Validity of the hare self-report psychopathy scales in a sample of sex offenders

The Hare Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP; Paulhus, Neumann, & Hare, in press) is a promising self-report inventory primarily designed for the assessment of psychopathic traits. Notwithstanding, evidence for the validity of the newest versions of the SRP-scales, i.e. the 64-item SRP-III and its abbreviated 28-item SRP-SF, remains relatively scarce, especially in forensic samples. The present study aims to contribute to the conceptualization of psychopathy in forensic populations and the development of reliable and valid self-report instruments for psychopathic traits. To our knowledge it is the first study to examine the convergent and external validity of the SRP-scales in a sample consisting of sex offenders (N=51). Present results showed positive, but rather low correlations between the SRP-scales and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R; Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005). Some expected correlations were even missing, suggesting that these instruments might not entirely tap the same psychopathy construct in the current sample. Nevertheless, both SRP-versions exhibited good external validity in relation to theoretically relevant correlates (e.g. aggressive behavior and manifestations of deviant personality traits). In sum, although present results are quite promising, future research is clearly needed to examine the applicability of the SRP-scales in forensic samples