Is criminal behavior a central component of psychopathy? Conceptual directions for resolving the debate.

TLDR

The Psychopathy Checklist‑Revised has spurred intense interest but also conceptual confusion, risking equating the measure with the construct and obscuring whether criminal behavior is a core feature or merely a downstream correlate of psychopathy. This article proposes conceptual strategies to clarify the role of criminal behavior in psychopathy. The authors argue that (1) factor analysis of PCL‑R items in isolation cannot capture psychopathy’s essence, (2) myths linking the checklist to violence must be challenged, and (3) a formal iterative cycle of theory development and empirical testing should guide research. Applying these principles, the authors conclude that criminal behavior is a correlate, not a component, of psychopathy.

Abstract

The development of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 2003) has fueled intense clinical interest in the construct of psychopathy. Unfortunately, a side effect of this interest has been conceptual confusion and, in particular, the conflating of measures with constructs. Indeed, the field is in danger of equating the PCL-R with the theoretical construct of psychopathy. A key point in the debate is whether criminal behavior is a central component, or mere downstream correlate, of psychopathy. In this article, the authors present conceptual directions for resolving this debate. First, factor analysis of PCL-R items in a theoretical vacuum cannot reveal the essence of psychopathy. Second, a myth about the PCL-R and its relation to violence must be examined to avoid the view that psychopathy is merely a violent variant of antisocial personality disorder. Third, a formal, iterative process between theory development and empirical validation must be adopted. Fundamentally, constructs and measures must be recognized as separate entities, and neither reified. Applying such principles to the current state of the field, the authors believe the evidence favors viewing criminal behavior as a correlate, not a component, of psychopathy.