ABSTRACT
Descriptions of psychopaths, instrumentally impulsive individuals with poor behavioral controls who callously and remorselessly bleed others for purely selfish reasons via manipulation, intimidation, and violence, are found across time and cultures. Arguably, it is their ability to easily supersede morality for personal gain and do so without remorse that made them such interesting topics of discussion throughout history. With the emergence and growth of mental health professions, their unique clinical picture—intelligent but socially deviant beings without emotional safeguards—has made them intriguing case studies. It is thus not surprising that the construct of psychopathy has a rich clinical foundation. Nonetheless, it was not until late in the 20th century, with the development of the Hare Psychopathy Scales, that psychopathy became a well-defined and accepted clinical syndrome. Before then, diagnostic confusion over the definition of psychopathy prevailed.
