Interviewing a psychopathic suspect

Abstract Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterised by affective, interpersonal, antisocial, and lifestyle elements. Studies of the association between psychopathy (e.g. as operationalised in the Psychopathy Checklist—Revised) and criminal behaviour suggest that police interviewers and interview advisors would benefit from an understanding of how psychopathic suspects are likely to behave during investigative interviews. Approaches to the identification of psychopathic characteristics in suspects are considered with reference to the P‐Scan screening tool and possible indicators of psychopathic characteristics in serious offences. Psychopathic characteristics that are likely to impact upon interview behaviour are outlined in order to suggest how the effects of these may be anticipated, and how strategies may be employed to maximise an interviewee's productive participation in the interview and to minimise the interviewee's tendency to disrupt, distort, or control the interview process. The manner in which psychopathic individuals attempt to deceive others and how a psychopathic suspect's lies might be identified are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.