Do psychopaths walk among us unexpectedly? The psychopath test is a scientific evaluation of a person's mental stability. By asking people about their past, present, and future, it is able to decipher the inner workings of the mind. The question is: how similar is a "normal" person to a psychopath? To answer this question, This American Life investigated the ins and outs of the psychopath test by taking it themselves.
The psychopath test has a more important role than just providing research for scientists. For some people, their score on the test can determine whether they get parole or not. Maximum security prisoner Robert Dixen appeared to be reformed according to the people he came in contact with. However, when he was evaluated to see whether or not he would get parole, he had to take the psychopath test. His incredibly high score on the test proved that he was still a psychopath, just a well behaved one. He is not likely to ever receive parole. In a way, by keeping mentally unstable people in prison, the psychopath test has contributed to a safer society.
To see just how difficult it is to be deemed a psychopath, the cast of This American Life decided to take the test. As they awaited their results, some of them became quite nervous. Because of troubled pasts, their coworkers predicted that although they may not be psychopaths, their scores would be higher than the average person. When the scores were revealed though, each person received... a zero. Despite what some might view as bad answers on the test, such as admitting to having trouble with the law, every person scored no points. Why? Because they all showed remorse for their mistakes. True psychopaths do not emotionally respond to situations in the same way normal people do. By labeling these unstable people as psychopaths, the psychopath test has made the world a safer place.
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