Abstract

The purpose of this study is to conduct an exploratory investigation into Korean psychopathy by synthesizing the results of prior domestic research on the validation of psychopathy assessment tools. Domestic research on the validation of psychopathy scales has been constrained by limited research methodologies, bias toward male subjects, and the application of inappropriate factor structures. Furthermore, although discrepancies between the original scale and the Korean scale were identified regarding the factor structures through in construct validity research, discussion on the concept of Korean psychopathy has been limited. As a result, this study compared 16 domestic papers on the validation of psychopathy assessment tools along with 9 international foreign papers that addressed the factor structure of each original scale. By comparing the derived factor structures, items assigned to each factor, and omitted items from each study, the characteristics of Korean psychopathy were explored. The findings revealed that Korean psychopathy is recognizable from materialism, machiavellianism, and antisocial behavior and impulsivity. This study holds significance in synthesizing the outcomes of current domestic psychopathy validation research and offers a conceptual foundation to help understand Korean psychopathy.