Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)
Definition
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 North American normative samples.
- Author
- Robert Hare
- Format
- 20-item semi-structured interview plus file review
- Score range
- 0 to 40
- Research threshold
- 30 or above in North American normative samples
Common questions
Is a PCL-R score alone proof of psychopathy in court?+
No. It is one clinical instrument among several that courts weigh alongside other evidence, and its interpretation and cutoff scores can vary depending on the jurisdiction and the normative sample used.
Why does the population used to set the threshold matter?+
The score of 30 was derived from North American samples; applying that same cutoff to populations outside that normative base without validated local norms risks over- or under-classifying individuals as psychopathic.
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,...
- Factor 1 (Interpersonal-Affective)
- The PCL-R facets covering charm, grandiosity, lying, manipulation, lack of remorse, shallow affect, and callousness. The affective core of the construct; most...
- 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)...