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Journal of Personality Disorders, 14(1), 84-96, 2000
2000 The Guilford Press
STANDARDIZATION OF THE HARE
PSYCHOPATHY CHECKLIST-REVISED
IN A SPANISH PRISON SAMPLE
Javier Molto, PhD, Rosario Poy, and Rafael Torrubia, PhD
This investigation examined the reliability, validity, and factor
structure of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist- Revised (PCL-R) in male adult Spanish prison populations (n 117). The interrater
reliability and internal consistency coefficients were high, and
similar to those obtained in other countries. This data provides support for the homogeneity and unidimensionality of the psy
chopathy construct in Spanish male prison samples. The analy
sis of factor structure also replicated the two factor solution of previous studies. The two factors showed different patterns of
intercorrelations with several self-report measures of personal ity, demographic, and criminal history variables, which con
firmed the construct validity of PCL-R. The results confirm the
psychometric properties of the PCL-R as a measure of psychop athy in Spanish male inmates, and suggest that psychopathy is
a construct also observed in Southern European countries.
Over the last decade, the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R;
Hare, 1991) and its precursor, the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL; Hare, 1980), have become the standard instruments for operationalizing the psy
chopathy construct with offenders and psychiatric/forensic populations (Mealey, 1995; Thomas-Peter, 1992; Zagon, 1995). The studies of PCL-R's
From the Unlversidad Jaume I, Castellon, Spain (J.M., R.P.) and the Unlversitat Autonoma
de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain (R.T.).
This research was supported by Grant GV-3 150/95 from the Programa de Projectes d'Investigacio Cientifica i Desplegament Tecnologic de la Generalitat Valenciana; by Grant
P1A94-30 from the Convenio Unlversidad Jaume I-Fundaclo Calxa Castello; and by Grant
PB91-0591-CO2 from the Direccion General de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica del
Minlsterio de Educacion y Ciencia (DGICYT) of Spain.
The authors are grateful to Instituciones Penitenciarias of Spain and to Direccio General
d'Instltucions Penitenciaries de la Generalitat de Catalunya for granting permission to perform
their research, and for the facilities provided during the study. They also gratefully acknowledge
the staff of the Centre Penitenciario de Castellon and the Centre Penitenciario de Quatre
Camlns, Barcelona, for their collaboration and assistance in their work. They thank Dr. Robert
D. Hare and an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this arti
cle.
Address correspondence to Javier...