July 2012 Psychopathy July 2012 Volume 81 Number 7 United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, DC 20535-0001 Robert S. Mueller III Director Contributors’ opinions and statements Features should not be considered an endorsement by the FBI for any policy, program, or service. The attorney general has determined Psychopathy Understanding the mind of psychopaths that the publication of this periodical An Important Forensic and assessing their personality and is necessary in the transaction of the 3 behavioral traits can help authorities public business required by law. Use Concept for the 21st Century of funds for printing this periodical has design more effective interviewing been approved by the director of the strategies. Office of Management and Budget. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (ISSN-0014-5688) is published Looking Behind the Mask With proper preparation, knowledge, monthly by the Federal Bureau of and understanding of psychopathy, Investigation, 935 Pennsylvania Implications for 14 Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. Interviewing Psychopaths interviewers can recognize a true 20535-0001. Periodicals postage paid psychopathic personality. at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Editor, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBI Academy, Quantico, VA 22135. The Language of A study using human coders found Psychopaths differences in the speech of psychopaths Editor 28 and nonpsychopaths. John E. Ott New Findings and Implications Associate Editors for Law Enforcement Eric A. D’Orazio Linda L. Fresh David W. MacWha Art Director Stephanie L. Lowe The Training Division’s Outreach and Communications Unit Departments produces this publication with assistance from the division’s National Academy Unit. 9 Perspective 20 Case Study Issues are available online at http://www.fbi.gov. The Predator No More Bagpipes E-mail Address [email protected] Cover Photo © shutterstock.com Send article submissions to Editor, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBI Academy, Quantico, VA 22135. ISSN 0014-5688 USPS 383-310 Psychopathy An Important Forensic Concept for the 21st Century By PAUL BABIAK, M.S., Ph.D.; JORGE FOLINO, M.D., Ph.D.; JEFFREY HANCOCK, Ph.D.; ROBERT D. HARE, Ph.D.; MATTHEW LOGAN, Ph.D., M.Ed.; ELIZABETH LEON MAYER, Ph.D.; J. REID MELOY, Ph.D.; HELINÄ HÄKKÄNEN-NYHOLM, Ph.D.; MARY ELLEN O’TOOLE, Ph.D.; ANTHONY PINIZZOTTO, Ph.D.; STEPHEN PORTER, Ph.D.; SHARON SMITH, Ph.D.; and MICHAEL WOODWORTH, Ph.D. ver the years, Hollywood has provided many examples of psychopaths. As a result, psy- Ochopaths often are identified as scary people who look frightening or have other off-putting char- acteristics. In reality, a psychopath can be anyone— a neighbor, coworker, or homeless person. Each of these seemingly harmless people may prey continually on others around them. Psychopathy and Personality Disorder The term psychopathy refers to a personality disor- der that includes a cluster of interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial traits and behaviors.1 These involve deception; manipulation; irresponsibility; im- pulsivity; stimulation seeking; poor behavioral controls; shallow affect; lack of empathy, guilt, or remorse; sexual promiscuity; callous disregard for the rights of others; and unethical and antisocial behaviors.2 Psychopathy is the most dangerous of the personality disorders. To understand it, one must know some fundamental principles about personality. Individuals’ personalities repre- sent who they are; they result from genetics and upbringing and reflect how persons view the world and think the world views them. Personalities dictate how people interact with others and July 2012 / 3 how they cope with problems, their actions and find a way to or, even, murder and target both real and imagined. Individ- shift the blame to someone or retirees to charm them out of uals’ personalities develop and something else. their life savings for a high-risk evolve until approximately their investment scam, later blam- late 20s, after which they are Chameleons and Predators ing them for being too trusting. well-hardwired in place, unable In general, psychopaths are Most psychopaths are skilled to be altered. glib and charming, and they use at camouflage through decep- these attributes to manipulate tion and manipulation, as well Traits and Characteristics others into trusting and believ- as stalking and locating areas Psychopathy is apparent in ing in them. This may lead to where there is an endless sup- a specific cluster of traits and people giving them money, ply of victims.5 The psychopath characteristics (see table 1). voting them into office, or, pos- is an intraspecies predator, These traits, ultimately, define sibly, being murdered by them. and peoples’ visceral reaction adult psychopathy and begin Because of their interpersonal to them—“they made the hair to manifest themselves in early stand up on my neck”—is an childhood.3 The lifelong ex- early warning system driven by pression of this disorder is a fear of being prey to a predator.6 product of complex interactions The psychopath’s egocen- between biological and tem- Psychopaths can tricity and need for power and peramental predispositions and be adept at control are the perfect ingredi- social forces—in other words, imitating emotions ents for a lifetime of antisocial the ways in which nature and “that they believe and criminal activity. The ease nurture shape and define each will mitigate their with which a psychopath can other.4 punishment. engage in violence holds signifi- Many psychopaths exhibit cance for society and law en- a profound lack of remorse forcement. Often, psychopaths for their aggressive actions, are shameless in their actions both violent and nonviolent, against others, whether it is along with a corresponding prowess, most psychopaths can murdering someone in a cal- lack of empathy for their vic- present themselves favorably culated, cold-blooded manner, tims. This central psychopathic on a first impression, and many manipulating law enforcement concept enables them to act in function successfully in society.” during an interview, or claiming a cold-blooded manner, using Many of the attitudes and remorse for actions, but blam- those around them as pawns to behaviors of psychopaths have ing the victim for the crime. achieve goals and satisfy needs a distinct predatory quality to This particularly proves true in and desires, whether sexual, fi- them. Psychopaths see others cases involving sexual offenders nancial, physical, or emotional. as either competitive predators who are psychopathic. Most psychopaths are grandi- or prey. To understand how If psychopaths commit a ho- ose, selfish sensation seekers psychopaths achieve their goals, micide, their killing likely will who lack a moral compass—a it is important to see them as be planned and purposeful, not conscience—and go through classic predators. For instance, the result of a loss of emotional life taking what they want. They they surf the Internet looking control; their motive more do not accept responsibility for for attractive persons to con commonly will involve sadistic 4 / FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin gratification.7 When faced with them to pursue their own inter- When these professionals overwhelming evidence of their ests. They also are not out of encounter psychopathy in guilt, they frequently will claim touch with reality. They rarely the course of their work, they lost control or were in a become psychotic unless they their reaction and response rage when committing the act of also have a separate mental ill- to the psychopath may be too violence. In fact, their violence ness or use powerful drugs, such little and too late. Their lack of often is emotionless, calculated, as stimulants. These hallmarks information can lead to serious and completely controlled.8 If of genuine mental illness might consequences, ranging from psychopaths commit a serious be proposed during a criminal mishandling the strategy for crime with another individual defense, but they often are interviews and interrogations to (almost always a nonpsycho- successfully challenged at trial. believing a psychopath’s com- path), they often will avoid cul- Although usually manageable, plete fabrications as seemingly pability by using the other indi- psychopathy is not curable. plausible explanations. vidual to take the blame for the offense. Evidence suggests © shutterstock.com Assessment Tool that this particular strategy Following on approxi- is even more evident in mately 40 years of empirical serious multiple-perpetrator research, the Psychopa- offences committed by a thy Checklist-Revised, or psychopathic youth with a PCL-R, has emerged as an nonpsychopathic partner.9 ideal tool for the assess- ment of this personality Myth Busting disorder. Specific scoring Many misconceptions criteria rate each of 20 about psychopaths can lead items on a 3-point scale to mistakes in investiga- (0, 1, 2) according to the tions, interviews, and court extent that it applies to a proceedings. Psychopaths Presence In Society given individual. This test are both male and female, but Many psychopaths have allows for a maximum score more men are psychopaths little difficulty joining the of 40; a score of 30 designates than women. They represent all ranks of business, politics, law someone as a psychopath. The races, cultures, and socioeco- enforcement, government, and average nonpsychopath will nomic backgrounds. Some are academia.10 They exist in all score around 5 or 6 on this intelligent,