Psychodynamics in the Female Psychopath: A PCL-R/Rorschach Investigation

Female psychopathy has been conceived as a malignant form of hysteria organized at the borderline level of personality function. In this study, the PCL-R was used to assess psychopathy, and the Rorschach Comprehensive System, Extended Aggression Scores, Rorschach Defense Scales, Rorschach Oral Dependency, Trauma Content Index, and Primitive Modes of Relating scoring systems were used to examine psychodynamic variables in female psychopaths. Our findings support the conceptualization of female psychopathy as a malignant form of hysteria and lead us to suggest the need for modifying several PCL-R items with female offenders.