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What does it mean if I got high scores on psychopath or borderline personality self assessments?

Online quizzes and personality tests can be fun, but should not be assumed to be accurate or used as a diagnostic tool.  The high scores you obtained on the stated websites are certainly not accurate according to any true measurement tools.  The "psychopath" test you posted is hosted by a person who only has a bachelor's degree and is far from qualified to produce, document or treat any mental health disorder.  Also, the host is from India and it appears based on the syntax of the questions and the rest of the website that English is a second language.  The construct of questions on true testing instruments must be very precise in order to be accurate.


The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) does not have a category for "psychopath".  The only instrument used to diagnosis people who demonstrate psychopathic tendencies is the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PC-R).  Mental health experts have been arguing for years whether a true psychopath exists.  Currently, there are numerous characteristics which attribute to behavior deemed psychopathic but there is no standard diagnosis.


Personality tests are equally difficult to gauge because personality fluctuates over time.  Self-reporting questionnaires, although popular, have some major drawbacks on personality testing.  Self-reporting relies solely on the test subject understanding each question the same as the testing instrument.  If the subject defines "happy" in different terms, then the entire measuring device will not properly analyze the score.  Reliability comes into play as well because some people may not be entirely honest in an attempt to assuage a psychological guilt or otherwise taint the results.


There are personality disorders which can be diagnosed by a competent mental health professional.  Generally a diagnosis involves self-report type questionnaires which are usually hundreds of questions in length rather than thirty.  The goal is to gauge consistent answer patterns.  These are scored and used in conjunction with one-on-one counseling sessions to determine if a personality disorder exists.  Properly trained and licensed medical professionals should always be consulted and trusted over any internet website.

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