Psychopathy Scale

Personality psychologists often divide dark personality traits into four groups. Psychopathy, or what it means to be a psychopath, is one of them.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | August 26, 2023

Psychopathy, characterized by traits such as impulsivity, callousness, and a penchant for manipulation, is one of the four pillars of the "Dark Tetrad" framework.

Often associated with a superficial charm that masks an underlying lack of empathy, this dimension challenges traditional notions of conscience and morality. The psychopathic individual, while capable of captivating charisma, simultaneously navigates a world devoid of the emotional currents that guide most human interactions.

Research led by the influential personality psychologist Delroy Paulhus provides a convenient way to measure psychopathic tendencies in clinical and sub-clinical populations.

You can take this test here. Please follow all of the steps to receive your results.

Step 1: Rate the following statements based on how much you agree with them on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

1. People often say I’m out of control.

2. I tend to fight against authorities and their rules.

3. I’ve been in more fights than most people of my age and gender.

4. I tend to dive in, then ask questions later.

5. I’ve been in trouble with the law.

6. I sometimes get into dangerous situations.

7. People who mess with me always regret it.

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores to people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.

References: Paulhus, D. L., Buckels, E. E., Trapnell, P. D., & Jones, D. N. (2020). Screening for dark personalities. European Journal of Psychological Assessment.