Citation

Higgs T, Tully RJ, Browne KD. Int. J. Offender Ther. Comp. Criminol. 2018; 62(7): 1869-1887.

Affiliation

1 The University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0306624X17719289

PMID

28741393

Abstract

The Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) is a short form of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), an expert-rated assessment that measures psychopathic personality traits in research, clinical, and community settings. The PCL-R is an extensively relied upon tool in psycho-legal contexts. The screening version is also widely used; however, it has received far less empirical attention than the PCL-R. This review examines the psychometric properties of the PCL: SV, specifically in relation to forensic samples, and evaluates its comparability with the full PCL-R. Previously reported similarity in the reliability and validity of the PCL: SV as established for the PCL-R was supported through further testing in forensic samples. However, limitations in terms of available normative data are highlighted, and the review engages with wider debate concerning the measurement of psychopathy.

Language: en

Keywords

personality disorder; psychological assessment; psychopathy