Forensic Psychology1 FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY LECTURE 3 Clinical and Forensic Assessment of Psychopathy

Forensic Psychology 2 Recommended Reading  Gacono, Carl B. (2000), The Clinical and Forensic Assessment of Psychopathy Practitioners Guide. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (Chapters 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13).  Howitt, Dennis), (2009), Introduction to Forensic and Criminal Psychology: 3rd Edition. London: Pearson Prentice Hall – Chapter 20.  Millon, Theodore; Simonsen, Erik; Birket ‑ Smith, Morten; and Davis, Roger D. (1998), Psychopathy: antisocial, criminal and violent behaviour. New York: Guilford. (Reading: Chapters 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 10, 12, 27). Articles:  Hare, Robert D. (1998). The Hare PCL ‑ R: Some issues concerning it's use and misuse. Legal and Criminal Psychology. 3, 99 ‑ 119.  Herpertz, Sabine and Sass, Henning (1997). Psychopathy and antisocial syndromes. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 10, 436 ‑ 440.

Forensic Psychology 3 Aims of Lecture  Examine the link between mental illness and crime  Describe what is meant by the term “psychopathy” and understand the difficulties associated with defining psychopathy  Describe the usefulness of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R).  Examine the concept of assessing risk and recidivism in forensic populations.

Forensic Psychology 4 Mental Illness and Crime  Concept of Mental Illness is perceived in different ways between the professions of psychology and law. The media have an effect on the public perception of mental illness and crime.  Link et al (1992) –Sample of 500 never treated residents/mental patients in NYC. Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Interview – assessing mental illness symptoms. Although patients reported higher levels of violence, age, gender and education level were a higher predictor of violent behaviour than psychotic symptoms.

Forensic Psychology 5 Mental Illness and Crime  Swanson (1990) – US study using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. While schizophrenia was associated with violence, substance abuse was a greater predictor in the likelihood of violent behaviour.  Hodgins (1997) Stockholm – 15,000 born in 1953 MEN - 32% with no mental illness criminals/ 50% of mentally ill criminal WOMEN - 6% with no mental illness criminals/ 19% of mentally ill criminal Why?

Forensic Psychology 6 History of Psychopathy “We cannot treat, except empirically, what we do not understand and we cannot prevent what we do not comprehend” Brittain (1970) Pinel (1800’s) “Manie Sans Delire” – insanity without a confusion of mind. Patients engaged in impulsive and self damaging acts, despite the fact that their reasoning was intact and that they knew what they were doing was irrational.

Forensic Psychology 7 History of Psychopathy Cleckley (1976) – “The Mask of Sanity” – Proposed that psychopaths present a convincing mask with superficial charm, good intelligence, etc, yet are impulsive, have poor judgment and lack remorse.  16 characteristics including interpersonal, affective, cognitive and behavioural characteristics associated with an impulsive, irresponsible lifestyle.

Forensic Psychology 8 Cleckley’s Characteristics  Superficial Charm  Absence of Delusions  Absence of Nervousness  Unreliability  Lying  Lack of Remorse  Anti-social Behaviour  Poor Judgment  Egocentric  Poor Reactions  Lack of insight  Unresponsiveness in interpersonal relations  Alternative behaviour  Threat of Suicide  Promiscuous  Lack of Life Plan

Forensic Psychology 9 Terms  Antisocial Personality Disorder(ASPD)  Sociopathy  Psychopathy (Terms used interchangeably in the literature) Sociopathy diagnosis in DSM I – sexual deviation, alcoholism and anti-social behaviour were features.

Forensic Psychology 10 Anti Social Personality Disorder  18 years  Conduct Disorder before age 15  Violations of law  Disregard for others/self  Deceitfulness  Impulsivity  Irritable/aggressive  Lack of Remorse

Forensic Psychology 11 Hare Psychopathy Checklist PCL-R – 20 item 40 point scale completed with a semi-structured interview, and a review of independent and historical and contemporaneous data PCL-SV – 12 item scale  Factor 1 – Interpersonal/affective features – callousness, lack of remorse.  Factor 2 – behavioural/affective features – socially deviant lifestyle.

Forensic Psychology 12 Hare Psychopathy Checklist 1. Glibness/Superficial Charm 2. Grandiose sense of self-worth 3. Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom 4. Pathological Lying 5. Conning/Manipulative

Forensic Psychology 13 Hare Psychopathy Checklist 6. Lack of remorse or Guilt 7. Shallow Affect 8. Callous/Lack of Empathy 9. Parasitic Lifestyle 10. Poor Behavioural Controls

Forensic Psychology 14 Hare Psychopathy Checklist 11. Promiscuous Sexual Behaviour 12. Early Behavioural Problems 13. Lack of Realistic Long Term Goals 14. Impulsivity 15. Irresponsibility

Forensic Psychology 15 Hare Psychopathy Checklist 16. Failure to accept Responsibility for Own Actions 17. Many Short Term Marital Relationships 18. Juvenile Delinquency 19. Revocation of Conditional Release 20. Criminal Versatility

Forensic Psychology 16 Anti Social Personality Disorder/Psychopathy Behavioural Criteria in ASPD – behaviour that is observable and can be agreed on by clinicians, but  Does not inform us about character  Does not predict behaviour  Does not suggest any specific type of treatment  Most psychopaths will meet criteria for DSM ASPD but ASPD will not meet criteria for psychopathy

Forensic Psychology 17 Anti Social Personality Disorder/Psychopathy Psychopathy – behavioural criteria and personality traits APA (1994) – forensic population study:  80% met criteria for ASPD  15-25% met criteria for psychopath. Quinsey, Rice & Harris follow-up study of offenders(1995):  Psychopath – 80% committed offences  Non-psychopath – 20% committed violent offences

Forensic Psychology 18 Administration of PCL-R  Historical information  Record review  Clinical Interview  Greater than or equal to 30 psychopath  Over 32.5 – likely to be violent.