Evaluating the screening version of the hare psychopathy checklist - Revised (PCL : SV): An item response theory analysis

The Screening Version of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL:SV; S. D. H art, D. N. Cox, & R. D. Hare, 1995) was developed to complement the Psychop athy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 1991), and for use outside foren sic settings. The PCL:SV takes less time to administer and requires less co llateral information than the PCL-R. An item response theory approach was a dopted to determine similarities in the structural properties of the 2 inst ruments and whether the PCL:SV could be regarded as a short form of the PCL -R. Eight of the 12 items in the PCL:SV were strongly parallel to their equ ivalent PCL-R items. Of the 4 items PCL:SV items which differed from their equivalent PCL-R items, all 4 were found to be equal or superior to their e quivalent PCL-R items in terms of discrimination. The analyses confirmed pr evious results that the interpersonal and affective features of psychopathy have higher thresholds than do the impulsive and antisocial behavioral fea tures; individuals have to be at a higher level of the psychopathic trait b efore the interpersonal and affective features become evident. The PCL:SV i s an effective short form of the PCL-R.