Hugues Hervé - The Psychopath

Edited by

Hugues Herv

Forensic Psychiatric Hospital

John C. Yuille

University of British Columbia

First published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers

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Mahwah, New Jersey 07430

This edition published 2012 by Routledge

2007 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group

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International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-8058-6079-5 (Softcover)

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This volume is dedicated to the memory of Cheryl Wynne Hare, whose life and death touched all who knew and loved her.

Robert D. Hare

Hugues Herv

Grant T. Harris and Marnie E. Rice

Craig S. Neumann, David S. Kosson, and Randy T. Salekin

Daniel M. Bolt

James F. Hemphill

Joseph P. Newman, Chad A. Brinkley, Amanda R. Lorenz, Kristina D. Hiatt, and Donal G. MacCoon

Christopher J. Patrick

Catherine M. Herba, Sheilagh Hodgins, Nigel Blackwood, Veena Kumari, Kris H. Naudts, and Mary Phillips

Steve Porter and Sasha Porter

Mary Ellen OToole

Alicia Spidel, Gina Vincent, Matthew T. Huss, Jason Winters, Lindsey Thomas, and Don Dutton

Paul J. Frick

Adelle Forth and Angela S. Book

Rebecca Jackson and Henry Richards

Paul Babiak

Hugues Herv

Stephen C. P. Wong and Grant Burt

Barry S. Cooper and John C. Yuille

David Thornton and Linda Blud

In 2000, John and I had the honor of organizing a festschrift for (a tribute to) Dr. Robert D. Hare in light of his retirement (at least on paper) from academia. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we invited experts from all over the world, all doing research on some aspect of psychopathy. Our aim was to have not only renowned scholars but individuals who, in one way or another, had been influenced by Dr. Hare, either directly via supervision and collaborative enterprises or indirectly by the enormous contribution that Dr. Hare had made to this area of study throughout his illustrious career. Not surprisingly, a list of speakers was not difficult to find. In fact, it was hard to think of any expert who had, to one degree or another, not been influenced by Dr. Hare and his research. Moreover, invitations were, almost without exception, enthusiastically accepted.

In light of the response we received, the festschrift quickly evolved into a conference which was held in October of 2000 and attended by many. The Hare Psychopath: Past, Present, and Future was, by all accounts, a great success. In light of the quality and breadth of topics covered, as well as the many other topics informally discussed, it became apparent that it was time for an edited volume that reflected the changing face of psychopathy theory, research, and practice. This was the impetus for this book. Most of the conference presenters eagerly agreed to author chapters; others regrettably could not. To ensure that topics of importance were addressed, we expanded our list of contributors beyond conference presenters. As a result, this volume consists of scholarly pieces from leading figures in the field. We are most appreciative of their involvement.

This book is intended for academics, researchers, theorists, practitioners, lawyers, judges, law enforcement personnel, students, and other professionals interested in or working within forensic psychology. In addition, this text is of interest to other mental health law professionals who study and/or treat psychopathology (e.g., criminologist, sociologist, etc.), especially those interested in personality disorders. Given its depth and scope, it will make interesting supplementary reading for graduate students within programs specializing in Forensic Psychology and Criminology.

We have organized this volume to parallel the manner in which we believe ones understanding of psychopathy should evolve. The book begins with a historical view of psychopathy, then examines measurement issues, followed by etiological theories and practical considerations. The chapters have been grouped to reflect this organization.

In light of psychopaths socially destructive nature, the study of psychopathy is of critical importance. Fortunately, this area of enquiry has come a long way and promises to evolve into new and exciting arenas. Dr. Hare introduces this volume by discussing the current state of psychopathy research, highlighting its advancements, potential pitfalls or impediments, and future trajectory. The remaining chapters draw attention to these various topics.

In , Dr. Herv discuss the evolution of the construct throughout the ages, following which Drs. Harris and Rice provide a specific example of how the construct evolved within a correctional treatment facility.

In , the implications of statistical advances in recent years for refining our understanding of psychopathy are discussed. The chapters by Drs. Neumann, Kosson, and Salekin and by Dr. Bolt provide new insights into Item Response Theory and Factor Analysis, highlighting its implication for the construct of psychopathy, as defined by the PCL-R. Dr. Hemphill then tackles methodological issues related to psychopathy-related risk research.

In , three models addressing the nature and etiology of psychopathy are described. Dr. Newman and his colleagues outline a neurocognitive theory in which attention-related deficits play a central role. Dr. Patrick describes his emotion-based theory of psychopathy. Finally, Dr. Herba and her colleagues review neurobiological research, with a specific focus on emotion processing. By contrasting these three models within one volume, we hope to allow readers to easily compare each theorys strengths and weaknesses.

In , the socially destructive aspects of the disorder are reviewed. Dr. and Mrs. Porter focus specifically on the nature of psychopathic violence. The implication for Violent Crime Scene Analysis is then discussed by Dr. OToole. This section concludes with Ms. Spidel and her colleagues discussing the emerging research in the area of domestic violence.

In , the generalization of the construct of psychopathy across populations and settings is reviewed. The construct of psychopathy, as defined by the Hare PCL-R, was initially validated on incarcerated male offenders. Given the implications of this line of research, a concerted effort was made to see if this construct applies to other arenas. Dr. Frick reviews how the construct of psychopathy can be useful to understand behaviorally challenging children. In a similar vein, Drs. Forth and Book review the research on psychopathy in adolescent offenders, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. Drs. Jackson and Richards review the empirical and clinical implications of psychopa-thy for women offenders. This section concludes with Dr. Babiaks research and experience with psychopaths in the work place. Each chapter focuses on measurement issues, practical implications, and ethical considerations.