# Psychopath Test **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312 "2003-03-26T16:39:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312/41 "2003-03-27T13:47:40Z")
> [@](#): > > He fell out of a hot-air balloon. Oh, short straw… I don’t know if I’m a psychopath or not but I just shot a beggar speeding past my house on a horse. (It’s much to early for that sort of thing.) Welcome djc123! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312/42 "2003-03-27T14:58:56Z")
**elfje** , thanks for providing the cite. You are a true Doper! Frankly, I don’t consider the source reputable, as the debate in the psychiatric community itself over what represents psychopathy, and how frequent it is, rages on. Psychopathy is not even listed in the DSM-IV, the “Holy Bible” of psychiatric diagnosis. In short, it’s a nice sound bite for them to throw out, but I doubt the evidence is there to support the stated frequency of psychopathy in populations. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312/43 "2003-03-27T15:55:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elfje \* > \*\*lucky for me, I found a complete transcript of the TV show it was mentioned in. > > "Part 2 > > Narrator: In America it’s estimated that one in 100 of the population is psychopathic, > \*\* Source of this “estimate”? ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312/44 "2003-03-27T16:01:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\ ***elfje** , thanks for providing the cite. You are a true Doper! > > Frankly, I don’t consider the source reputable, as the debate in the psychiatric community itself over what represents psychopathy, and how frequent it is, rages on. Psychopathy is not even listed in the DSM-IV, the “Holy Bible” of psychiatric diagnosis. > > In short, it’s a nice sound bite for them to throw out, but I doubt the evidence is there to support the stated frequency of psychopathy in populations. \*\* yes, I remember it was only “said” in the TV show, it wasn’t backed by years and years of study, ubnlike his checklist for psychopathic symptoms. he (Dr. Hare) did say, however, that not all psychopaths are killers, as in some jobs (sales comes to mind, or top management), psychopathic traits are actually a bonus! And since US of A have a more competitive labour market than UK (it seems that way to me, anyway, US get only 10 days off a year???), it doesn’t surprise me that the quota is double. As I said, I’ve no hard fact to back that up. I wonder is the “origin” of the first settlers a factor? It would be interesting to compare UK, US and Oz with eachother, see which population contains the most “psychopaths”… ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312/45 "2003-03-27T16:04:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dogface \* > \*\*Source of this “estimate”? \*\* As i posted in two other posts, the site where this cite came from, is the site you should be looking at. it’s based on studies done by Dr Hare, vancouver. I’ve provided the link to the site of the cite in the post where you quoted me from. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312/46 "2003-03-27T16:06:50Z")
Perhaps the issue is how the disorder is defined in each country, rather than the number of people fitting somwe absolute criterion. ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312/47 "2003-03-27T16:11:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shoshana \* > \*\*Perhaps the issue is how the disorder is defined in each country, rather than the number of people fitting somwe absolute criterion. \*\* maybe, but in this particular instance, studies were done in US and UK, and studies then later compared, using same check lists, etc. But yes, you’re right, non-medically speaking (and even then, as there are grades of psychopathy), the way to define wo is or isn’t a psychopath, could be quite different. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312/48 "2003-03-27T17:08:04Z")
I reasoned that the guy was the sister’s boyfriend, and that the girl and her sister were twins. The girl would then take over the identity of her twin. Instant dream guy boyfriend! At first, I thought this meant I’m not a psychopath, but then I got to thinking that my answer is just as devious as the correct answer. So now I’m not sure if I’m a psychopath, or just another pathetic wannabe. > [@](#): > > One question he asked was the meaning of the saying “mounted beggars race their steeds”. The guy had no clue what it meant. I think the phrase “mounted beggars race their steeds” ties into the phrase “if wishes were horses, beggars would ride” as **biddee** mentioned. So clearly the first phrase means that wishes _are_ horses. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychopath-test/164312.md?page=2)