A new template has been created to help identify high-functioning persistent predatory personalities. Developed by Dr Karen Mitchell, whose PhD was published in 2024, the template includes 20 attributes divided into four clusters and 25 specific tactics.
Dr Mitchell's research, which took five years, involved interviewing professionals from various fields including HR, social work, family courts, and law enforcement. Her qualitative method led to conclusions that contradict some clinical definitions of psychopathy, particularly those that rely heavily on impulsivity and are derived from studies of prison populations.
The classic checklist for psychopathy, developed in 1980 by Prof Robert Hare, was based entirely on prison populations and included 20 traits. Hare himself acknowledged limitations in generalising these findings to non-incarcerated individuals. Dr Mitchell argues that definitions built from criminal offenders cannot be directly applied to sophisticated behaviours seen in workplaces or domestic situations.
The attributes in Mitchell's template include a need for control, a grandiose sense of self, pathological inner response to challenge, and vengefulness. Other clusters relate to predatory or exploitative behaviour, dishonesty, and a lack of empathy or remorse.