Analyzing the Psychopathy Checklist— Revised Using Factor Analysis and Item Response Theory

Building from Cleckley’s (1976) conceptualization of the construct of psychopathy, Hare developed the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL–R; Hare, 1991) as a diagnostic rating scale instrument for measuring psychopathic personality disorder. The PCL–R consists of 20 affective, personality, and behavioral characteristics that function as items on the instrument. Examples of PCL–R items include “Grandiose sense of self-worth,” “Impulsivity,” and “Failure to accept responsibility.”