{
  "id": 3705563,
  "title": "How to spot a psychopath: ‘It’s like the difference between a domestic cat and a wild cat’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/how-to-spot-a-psychopath-its-like-the-difference-between-a-domestic",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-27T04:00:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Science",
    "slug": "guardian-science",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/27/how-to-spot-a-psychopath-its-like-the-difference-between-a-domestic-cat-and-a-wild-cat"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Psychopaths, individuals with relentless predatory personalities, inflict significant harm. Our comprehension of them has evolved recently, potentially aiding our protection. The widely acknowledged checklist for psychopathy was created in 1980 by Prof Robert Hare, who remains the leading authority in this field. The 20 traits, ranging from deceitful behavior to empathy deficiency, were based solely on prison populations. This methodology was effective due to Hare's extensive sample with distinct psychopathic tendencies, and his ability to compare interviews, self-reporting, and collected data, identifying inconsistencies. However, Hare acknowledged the limitations of this approach. In 1976, he stated that his findings couldn't be generalized to non-incarcerated psychopaths, including females. \"Research into the socially adept psychopath is sorely needed,\" he concluded. Even in the early 2000s, when Hare aimed to study psychopaths in politics, he had to rely on prison populations (notably, Pinochet's enforcers in Chilean jails). Investigating the higher-functioning psychopath, who remains undetected or avoids criminal activities, has proven challenging. This difficulty stems largely from their propensity to lie, arguably their most defining characteristic.",
  "summary": "People with persistent predatory personalities cause an inordinate amount of pain. Recently, our shared understanding of them has grown – and it could help protect us The classic checklist for psychopathy was developed in 1980 by Prof Robert Hare, who is still the recognised giant of the territory. The 20 traits, which ranged from pathological lying to a lack of empathy, were based entirely on…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}