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Robert Hare's PLC-R
Item and Factor*
1. Glibness/Superficial Charm - Factor 1
2. Grandiose Sense of Self Worth - Factor 1 3. Need for Stimulation/Proneness to Boredom - Factor 2 4. Pathological Lying - Factor 1 5. Conning/Manipulative - Factor 1 6. Lack of Remorse or Guilt - Factor 1 7. Shallow Affect - Factor 1 8. Callous/Lack of Empathy - Factor 1 9. Parasitic Lifestyle - Factor 2 10. Poor Behavioral Controls - Factor 2 11. Promiscuous Sexual Behavior 12. Early Behavioral Problems - Factor 2 13. Lack of Realistic Long Term Goals 14. Impulsivity - Factor 2 15. Irresponsibility - Factor 2 16. Failure to Accept Responsibility for Own Actions - Factor 1 17. Many Short-Term Marital Relationships 18. Juvenile Delinquency - Factor 2 19. Revocation of Conditional Release - Factor 2 20. Criminal Versatility |
Score and Rationale
2 - Led a cult with over 100 followers
2 - Believed to be the key to the future of the Earth 0 - No evidence of crimes committed due to boredom 1 - Lies for manipulation purposes 2 - Manipulated followers into committing murder for him 2 - Expresses no feeling for his crimes 0 - Shows excitement and nuanced affect 2 - Expresses no feeling for his crimes 2 - Committed serial robberies and thefts 2 - Cut a mans ear off, easily irritated 2 - Used sex to control the women in the Manson Family 2 - Grew up in the prison setting 1 - Indifferent towards his future 1 - Easily upset, moderately reactive to insults 2 - Has no sense for consequences of actions 2 - Does not acknowledge any involvement in the murders 0 - Only married once 2 - Grew up in prison due to his crimes 2 - Long history of crime, escaped from juvenile facility, probation and parole revoked multiple times 2 - Committed a variety of crimes |
Total Score: 31
* The Factor system of differentiating items on the PCL-R was developed by Robert Hare and separates the items into Factor 1 items (Personality/Aggressive Narcism), Factor 2 (Behavior/Antisocial Lifestyle) and those that don't fit into either factor but seem to be pervasive patterns in psychopathy
Strengths of Assessment: There is a relatively large amount of information available on Charles Manson as well as the Manson Family. As a result of this, most characteristics and traits within the psychopathy checklist were either directly or indirectly addresses by Manson at some point in time. While I am by no means an expert assessor of psychopathy, the wealth of information on Manson's case allows for a much deeper understanding of his mental state and the motivations for his crimes.
Weaknesses of Assessment: An important factor to consider when assessing Charles Manson's behavior is that fact that throughout many interviews, parole hearings, and as evidenced by his behavior before during and after the crimes of the Manson Family, Charles Manson displayed continual signs of psychotic behavior. For example, a portion of his motivation for coercing his followers into committing seven murders was due to the fact that he believed he was some sort of Messiah (though he never used that exact word) destined to repair the Earth after the race war he believed to be on the horizon. Another example of his psychotic behavior is the fact that he believed the Beatles song Helter Skelter held a message in code that was specifically targeted at himself and the rest of the Manson family. This message, he believed, was that he was destined to start a race war which he called Helter Skelter, after the song, that would leave whites on top and the Manson family as the rulers (Watkins). The reason for having the murders committed, in order to spark a race war, shows further detachment from reality in thinking that these murders could have that power. In various interviews from prison, Manson still appears to believe that he holds special power over people and seems to be relatively out of touch with reality. I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist nor do I have access to Manson's mental health assessments so there is no way to glean a reliable mental health diagnosis from these resources. Given this fact, the consideration of Manson's psychotic behavior is important when attempting to look at the whole picture of the crimes committed and the source of such psychopathic behavior.
Weaknesses of Assessment: An important factor to consider when assessing Charles Manson's behavior is that fact that throughout many interviews, parole hearings, and as evidenced by his behavior before during and after the crimes of the Manson Family, Charles Manson displayed continual signs of psychotic behavior. For example, a portion of his motivation for coercing his followers into committing seven murders was due to the fact that he believed he was some sort of Messiah (though he never used that exact word) destined to repair the Earth after the race war he believed to be on the horizon. Another example of his psychotic behavior is the fact that he believed the Beatles song Helter Skelter held a message in code that was specifically targeted at himself and the rest of the Manson family. This message, he believed, was that he was destined to start a race war which he called Helter Skelter, after the song, that would leave whites on top and the Manson family as the rulers (Watkins). The reason for having the murders committed, in order to spark a race war, shows further detachment from reality in thinking that these murders could have that power. In various interviews from prison, Manson still appears to believe that he holds special power over people and seems to be relatively out of touch with reality. I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist nor do I have access to Manson's mental health assessments so there is no way to glean a reliable mental health diagnosis from these resources. Given this fact, the consideration of Manson's psychotic behavior is important when attempting to look at the whole picture of the crimes committed and the source of such psychopathic behavior.