of providing interesting information about emotional, interpersonal, behavioral problems, etc.
It is perhaps one of the most interesting clinical resources for its history and the person who created it. Robert Hare, PhD in psychology and professor at the University of British Columbia, is a reference in the field of criminal studies. The field of psychopathology and psychophysiology is also a reference.
- In creating this instrument.
- He sought to create a resource capable of providing valuable information on those convicted of acts of violence.
- The evidence of which was a success based on two pillars: the first.
- Which is very easy to manage.
There are 20 items (questions) with which the evaluator can compare the person evaluated with the typical profile of a psychopath.
The second aspect by which Robert Hare’s psychopathy test has been so well accepted is that it could be used in other areas besides the prison population or criminal population.
In the clinical context, has it begun to be seen as a simple and valid tool for assessing possible violent tendencies, sexual assault among men, women and adolescents, to estimate – with a reasonable margin of error – the likelihood of a person committing a crime.
Let’s look at more data below
“He will choose you, disarm you with his words, and control you with his presence. You’ll revel in your genius and your projects. And when he’s done with you, will he abandon you and take away your innocence and pride with him?”-Robert Hare?
One of the best books on psychopathic personality is Unconscious: The disturbing world of psychopaths living among us, written by Robert Hare, brings together the author’s extensive experience in this field, so the story begins when he, at that time a simple student psychologist, began his internship in various prisons.
Hare warns in the pages of this book that psychopaths (unlike sociopaths) were born this way; perhaps that is why he saw the need to develop an instrument to assess these underlying factors, which he believes are present in approximately 1% of the population.
Robert Hare’s psychopathy test was therefore a resource drawn from his practical experience, numerous studies, interviews and forensic cases.
The Robert Hare test, also known as the PCL-R, is used to assess the presence or absence of psychopathic features for clinical, legal, or research purposes. This test was created in the 1990s.
At first, it was effective in assessing a person’s psychopathic tendencies, but gradually, however, Hare and his group of researchers decided to review it.
The reason for this decision was the fact that most psychopaths repeat their violent acts, so the current PCL-R was created to assess the potential risk of recidivism of a convict.
This test is essential in the legal framework to decide how long, the type of conviction and how (or not) criminals with psychopathic profile should receive it.
The Robert Hare Psychopathy Test has 20 items, it is actually a rating scale. That is, it is applied through a semi-structured interview in which the professional must evaluate each question asked with a score between 0 and 2.
It should be noted that the result of this evaluation is not only the result of maintenance, it is also necessary to take into account the criminal records of the person, expert reports, work and family history, criminal record, peer reviews, etc.
So let’s see what dimensions are evaluated in this psychopathy test
The conduct of this test, based, as we have already mentioned, on an interview and analysis of several reports, takes an hour and a half, the result will define the presence or absence of psychopathic tendencies, their meaning and the possibility of committing violent acts. acts (or repeat them).
Robert Hare points out that with this test we can also see what kind of psychopath we are in, remember that not all psychopaths kill or commit violent acts, many of them are defined only by a manipulative and narcissistic personality, which makes coexistence and identification difficult.
Several tests were performed to verify the reliability of the PCL-R test, and the results have always shown high consistency, validity, and reliability.
We highlight, for example, the study conducted by Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, this work by Kristopher J. Brazil highlights the usefulness of this test both in the forensic, clinical and research field.
This is a very interesting instrument. Robert Hare remains, at 85, a great reference and one of the greatest experts in the field of psychopathy and criminal behavior.