Keanan Joyner, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, has raised concerns about the current methods used to diagnose psychopathy. According to Joyner, the existing diagnostic tools fail to capture a key trait associated with psychopathic personality disorder: boldness. This omission could mean that some individuals with psychopathy remain undetected.

Joyner's research focuses on the intersection of addiction and mental disorders, including psychopathy. He and his team have identified a more effective system for diagnosing this condition. Their study, published in June 2024 in Psychological Assessment, suggests that the traditional 20-item checklist developed by Canadian psychologist Robert Hare in the 1970s may not be sufficient.

The checklist is currently used as a specifier for antisocial personality disorder within the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). However, Joyner points out that some individuals with psychopathy might not meet all criteria for antisocial personality disorder due to overlooked traits like boldness.

To address these gaps, Joyner and his colleagues propose using the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA), which consists of 178 questions based on the five-factor personality model. This approach aims to measure psychopathic traits more comprehensively by employing the triarchic model. The model emphasizes three core traits: disinhibition (impulsivity), callousness (lack of empathy), and boldness (lack of fear).

"The really important part of this theory, and what differentiates it, is that you now have this other dimension … that we call boldness," explains Joyner. He argues that understanding these dimensions can help society intervene earlier and more effectively.

Joyner also notes that there is no scientific distinction between "psychopathy" and "sociopathy." He states, “There is no scientific category for sociopathy. It’s a public consciousness thing.”

Furthermore, Joyner highlights how environmental factors can influence whether someone is diagnosed with psychopathy or not. He points out systemic issues such as racial disparities in law enforcement practices like stop-and-frisk programs in New York City.

Despite differing opinions within the scientific community about diagnosing psychopathy, Joyner believes increased understanding can mitigate its societal harms before they escalate into costly problems.

"I think that it goes toward having a functional and positive society," he says. "Our collaboration is the substance of what makes humans so wonderful as a species."