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Use of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in Legal Contexts: Validity, Reliability, Admissibility, and Evidentiary Issues
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Use of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in Legal Contexts: Validity, Reliability, Admissibility, and Evidentiary Issues

David DeMatteo and Mark E. Olver
Journal of personality assessment, v 104(2), pp 234-251
03 Mar 2022
PMID: 34357807
url
https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2021.1955693View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Maybe Open Access (Publisher Bronze) Open

Abstract

Psychology Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Social Social Sciences
The construct of psychopathy has received considerable attention from clinicians, researchers, and legal practitioners because of its demonstrated association with a range of outcomes of interest to the criminal justice system. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is generally regarded as the premier assessment tool for measuring psychopathy in correctional and legal contexts, and the PCL-R is being used with increased frequency to address a variety of legal questions. This article provides a comprehensive examination and review of the PCL-R's use in legal contexts. We begin by reviewing various uses (appropriate and inappropriate) of the PCL-R in legal contexts, using the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) model as the conceptual framework. After reviewing available data regarding the use of the PCL-R in legal contexts, we review and synthesize psychometric research with psycholegal relevance, with a focus on the PCL-R's construct validity, predictive validity, and interrater reliability. We then discuss the scientific acceptability and clinical utility of the PCL-R's structural, predictive, and measurement properties for credibility in court, followed by sample cross-examination questions. We conclude with a review of admissibility issues relating to the use of the PCL-R in various legal proceedings.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Psychology, Clinical
Psychology, Social
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