Personality trait self-check · Psychopathy
Psychopath Test: How many psychopathic traits do you have?
Answer 20 statements about boldness, empathy, guilt, impulsivity and self-control. Then learn what psychopathy really is, how it differs from sociopathy and ASPD, and how clinicians use the PCL-R.
For adults. A self-reflection, not the PCL-R and not a diagnosis.
- THE SELF-CHECK20 focused statementsHow you relate to people, how you feel, and how you act.
- PRIVACY FIRSTNo account neededFree to take, with no sign-up and nothing to share.
- CLEAR BOUNDARIESNot the PCL-R, not a diagnosisYour answers describe traits, not who you are.
The self-check
Take the psychopath test
This free psychopathy test is a self-reflection for adults who are curious about traits such as boldness, guilt, empathy, impulsivity and self-control. Answer for your usual pattern over the years, not one bad week. It is not the clinician-rated PCL-R, and it cannot diagnose anything.
Your score
What the bands mean
- 0–20 Few psychopathic traits reported
- 21–40 Some psychopathic traits reported
- 41–60 Many psychopathic traits reported
- 61–80 Very many psychopathic traits reported
Each answer scores 0 (Never) to 4 (Always), for a total of 0–80. A higher score means you described more of these traits, more often. The bands are a guide, not clinical cutoffs, and they are not PCL-R scores.
A 2021 meta-analysis estimated that about 1.2% of the general adult population has psychopathy when it is measured with the clinician-rated PCL-R or its shorter screening version.
The short answer
What is psychopathy?
Psychopathy is a personality pattern that combines lasting antisocial behavior with emotional and interpersonal detachment: shallow emotions, little guilt or empathy, and a tendency to charm, deceive or use other people. It is a research and forensic concept, usually measured with Robert Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R), rather than a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR. The closest formal diagnosis is antisocial personality disorder.
The modern idea goes back to psychiatrist Hervey Cleckley in the 1940s. He argued that psychopathy is defined by personality traits, not by crime: a lack of remorse or shame, shallow emotional reactions and superficial charm, behind an outward appearance of normality. In his view, not all criminals are psychopaths, and not all psychopaths are criminals. Psychologist Robert Hare built on that work, and his PCL-R, published in 1991, became the “gold standard” for assessing psychopathy in forensic and prison settings.
Research also suggests that psychopathy is dimensional: people have more or less of these traits, rather than having it or not. That is why this psychopath test gives you a score along a range, not a yes-or-no answer, and why a higher score is not a label.
Having a few of these traits now and then is ordinary. Psychopathy, as clinicians use the word, means a strong, lasting pattern across many traits, rated by a trained professional.
Much more common in prisons than in the community. In the PCL-R manual’s North American prisoner samples, 15.7% of men and 10.3% of women scored 30 or more, the usual research cutoff.
View sourceKnow the traits
Psychopathic traits: what researchers look for
Researchers describe psychopathy as persistent problem behavior together with emotional and interpersonal detachment. One influential framework, the triarchic model from Christopher Patrick and colleagues, breaks it into three parts. The remaining cards describe the emotional core that Cleckley first wrote about.
Boldness
Social dominance, emotional resilience and a taste for adventure (venturesomeness). Research links boldness to the confident interpersonal style seen in psychopathy.
Meanness
Going after what you want aggressively, without regard for other people. This is where low empathy, callousness and exploiting others belong.
Disinhibition
A general tendency toward problems with impulse control, such as acting on urges, poor planning, irresponsibility or trouble holding back anger.
Shallow emotions
Feelings are present but thin and brief. Cleckley described shallow emotional reactions as a core feature, and researchers still place emotional detachment at the center of the concept.
Little remorse or guilt
Hurting or using someone does not lead to lasting guilt or shame. Clinical descriptions of antisocial patterns note that harm is often rationalized, or blamed on the person who was hurt.
Charm and deception
A smooth, likable surface that can be used to deceive or manipulate. Cleckley’s “mask of sanity” described people who seem normal, even appealing, until you see the pattern.
Psychopathy, sociopathy and ASPD at a glance
A simplified summary. A diagnosis or a PCL-R rating can only come from a qualified professional.
| Feature | Psychopathy | Sociopathy | ASPD |
|---|---|---|---|
| A DSM-5-TR diagnosis? | No. A research and forensic construct. | No. An informal term. | Yes. A Cluster B personality disorder. |
| What defines it | Antisocial behavior plus emotional and interpersonal detachment. | No formal definition; an informal term. | A pattern of disregard for the rights of others, starting with conduct problems before 15. |
| Emotional traits | Central: shallow emotion, little guilt, low empathy. | Not defined. | Lack of remorse is the only criterion about guilt or empathy. |
| Boldness | Part of the picture, through the interpersonal style. | Not defined. | Not part of the diagnosis. |
| How it is assessed | PCL-R: clinician-rated interview plus records. | No standard assessment. | Clinical evaluation against DSM-5-TR criteria. |
| How common | About 1.2% of adults (PCL-R and its screening version). | No separate estimate, as it is not a formal diagnosis. | Lifetime estimates of 2–5%; about 3 men for every woman. |
What professionals use
How psychopathy is actually assessed
Many people search for a “PCL-R test” online. The real PCL-R is not a questionnaire you fill in yourself. It is a licensed clinical tool, and its items are not published on this page or anywhere on PsyMed.
- 01 Clinician-rated
Interview plus records
The PCL-R is a 20-item rating scale. A trained rater scores it from a semi-structured interview together with case files and other collateral information, giving a total from 0 to 40.
- 02 Cutoffs
30 or more in research
A score of 30 or more is the cutoff most often used to classify psychopathy. Some studies use 25 or more to describe high, “subclinical” levels. These cutoffs apply only to the PCL-R, not to online quizzes.
- 03 Four facets
Four areas of traits
Analyses of PCL-R ratings group most items into four dimensions: interpersonal, affective, lifestyle and antisocial. This quiz does not follow these facets. It is built on the triarchic model instead.
The PCL-R is published by Multi-Health Systems (MHS). Hare’s guidance says users should hold an advanced degree, be registered to assess mental disorders, have forensic experience and be trained in the PCL-R, and that two independent raters’ scores should be averaged where possible. Scores can affect a person’s future, so the potential for harm from misuse is considerable.
Clearing up the terms
Psychopath vs sociopath vs antisocial personality disorder
People use these three terms as if they meant the same thing. They overlap, but only one of them is a formal diagnosis. Narcissistic personality disorder is another common point of confusion. It shares the exploitation and low empathy, but people with it tend not to be as aggressive and deceitful as people with ASPD. If grandiosity is your bigger question, try the Narcissistic Personality Disorder Test.
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)
ASPD is the diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR. It needs a lasting disregard for the rights of others, shown by at least three of seven behaviors such as repeated lawbreaking, deceit, impulsivity, aggression, recklessness, irresponsibility and lack of remorse. Signs of conduct disorder must have started before age 15, and the diagnosis is made only in adults aged 18 or older. Our Antisocial Personality Disorder Test looks at that pattern.
Psychopathy
It overlaps with ASPD but adds the emotional and interpersonal core. Researchers have long pointed out that the DSM’s antisocial criteria are almost entirely about behavior, while psychopathy also requires traits such as shallow emotion, callousness and a bold, manipulative interpersonal style. In a 2014 study of adult male offenders, boldness added to the prediction of PCL-R psychopathy, over and above meanness and disinhibition, especially its interpersonal style, but not to the prediction of antisocial personality disorder. The authors concluded that boldness helps separate psychopathy from the more common diagnosis of ASPD.
Sociopath
“Sociopath” is an everyday word, not a diagnosis. The first edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual (DSM-I, 1952) listed antisocial behavior under a heading called “sociopathic personality disturbance”, and the word stuck. Today it is not a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, and people use it loosely, often as another word for antisocial traits. Our Sociopath Test explores how the term is used.
Support and change
Can psychopathic traits change?
Research on treatment is limited. If any of these patterns are causing problems for you or the people around you, these are places to start.
- 01 / PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT
Talk to a professional
A psychologist or psychiatrist can look at your history and other explanations. Psychopathic traits are not “untreatable”: research reviews challenge that belief.
- 02 / CHANGE OVER TIME
Work on what you can change
Antisocial behavior tends to become less common with age, which suggests that behavior can change over time. If anger and impulsive reactions stood out, the Anger Management Test is a practical next check-in.
- 03 / RELATED PROBLEMS
Treat what comes with it
Problems such as anger, substance use or low mood can be treated in their own right. For antisocial personality disorder itself, there is no evidence that any single treatment brings long-term improvement; approaches such as contingency management, which ties rewards to behavior, may help a little.
Research summaries: Skeem et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest (2011) and Merck Manual Professional Version, Antisocial Personality Disorder. An online score is not a reason to start or stop any treatment.
Practical next steps
What to do next
Whatever your score, the useful question is not “Am I a psychopath?” but “Which patterns are causing problems, and what can I do about them?” These steps work whether you are thinking about yourself or about someone else.
- 01
If it’s you: look at the pattern
Notice which statements you rated highest. Boldness, meanness and disinhibition are different things, and each points to a different kind of help.
- 02
If it’s someone else: describe, don’t diagnose
You cannot answer this quiz for another person, and a label is unlikely to help. Focus on specific behavior: what they did, how often, and how it affected you.
- 03
If it’s someone else: protect yourself
Set clear limits on money, favors and private information. Keep a note of incidents if things feel unsafe, and talk to people you trust outside the relationship. Lying, control, threats or violence are serious whatever the cause. Support services can help you plan for your safety on your own terms, including if you decide to stay for now.
If you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. If a partner or family member is hurting, threatening or controlling you, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is free and confidential: call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 in the US. If you are in emotional crisis or thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) in the US; you do not have to be suicidal to call.
Good questions to ask
Psychopath test FAQs
Short, honest answers to common questions about psychopathy, the PCL-R and this quiz.
An online quiz cannot tell you, and neither can a single trait. Psychopathy is a strong, lasting pattern across many traits, and it is rare: about 1.2% of adults when measured with the PCL-R or its screening version. It can only be assessed by a trained professional using an interview and records. What this test can do is show which traits you see in yourself, and how often. If your score was high, or the people close to you have raised concerns, talking to a psychologist or psychiatrist is the honest next step.
No. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised is a licensed, clinician-rated tool published by Multi-Health Systems. It is scored by a trained rater from an interview and file information, not by the person being assessed. This quiz is a self-report house scale written by the PsyMed Editorial Team and built on the triarchic model of boldness, meanness and disinhibition, not on PCL-R items. Its 0–80 score cannot be converted into a PCL-R score.
Not a genuine one. A real PCL-R rating needs a semi-structured interview plus case files and other collateral information, carried out by a qualified, trained professional. Any website offering a “PCL-R test” you complete yourself is, at best, an informal quiz. This one is not based on the PCL-R.
The PCL-R is scored from 0 to 40, and 30 or more is the cutoff most often used to classify psychopathy. Some research uses 25 or more to describe high, subclinical levels. Those numbers only apply to a properly administered PCL-R, not to the bands on this page.
Neither is a formal diagnosis. Psychopathy is a research and forensic construct measured with the PCL-R, defined by antisocial behavior plus emotional detachment. “Sociopath” is an informal term with no formal definition in the DSM-5-TR; an early version of the manual, DSM-I (1952), used the label “sociopathic personality disturbance”. The formal diagnosis that overlaps with both is ASPD.
No. Cleckley argued that not all psychopaths are criminals, and a major research review concluded that psychopathy is not necessarily linked to violent behavior. Psychopathy is still far more common among people in prison than in the general population, and psychopathic traits are linked to a higher risk of violence in offender samples.
Research on treatment is limited, but the idea that people with psychopathic traits are “untreatable” is not supported by the research. For antisocial personality disorder, there is no evidence that any single treatment brings long-term improvement; approaches such as contingency management, which ties rewards to behavior, may help a little. Related problems such as depression or substance use should be treated in their own right.
Partly. Research challenges the common belief that people with psychopathy are simply “born that way” and points to both genetic and environmental influences. For antisocial personality disorder, both inherited factors and experiences such as childhood abuse play a part.
It is a self-reflection tool, not a validated measure, so it has no proven accuracy. In a 2021 meta-analysis, studies using self-report or other non-PCL tools estimated psychopathy at 5.4% of the general population, more than four times the 1.2% found with the PCL-R or its screening version. Use your score to notice patterns, and treat it as a reason for a conversation, not a conclusion.
Editorial transparency
Sources and review information
Prepared by the PsyMed Editorial Team from the published research listed here. We are writers and researchers, not clinicians, and no licensed clinician is claimed as a reviewer. This quiz is not the PCL-R; its items are original and built on the triarchic model. Read how we build our tests and who we are.
Research and editorial references
- Hare RD, Neumann CS. Psychopathy as a clinical and empirical construct. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 2008;4:217-246.
- Patrick CJ, Fowles DC, Krueger RF. Triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy: developmental origins of disinhibition, boldness, and meanness. Development and Psychopathology. 2009;21(3):913-938.
- Venables NC, Hall JR, Patrick CJ. Differentiating psychopathy from antisocial personality disorder: a triarchic model perspective. Psychological Medicine. 2014;44(5):1005-1013.
- Sanz-García A, Gesteira C, Sanz J, García-Vera MP. Prevalence of psychopathy in the general adult population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021;12:661044.
- Neumann CS, Hare RD. Psychopathic traits in a large community sample: links to violence, alcohol use, and intelligence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2008;76(5):893-899.
- Skeem JL, Polaschek DLL, Patrick CJ, Lilienfeld SO. Psychopathic personality: bridging the gap between scientific evidence and public policy. Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 2011;12(3):95-162.
- Hare RD. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R): user qualifications and publisher information. hare.org.
- Zimmerman M. Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Merck Manual Professional Version. Reviewed 2023, updated 2026.
- Hesse M. What should be done with antisocial personality disorder in the new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)? BMC Medicine. 2010;8:66. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-8-66
- Zimmerman M. Overview of personality disorders. Merck Manual Professional Version.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and National Domestic Violence Hotline (contact details).
Curiosity is a good start
Traits are a starting point, not a verdict.
Use this self-check to see your patterns more clearly, then talk to a qualified professional if any of them are causing problems for you or the people around you.
Take the psychopath test