Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law

Items are summed (and prorated when necessary) to

yield Total scores that can range from 0 to 24, as well as

scores on Parts 1 and 2 that range from 0 to 12.

PCL:SV Total and Part scores can be interpreted

dimensionally, with respect to data collected from 586

people in correctional, forensic psychiatric, civil psy-

chiatric, and community settings. Total scores also

can be interpreted categorically, with scores of 18 and

higher diagnostic of psychopathic; when the PCL:SV

is used as a screening test, scores of 13 and higher

reflect the presence of elevated psychopathic sympto-

matology, which may trigger a more detailed evalua-

tion using the PCL–R.

Psychometric Evaluation

Evaluations based on classical test theory indicate that

PCL:SV Total scores have good structural reliability.

Mean corrected item-total correlations average about

.55, mean interitem correlations average about .35,

and Cronbach’s alphas average about .80. Total scores

also have good interrater reliability, with intraclass

correlation (ICC) coefficients (based on two indepen-

dent raters) averaging about .80.

Evaluations based on modern test theory also support

the structural reliability of Total scores. Item-character-

istic curves based on item response theory (IRT) analy-

ses indicate that all the PCL:SV items are reasonably

discriminating with respect to the latent trait and also

that they discriminate across a broad range of the latent

trait. Test-characteristic curves from IRT analyses indi-

cate that test scores provide reasonable information

across a broad range of the latent trait.

Exploratory factor analyses of the PCL:SV

appeared to support a two-factor structure parallel to

that of the PCL–R. Subsequent confirmatory factor

analyses of both the PCL–R and the PCL:SV have

found a hierarchical structure, in which three or four

specific factors—reflecting interpersonal, affective,

and behavior symptoms, plus a possible fourth factor

reflecting criminality—underlie a superordinate factor

of psychopathy.

Validity

The PCL:SV has good concurrent validity with respect

to the PCL–R. First, IRT analyses indicate that scores

on PCL:SV items are strongly related to the PCL–R

items from which they were derived. Second, the corre-

lation between Total scores on the two tests is about

.90, controlling for other facets of unreliability; simi-

larly, in IRT analyses, the correlation between latent

traits on the two tests is also about .90. Third, support-

ing its utility as a screening test, high scores on the

PCL:SV have excellent sensitivity and good specificity

with respect to PCL–R diagnoses of psychopathy.

The PCL:SV has been used in a wide range of

research on psychopathy, including etiological and

cross-cultural research. Numerous studies have exam-

ined its predictive validity, finding that PCL:SV Total

scores typically have a moderate effect size with

respect to institutional and community violence in

various settings.

Stephen D. Hart and

Catherine M. Wilson

See also Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (2nd edition)

(PCL–R); HCR–20 for Violence Risk Assessment;

MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study;

Psychopathy; Sexual Violence Risk–20 (SVR–20);

Spousal Assault Risk Assessment (SARA)

Further Readings

Cooke, D. J., Michie, C. E., Hart, S. D., & Hare, R. D. (1999).

Evaluating the screening version of the Hare Psychopathy

Checklist–Revised (PCL:SV): An item response theory

analysis. Psychological Assessment, 11,3–13.

Douglas, K. S., Strand, S., Belfrage, H., Fransson, G., &

Levander, S. (2005). Reliability and validity evaluation of

the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV)

in Swedish correctional and forensic psychiatric samples.

Assessment, 12,145–161.

Hart, S. D., Cox, D. N., & Hare, R. D. (1995). Manual for

the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version

(PCL:SV).Toronto, ON, Canada: Multi-Health Systems.

HAREPSYCHOPATHYCHECKLIST:

YOUTHVERSION(PCL:YV)

The construct of psychopathy as applied to children and

adolescents has received increasing attention in recent

years. Many researchers and clinicians believe that psy-

chopathic traits and behaviors are first manifested early

in life, which has led to efforts to develop measures to

identify psychopathic traits early in development. The

Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV)

is a structured assessment instrument designed to assess

Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV)——— 351

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