FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY LECTURE 4

1. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGYLECTURE 4 Clinical and Forensic Assessment of Psychopathy Forensic Psychology

2. Learning Outcomes • Review of Lecture 3 – History of Psychopathy, Cleckley’s “Mask of Sanity”, Anti Social Personality Disorder, Psychopathy, Hare Psychopathy Checklist. • Evaluate the usefulness of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist –Revised (PCL-R). • Examine the concept of assessing risk and recidivism in forensic populations. • Investigate the mind set of the psychopath. Forensic Psychology

3. Hare PCL-R. . . . . Use and Misuse • Reliable and valid assessment of the clinical construct of “psychopathy” • Personality and behaviour is different from other offenders • Violence and aggression is remorseless – without “conscience” • 1% of the general population Forensic Psychology

4. Hare PCL-R. . . . . Use and Misuse • Manifested by “persistent criminals, killers, drug dealers, corrupt politicians, child abusers, con men, doctors, terrorists, salesmen, unethical lawyers, gang members....” • Misused by those with improper training, experience, etc. • Concept of “Labelling” Forensic Psychology

5. Subtypes of Psychopathy • Millon & Davis • The Unprincipled Psychopath • The Disingenous Psychopath • The Risk Taking Psychopath • The Covetous Psychopath • The Spineless Psychopath • The Explosive Psychopath • The Abrasive Psychopath • The Malevolent Psychopath • The Tyrannical Psychopath • The Malignant Psychopath Forensic Psychology

6. PCL-R Validity Related Findings • Hare & Hart (1999) • Psychopaths commit criminal acts at an earlier age. • Psychopaths commit a greater variety of offences. • Psychopaths offend at a higher rate than do non psychopaths. • For non-violent offences, psychopaths may burnout at age 35. Forensic Psychology

7. PCL-R Validity Related Findings • Hare & Hart (1999) • Even while serving a sentence, psychopaths engage in more disruptive behaviour than do non-psychopaths. • Malingering and psychopathy significantly correlate in insanity acquittees in forensic hospitals. • Escape behaviour and psychopathy correlate in forensic patients. Forensic Psychology

8. PCL-R Validity Related Findings • Hare & Hart (1999) • Psychopathy is a predictor of violence and recidivism. • Psychopaths tend to engage in predatory violence and may threaten strangers with weapons motivated by vengeance, retribution or sadism Forensic Psychology

9. PCL-R Validity Related Findings • Non psychopaths tend to engage in expressive violence and may commit criminal acts that include sexual assault or battery and are often motivated by anger, jealously or sexual arousal. • Among sex offenders, psychopathy is associated with sexual sadism and violent recidivism. Forensic Psychology

10. Risk Assessment • Hare PCL-R predictor of recidivism • Why should we assess dangerousness? • Evaluating criminal responsibility. • Pre-sentencing/pre pleading. • Post sentencing (Temporary Release) • Civil Commitment. • Appraisal of honesty/truth. Forensic Psychology

11. Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Usefulness • Gacono • Prescreening prevents inappropriate admissions • Assessment of psychopathy protects staff from violence • Identification of high risk offenders can guide staff in developing specialised plans for monitoring, controlling and treating behaviour. Forensic Psychology

12. Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Usefulness • Assessment of psychopathy makes testing important for security reasons • Useful for the assessment of community risk • Useful for the prevention of victimisation among other patients Forensic Psychology

13. Schemas • “An organised structure of information about a particular domain of life – a structure that serves the person as a pattern for selecting and processing new information” (Craighead et al. 1997) • Psychopathy – failure of schema based processes • Dysfunctional schemas – “ I need to be the aggressor or I will be the victim” Forensic Psychology

14. Schemas • Dysfunctional schemas + ASPD/ADHD lead to information processing deficiencies in psychopaths • Non psychopaths with ASPD - cognitive distortions • Psychopaths - cognitive deficiencies and failures of schema based processes Forensic Psychology

15. Thinking and Psychopathy • Kendall & Dobson (1993) • Cognitive Deficiencies Vs. Cognitive Distortions • Deficiencies involve a lack or deficit in information negative processing / the inability to learn new information • Distortions involve intact information processes but thoughts may be negative and dysfunctional • Psychopaths - Cognitive Deficiencies Forensic Psychology

16. Thinking and Psychopathy • Kendall & Dobson (1993) • Deficit in response modulation – “brief and relatively automatic shifts of attention from the organisation and implementation of goal-directed behaviour to the evaluation of the ongoing behaviour of the current response set (Patterson & Newman, 1993) • Self regulation processes (self monitoring, self evaluation and self reinforcement) • If functioning properly, behaviour is modified • If maladaptive, inappropriate behaviour continues – psychopath. Forensic Psychology

17. The Internal World of the Psychopath • Meloy & Gacono – Rorschach - sample of prison/hospital inmates who met criteria for ASPD – children,adolescents, male and female inmates. • Attachments deficits in all groups. • Non aggressive responses to Rorschach • Psychopaths high on narcissism • Psychopaths had significant cognitive impairments. Forensic Psychology

18. Analysis of Studies • Ross & Porporino – All shared a characteristic that had an effect on the individuals thinking • Deviant behaviour occurs because individuals operate deficits in thinking. • Self Control/Impulsivity • Cognitive style problem Forensic Psychology

19. Analysis of Studies • Concrete thinking versus abstract thinking • Conceptual rigidity • Problematic interpersonal skills • Ego centric • Value system. Forensic Psychology

20. Critique of Hare Psychopathy Checklist • Millon et al. • Gunn – “psychopathic” synonymous with “bad” - law sees psychopaths as “bad” rather than “mad”. • Concept of labeling – feels psychopathy is a moral term and serves as a trigger for rejection in terms of treatment, etc. Forensic Psychology

21. Critique of Hare Psychopathy Checklist • Miller (1991) – labels and diagnosis as “social prescriptions”. • Toch - Psychopathy is a pejorative label and is subjective – aimed at incapacitation of offenders. Psychopathy highlights personality traits but does not facilitate understanding of those traits. Forensic Psychology