The authors examined scoring correspondence of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) in 58 offenders where scoring by trained clinicians was compared with that by a very experienced researcher whose scoring was of known predictive validity (or with a student supervised by this experienced researcher).
The Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) is an important predictor of violent behavior and is widely used to make important decisions about forensic clients. Some research casts doubt on whether the scoring of the PCL-R in clinical practice matches that attained in research and, therefore, whether the use of the PCL-R is warranted in high-stakes decisions. The authors examined scoring correspondence of the PCL-R in 58 offenders where scoring by trained clinicians was compared with that by a very experienced researcher whose scoring was of known predictive validity (or with a student supervised by this experienced researcher). Research and clinical scorers showed good agreement (Spearman's rank order correlation = .85; intraclass correlation coefficient = .79, absolute agreement for single measures), especially on those parts of the PCL-R that are most consistently and robustly associated with violence. The authors conclude that trained clinicians can achieve acceptable reliability and validity when scoring the PCL-R, especially for risk assessment. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.