A Link between Psychopathy Affect and Instrumentality in Homicide. Issue 3 (August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sohn, Ji Seun; Raine, Adrian; Hong, Young-Oh
• Is Part Of: Homicide studies. Volume 26:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 308
• Page End: 323
• Publication Date: 2022-08
• Subjects: PCL-R -- instrumental/planned homicide -- reactive/emotional homicide -- mixture of reactive and instrumental homicide -- facet 2 (affective) -- lack of remorse or guilt (item 6) -- callous/lack of empathy (item 8); Homicide -- Periodicals; 364.152
• DOI: 10.1177/10887679211028879
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1088-7679

Abstract

This study tests the hypothesis that psychopathy is more associated with instrumental homicides than mixed and reactive homicides, and explores relationships between Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) facet/item scores and different forms of homicide: instrumental ( n = 130), mixed ( n = 103), and reactive ( n = 219) homicides. Instrumental homicides scored higher on facet 2 ( p < .01) but scored lower on facet 4 ( p < .1) compared to reactive homicides, whereas no facet scores differed between mixed and reactive homicides. Among the items of facet 2 (affective), remorselessness (item 6), and callousness (item 8) were predictive of instrumental homicide.