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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Jeffrey Dahmer able to convince policemen that he was not committing crimes?

2. What is a "desperado junkie"?

3. How did John Grambling make his living?

4. What is the most heart-wrenching situation involving psychopathy?

5. Who do psychopaths typically blame when punished for their misconduct?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is it difficult to identify psychopathy in children?

2. What does the Psychopathy checklist provide to clinicians that they are lacking?

3. What benefit does a psychopath typically get from therapy programs?

4. What warnings does the author give to those who are trying to deal with psychopaths in their lives?

5. What kinds of professions are likely choices for white-collar psychopaths?

6. Why are many clinicians and family members reluctant to identify psychopathy in childhood?

7. Why is it important to identify psychopathy in childhood?

8. What is the danger of inaccurate diagnosis of psychopathy?

9. What distinguishes the lying of psychopaths from that of other liars?

10. How have family members often unwittingly contributed to a psychopath's misbehavior?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Empathy is a subject that is discussed at length in this book and that has great bearing on the diagnosis of psychopathy. In your essay, explain the word empathy and clarify its meaning with examples. How do empathetic people feel and behave? What is the difference between normal people and those who are without empathy? What difference would it make in your life if you could not feel empathy for others?

Essay Topic 2

Imagine that you have a friend whose new romantic interest appears to you to be a psychopath. You know that if you directly make this suggestion to your friend, your friendship will be at an end. Write an essay on the nature of psychopathy that you could show your friend in hopes that s/he would see the similarities between the cases to which you refer and her own situation. Feel free to invent the facts of your friend's situation, remembering that those facts have to demonstrate psychopathy.

Essay Topic 3

Dr. Pinel described psychopathy as "insanity without delirium," and psychopaths as "morally insane." Do you think there is a distinction between moral insanity and other kinds? Can a case be made that psychopaths are actually psychologically damaged in such a way that they should not be held accountable for their actions? In your essay, take a position for or against this contention and support your position with material from the text.

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