Predictions of Ethical Risk Taking by Psychopathic and Non-Psychopathic Criminals

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Abstract
The Behavior Prediction Scale is a questionnaire by which a respondent's sensitivity to the following components of the ethical-risk situation might be measured: expectancy that gain will result from the unethical act, the magnitude of that gain, the likelihood of punishment, and the severity of punishment. When 15 psychopathic and 15 non-psychopathic prisoners were contrasted, only the psychopaths were sensitive to the expectation of gain. Neither group was sensitive to either the magnitude of gain or the likelihood of punishment; both were sensitive to the magnitude of punishment, however. These results differ markedly from the finding that “normal” populations exhibit sensitivity to all of these components.

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