Factor 1 (Interpersonal-Affective)
Definition
The PCL-R facets covering charm, grandiosity, lying, manipulation, lack of remorse, shallow affect, and callousness. The affective core of the construct; most predictive of violent and instrumental aggression above Factor 2.
- Instrument
- PCL-R
- Content
- Charm, grandiosity, lying, manipulation, lack of remorse, shallow affect, callousness
- Companion factor
- Factor 2, lifestyle-antisocial
- Predictive strength
- Most predictive of violent and instrumental aggression above Factor 2
Common questions
Why does the PCL-R split psychopathy into two factors instead of one score?+
Splitting the construct lets clinicians and researchers see whether an elevated total score is driven mainly by the interpersonal-affective traits (Factor 1) or by the impulsive, criminally versatile lifestyle traits (Factor 2), since the two dimensions relate differently to treatment response and specific types of violence risk.
Does a high Factor 1 score alone diagnose psychopathy?+
No, PCL-R interpretation relies on the full 20-item total score and structured clinical judgment, not a single factor in isolation; Factor 1 elevation is informative for understanding the character of an individual's psychopathy but is not used as a standalone diagnostic cutoff.
Related terms
- Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)
- DSM-5 / ICD-11 disorder defined primarily by behavioural history with conduct disorder before 15 as a prerequisite. Found in 50-80% of male...
- BSA 2023 § 39
- Section 39 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, the provision governing expert opinion evidence in Indian courts. Replaced Indian Evidence Act 1872...
- Cleckley's Sixteen Criteria
- Hervey Cleckley's phenomenological description of the psychopathic personality (The Mask of Sanity, 1941, 5 editions through 1976), covering interpersonal charm, affective poverty,...
- Glenn-Raine Neuroimaging Findings
- Meta-analytic findings (NeuroImage 2011) of bilateral amygdala volume reduction, reduced vmPFC activity, and abnormal uncinate fasciculus integrity in high-PCL-R individuals, supporting a...
- PCL:SV and PCL:YV
- Derived instruments: the 12-item Screening Version (Hart, Cox and Hare 1995) for research/screening contexts; the Youth Version (Forth, Kosson and Hare 2003)...
- Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)
- A 20-item semi-structured interview plus file-review instrument by Robert Hare, scored 0-40. Research threshold for psychopathy designation is 30 or above in...