The diagnostic criteria for psychopathy according to Cleckley.

A set of criteria for detecting and recognizing cases of antisocial personality disorder.

Psychopathy, currently in clinical disuse, can be equated with the DSM's antisocial personality disorder. It is now beginning to be replaced by the term sociopathy. These are people who manipulate, transgress and violate social norms for their own benefit, without any remorse.

In this article we will discuss the diagnostic criteria for psychopathy according to Cleckley.. Cleckley was the initiator of the study of psychopathy, and he set out his criteria in his famous work The Mask Of Sanity (1941).

Hervey Cleckley

Hervey Cleckley was an American physician, born in 1903 and died in 1984. Cleckley was the pioneer of research on psychopathy.and proposed a series of diagnostic criteria for psychopathy. The diagnostic criteria for psychopathy according to Cleckley were described in 1941 in his book "The Mask of Sanity".

These criteria were the basis for later criteria used in the various classifications that have been developed subsequently, including the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Thus, Cleckley was the initiator of the study of psychopathy, and after him came authors such as Blackburn and Hare (the latter ended up being the most relevant author).

In addition, Cleckley introduced the concept of "semantic dementia" to refer to what he called "semantic dementia".to refer to what he considered the main characteristic of psychopathy.

Semantic dementia consisted in the separation between word and action, which resulted in subjects "highly asocial, aggressive and impulsive, lacking feelings and guilt (sometimes not completely), and who would be unable to create lasting bonds of affection with other people [...] emotional superficiality, apparently pleasant social intercourse and inability to learn from experience".

Diagnostic criteria of psychopathy according to Cleckley.

Cleckley developed his criteria for psychopathy (1941, 1976) through studies he conducted on a number of real cases. These criteria comprised a number of significant traits in the sphere of psychopathy, some of which were shared with others already designated by Gray and Hutchinson. (1964).

His list of criteria would comprise the most significant and complex description of that time, and the traits would be maintained until Hare's description in 1991.

Thus, the diagnostic criteria for psychopathy according to Cleckley are a total of 16:

• Presence of external charm and remarkable intelligence.
• Absence of hallucinations or other signs of irrational thinking.
• Absence of nervousness of psychoneurotic manifestations.
• Instability, little formality.
• Falsehood and insincerity.
• Lack of feelings of remorse or shame..
• Inadequately motivated antisocial behavior.
• Insufficient reasoning and lack of capacity to learn from lived experience.
• Pathological self-centeredness and inability to love.
• General poverty in the main affective relationships.
• Specific loss of intuition.
• Insensitivity in general interpersonal relationships. relationships.
• Fantastic and undesirable behavior, with and without drinking.
• Suicide threats rarely carried out.
• Impersonal, trivial and poorly integrated sex life.
• Failure to follow a life plan.

The term psychopath

The term "psychopath" began to be used with the appearance of Hervey Cleckley's book, The mask of sanitypublished in 1941. From that moment on, the term "psychopath" began to allude to a theoretical construct with very definite personality characteristics that differentiate him from the common criminal.

This "common criminal" is the one who would be diagnosed as antisocial according to the classification manuals of mental disorders (DSM-IV and ICD-10).

Thus, the term psychopath, despite its official classification as antisocial personality disorder, presents a series of features and characteristics that make up a distinct subgroup within the broader concept of antisociality..

What are these people like?

Psychopaths, at present (and according to most manuals and experts, although there are slight discrepancies) are defined as people with characteristics such as irresponsibility, dishonesty, emotional insensitivity, cruelty and lack of remorse for their actions (i.e., they have no feelings of guilt or remorse for their actions). (i.e., they have no feelings of guilt). Many of these traits have already been defined in Cleckley's diagnostic criteria for psychopathy,

In other cases, the behavioral traits may be more subtle or "hidden", and manifest themselves in the form of manipulative behaviors, superficial charm, etc. Such behaviors may cause confusion in those around them as to the true maliciousness of the psychopath's intentions.

Psychopaths are usually skilled and socially accepted people; they use their skills as a "social weapon" to achieve their purposes. They are people who have learned the "rules of the game" in order to get close to people from whom they can profit.

In line with the diagnostic criteria of psychopathy according to Cleckley, for psychopaths human relationships are not necessary, but are only useful to provide them with what they need. only have the usefulness to provide them with what they are interested in obtaining..

It is from here that the need arises for them to learn social norms and social interaction, in order to take advantage of people and use them, manipulate them, mistreat them or even (in extreme cases) kill them at will.

Bibliographical references:

• Alba, J.L. and Garrido, V. (2012). Psychopathy. Case study. Psychopathy in the 21st century: Notes for reflection, Criminology and Justice, 18-24.
• APA (2014). DSM-5. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Madrid. Panamericana.
• Millon, T. (1998). Personality Disorders. Beyond DSM-IV. Barcelona: Masson.
• WHO (2000). ICD-10. International classification of diseases, tenth edition. Madrid. Panamericana.