The Psychopath Test - This American Life

Act One: The Underachievement Test

NPR Science Correspondent Alix Spiegel tells the story of Robert Dixon, who's in a maximum security prison in Vacaville California and is unlikely to ever get parole because of his score on the psychopath test. The test also is called "the checklist" or, more formally, the PCL-R, which stands for "Psychopathy Check List—Revised." Alix tells the story of its creation and reports that the man who created the test, Bob Hare, is concerned at how it's being used today in the criminal justice system.

Act Two: King of the Forest

Jon Ronson investigates whether corporate leaders can, in fact, be psychopaths by visiting a former Sunbeam CEO named Al Dunlap.

Act Three: The Results are In

Ira and the radio show staff get their results on the psychopath test from Dr. David Bernstein, of Forensic Consultants, LLC., who administered the test to them.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/436/the-psychopath-test

Well worth the time it takes to digest it all.
Perhaps one of the reasons why there is such a high prison population in the US.

program for young violent offenders. He re-enacted the crime of the offender but placed the offender in the role of the victim. I'm estimating here, but I think he said that 80-90% of the offenders would break down emotionally upon realizing what they had done to someone. The other 10-20% had no reaction at all. He recommended that the 10-20% be kept in prison.

I am torn and have more questions about that 10 - 20%.

Early trauma can cause dissociation and many of us have some experience with this in some way. IF someone has a part of themselves shut off so they are not able to experience emotion in the same way as most people... where does that leave them?

I doubt that there is actually 10-20% of a population is are psychopaths. It seems we should be talking about psychopathic BEHAVIOR. Because of the neuroplasticity of the brain, I still don't know if there's even a definitive answer on whether psycopaths are born or made.

10% of our population could be psychopaths. The remaining 10% are just mean, violent bullies.

I'm a student of Psychology and have read that if an infant within the first 2 years of life doesn't bond w/ a care giver....has someone in its life to rely upon for a reasonable amount of care (food, picked up after crying for a long time, diapers changed...all on a fairly regular basis), this kid will NEVER trust the world or anyone in it. It's dog eat dog.

I see kids everyday running around the grocery store screaming and yelling...and I think to myself, "Yep, a future ex-con."

There are so many UNWANTED CHILDREN in this country. Abortion should be legal, safe and federally funded....and it would be if men had them. I guess the Fundies are investing in Private Prisons....cuz they certainly aren't there to care for these unwanted children.

I've seen videos of what the OP is talking about. Those that cry are capable of sympathy/empathy.

Psychopaths can be very charming when they want to be....but they care for nothing but themselves. Someone that doesn't like animals (dogs, cats...) always give me pause. I never trust them...hey, everyone has little 'tests' as to whom is let into one's life.

I believe there is a higher percentage of high-level government officials that are psychopaths than in the regular population. And possibly within the INHERITED of the Extremely Wealthy...but I'm just surmising on that one. (Too much inbreeding in that class of people...lol).

violent offenders. It sounds like the guy in prison in California (the focus of one segment of the This American Life program) should be released. It is a valid (and important) question as to whether or not this is a proglem that can be overcome. There are definately some problems with the testing, that Dr. Haire alludes to.

Q. Are you a Republican, conservative, or tea party member?

A. Yes

You are a psychopath.

i know very kind, generous people who are conservative republicans. for whatever reason they think that having a social safety net discorages people from working, i think they are just not that bright politically speaking. on a personal level they are generous with their time, money, and spirt and i count the entire family, the two brothers, their wives, and the parents of the two brothers all to be very good friends. at least one of the wives is a liberal so her and i stick up for each other when we talk politics, but the rest of the family does not like violence, they would only fight in high school if someone started punching them first, they are very kind to their own children and do not beat, hurt, manipulate etc. them. you cannot take difference of opinion, or ignorace, or being brainwashed by the right wing media machine as a sign that someone is a psychopath. have you no friends who vote republican but whom are nice people to spend time with? i am not about to kick childhood friends to the curb because we dont vote the same as adults. before college i voted republican or libertarian like they still do, but gee, the only other person with a college degree is the liberal wife. she has a ba in the teaching of history and is working on the ma in education whereas i already have mine, everyone else, all of them, have either a high school diploma or a ged. perhaps my liberal arts education makes it easier for me to connect the dots than it is for them? at any rate if i need my mail delivered, a security system installed or my garage door repaired they all have expertise that i do not have. they are just regular people who don't vote like us, not psychopaths.

is someone who has no regard for the suffering of others. If you support the policies of the GOP, you have no regard for the suffering of others.

most republicans i know think that conservatism will END the suffering of others in the long run. they, in my opinion, have been duped. they think that by helping people as little as possilbe that it will push everyone to work, they don't really understand what it is to be unemployed because they always find some kind of job when they look. they work 50 to 60 hours a week then try to raise thier kids and are not really into reading about politics, or reading for that matter, so they watch tv, sports, fox news, they listen to am radio at their jobs.... they are duped into thinking that by cutting social service funding we can save money and just cut out "inefficency" so actually make the quality better by funding it less. they send their kids to public school so they are concerned by suffering that comes about in the system as much as anyone is, they would not willinging bring suffering onto their own kids, they think that the way they vote will do the best for the greater common good. i disagree with them, and try to talk to them a bit about it and i assure you they do nt want anyone to suffer and dont see their vote making people suffer. their biggest problem is taking the "news on tv" at face value.