ISSN: 2710-4028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54208/0008 95
arrogant, callous, superficial, and manipulative nature
of psychopaths. They also acknowledged the affective
traits of being short-tempered, unable to form strong
emotional bonds with others, and a lack of empathy,
guilt, or remorse. Furthermore, they recognized that
psychopaths are irresponsible, impulsive, and prone to
violate social and legal norms and expectations (Hart
and Hare 1997:22-23).
While APD and the Hare constructs share many
similarities7
1
and superficially appear to measure the
same phenomena, there are significant differences
between them (see Blackburn 2006:38 Hare, Fourth,
and Hart, 1989:30 Hare and Neumann 2006:60 Hervé
200742–45). The APD construct focuses on antisocial
behaviors (Hare, Forth, and Strachan 1992:286), while
the Hare construct also includes the interpersonal and
affective traits of glib charm, arrogant self-appraisal,
lack of empathy, and shallow affect (Widiger 2006:158).
As a result of this difference “most individuals with
psychopathy qualify for a diagnosis of APD (i.e., both
display antisocial conduct), [but] most individuals
with APD are not diagnosed as psychopathic (i.e., they
do not display the interpersonal and affective features
of psychopathy)” (Hervé 2007:47). With the inclusion
of the interpersonal and affective traits associated
with the traditional construct of psychopathy,8
2
the
Hare construct is a more precise explanation of the
phenomenon (see MacDonald and Iacono 2006:375
Widiger 2006:158). 9
3 dkk
The Hare Concept of Psychopathy
In the late 1970s, Robert D. Hare (b. 1934) and his
colleagues began work on assessing the Cleckley criteria
for psychopathy by developing a new assessment
procedure (Hare and Neumann 2006:62). Rather than
work from a theory, Hare and colleagues were guided
by mini-theories (Hare 2007:16) in their attempt to
develop an exposition of the underlying dimensionality
7 See Hare 2006:713 Hare 2007:9 Hart and Hare 1997:24 Widiger
2006:157.
8 For further discussion of inconsistencies of APD with the traditional
construct of psychopathy, see Hare et al. 1992:286 Hare 1998:100 Widiger
2006:158.
9 “[C]urrent research interests are heavily influenced by cognitive
psychology, information-processing, general personality theory,
psychobiology, and neuroimaging” (Hare 2007:3). For further discussion on
neurobiological research on psychopathy, see Motzkin, Newman, Kiehl, and
Koenigs, 2011.
of the construct (Hare and Neumann 2006:73). Hare
acknowledges that “his research program represents
explorations in search of a theory rather than a fully
formed theory of psychopathy” (Blackburn 2006:39).
From their work with offenders in the criminal justice
system, Hare and his colleagues studied psychopathy as
a personality disorder with a specific symptomatology.
They determined that psychopathy can be summarized
as follows: “Interpersonally, psychopaths are grandiose,
arrogant, callous, superficial, and manipulative
affectively, they are short-tempered, unable to form
strong emotional bonds with others, and lacking in
empathy, guilt, or remorse and behaviorally, they are
irresponsible, impulsive, and prone to violate social
and legal norms and expectations” (Hart and Hare
1997:22–23).
Due to “the need for a reliable and valid measure of
psychopathy, one that would meet research standards
and provide a common nomenclature to guide this
promising area of investigation” (Hervé 2007:48),
Hare and his colleagues operationalized their findings
and developed the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL)
(Hare 1980), which evolved into the Hare Psychopathy
Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) (Hare 2003). “The
PCL-R is a clinical construct rating scale that uses a
semistructured interview, case history information,
and specific scoring criteria to rate each of 20 items on
a 3-point scale (0, 1, 2) according to the extent to which
it applies to a given individual” (Hare 2006:711).
Most of the items in the PCL-R fall under two major
factors: interpersonal or affective and social deviance
(Hart and Hare 1997:23). Recent research proposes that
four dimensions represent the construct: interpersonal,
affective, behavioral lifestyle, and antisocial factors
(Hare and Neumann 2006:76). Criteria in the PCL-R
include
• glibness/superficial charm
• grandiose sense of self-worth
• need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
• pathological lying, conning/manipulative
• lack of remorse or guilt, shallow affect
arrogant, callous, superficial, and manipulative nature
of psychopaths. They also acknowledged the affective
traits of being short-tempered, unable to form strong
emotional bonds with others, and a lack of empathy,
guilt, or remorse. Furthermore, they recognized that
psychopaths are irresponsible, impulsive, and prone to
violate social and legal norms and expectations (Hart
and Hare 1997:22-23).
While APD and the Hare constructs share many
similarities7
1
and superficially appear to measure the
same phenomena, there are significant differences
between them (see Blackburn 2006:38 Hare, Fourth,
and Hart, 1989:30 Hare and Neumann 2006:60 Hervé
200742–45). The APD construct focuses on antisocial
behaviors (Hare, Forth, and Strachan 1992:286), while
the Hare construct also includes the interpersonal and
affective traits of glib charm, arrogant self-appraisal,
lack of empathy, and shallow affect (Widiger 2006:158).
As a result of this difference “most individuals with
psychopathy qualify for a diagnosis of APD (i.e., both
display antisocial conduct), [but] most individuals
with APD are not diagnosed as psychopathic (i.e., they
do not display the interpersonal and affective features
of psychopathy)” (Hervé 2007:47). With the inclusion
of the interpersonal and affective traits associated
with the traditional construct of psychopathy,8
2
the
Hare construct is a more precise explanation of the
phenomenon (see MacDonald and Iacono 2006:375
Widiger 2006:158). 9
3 dkk
The Hare Concept of Psychopathy
In the late 1970s, Robert D. Hare (b. 1934) and his
colleagues began work on assessing the Cleckley criteria
for psychopathy by developing a new assessment
procedure (Hare and Neumann 2006:62). Rather than
work from a theory, Hare and colleagues were guided
by mini-theories (Hare 2007:16) in their attempt to
develop an exposition of the underlying dimensionality
7 See Hare 2006:713 Hare 2007:9 Hart and Hare 1997:24 Widiger
2006:157.
8 For further discussion of inconsistencies of APD with the traditional
construct of psychopathy, see Hare et al. 1992:286 Hare 1998:100 Widiger
2006:158.
9 “[C]urrent research interests are heavily influenced by cognitive
psychology, information-processing, general personality theory,
psychobiology, and neuroimaging” (Hare 2007:3). For further discussion on
neurobiological research on psychopathy, see Motzkin, Newman, Kiehl, and
Koenigs, 2011.
of the construct (Hare and Neumann 2006:73). Hare
acknowledges that “his research program represents
explorations in search of a theory rather than a fully
formed theory of psychopathy” (Blackburn 2006:39).
From their work with offenders in the criminal justice
system, Hare and his colleagues studied psychopathy as
a personality disorder with a specific symptomatology.
They determined that psychopathy can be summarized
as follows: “Interpersonally, psychopaths are grandiose,
arrogant, callous, superficial, and manipulative
affectively, they are short-tempered, unable to form
strong emotional bonds with others, and lacking in
empathy, guilt, or remorse and behaviorally, they are
irresponsible, impulsive, and prone to violate social
and legal norms and expectations” (Hart and Hare
1997:22–23).
Due to “the need for a reliable and valid measure of
psychopathy, one that would meet research standards
and provide a common nomenclature to guide this
promising area of investigation” (Hervé 2007:48),
Hare and his colleagues operationalized their findings
and developed the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL)
(Hare 1980), which evolved into the Hare Psychopathy
Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) (Hare 2003). “The
PCL-R is a clinical construct rating scale that uses a
semistructured interview, case history information,
and specific scoring criteria to rate each of 20 items on
a 3-point scale (0, 1, 2) according to the extent to which
it applies to a given individual” (Hare 2006:711).
Most of the items in the PCL-R fall under two major
factors: interpersonal or affective and social deviance
(Hart and Hare 1997:23). Recent research proposes that
four dimensions represent the construct: interpersonal,
affective, behavioral lifestyle, and antisocial factors
(Hare and Neumann 2006:76). Criteria in the PCL-R
include
• glibness/superficial charm
• grandiose sense of self-worth
• need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
• pathological lying, conning/manipulative
• lack of remorse or guilt, shallow affect
