The influence of sample type,presentation format and strength of evidence on juror simulation research

Abstract

Recent research has indicated that treatment of psychopaths in therapeutic communities is problematic in terms of high rates of attrition, low levels of motivation and increased reconviction. However, there has been little previous research investigating in detail how the behavioural diffculties posed by psychopaths in therapeutic community settings could be systematically monitored is order to assess change. This paper reports on the development of a checkilst completed by prison officers designed to measure behaviours association with a poor adjustment to a prison based therapeutic community. Behaviour checklist accores showed statistically significant correlations with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R, Hare 1991), patticularly with Factor 1 scores measuring intarpersonal aspects of psychopathy. The potential for developing this method as a type of dynamic assessment for psychopaths undertaking treatmant is discussed.