Previous studies associated psychopathy in adults with deficits in empathy but these studies did not directly compare cognitive and emotional facets of empathy. The present study sought to establish whether psychopathy is associated with impairments in emotional empathy among adult offenders. Participants were 90 male offenders scoring low (n = 29), medium (n = 33) or high (n = 28) on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and n = 28 male noncriminal controls. Empathy functioning was assessed through self-report and computerized decision tasks, differentiating between perspective-taking (cognitive empathy) and compassion (emotional empathy). Against expectations, level of psychopathy among the offenders was not associated with either emotional or cognitive empathy. Offenders however had lower scores for both cognitive and emotional components of empathy functioning than controls. Both facets of empathy showed small but significant positive correlations with education level and social desirability. The methods employed to assess differences in empathy functioning may not be sensitive enough to assess differences in forensic samples.

The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is the standard assessment method for psychopathic personality traits of offenders. PCL-R norms for German-speaking countries have not yet been published. This study reviews the extant literature on the PCL-R and its screening version in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Based on 25 published empirical studies (total N = 4,254) overall means and standard deviations were estimated using meta-analytic methods. Assuming normality, estimates of norms (percentiles and T-scores) were derived for male offenders with respect to the standard assessment protocol (PCL-R interview plus file review), purely file-based assessments, and the screening version of the instrument. Compared with the North American normative data, estimated sample means were significantly lower for PCL-R standard assessments and for the screening instrument. The present findings may serve as provisional estimates for gauging the level of psychopathic traits of male offenders in Austria, Germany, and the German-speaking parts of Switzerland.

Abstract. Psychopathy is a primary risk factor of re-offending in sexual offenders. Conceptually, both variable-centered (e.g., factor analysis) and clustering methods (e.g., latent profile analysis) have been used in previous research. Variable-centered and clustering methods were merged in a simultaneous modeling strategy for two purposes: First, to test assumptions on the emergence of psychopathic versus sociopathic (antisocial) sub-groups. And second to compare the predictive validity of clusters with that afforded by a dimensional cut-score. Using mixture modeling, two types of models were estimated: Latent class factor-analytic (LCFA) and factor-mixture models (FMM). The four-factor model of psychopathy as assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was estimated for up to 12 latent classes in a sample of adult male sexual offenders from Austria ( N = 1,266). Solutions with five (LCFA) and two latent classes (FMM) provided a good and parsimonious fit for the data. The two-latent-class FMM solution yielded higher predictive validity than a cut-score but only for general offense recidivism. Theoretically, this solution goes against etiological models that distinguish psychopathic from sociopathic (antisocial) individuals. Official data on offense recidivism (at a fixed 7-year-interval post-release) corroborate the importance of psychopathic offender subtypes. The rates of recidivism varied considerably between the subgroups.

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Abstract. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R) is among the most well-established instruments for the assessment of psychopathy. The PCL-R is a 20-item observer rating instrument based on file review and a semi-structured interview. The current study aimed to investigate the validity of the German adaptation of the PCL-R, its factor structure, construct validity, and association with socially desirable responding in a sample of male offenders ( N = 118). A parcel model with four facets and two factors yielded excellent model fit. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed based on correlational analyses, a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) matrix, and a canonical correlation analysis (CCA) including measures of psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), global personality dimensions, alexithymia, and impulsivity. The MTMM matrix as well as substantial associations with self-reported psychopathic traits and observer ratings of ASPD indicated convergent validity. Correlational analyses revealed that Factor 1 of the PCL-R was associated with low neuroticism, whereas Factor 2 was associated with impulsivity as well as with low agreeableness and conscientiousness. The PCL-R total score and Factor 2 were negatively correlated with impression management. Overall, the current findings support the validity of the German adaptation of the PCL-R.