Evaluation of a Hollywood Psychopath

Summary of the Film Split

Split opens with the abduction of three girls by Kevin. Kevin is not really in possession of himself, however: he has multiple personality disorder and the personality of Dennis is the one doing the kidnapping. There are other personalities that manifest themselves during his sessions of therapy, but for the most part these personalities are able to convince the doctor that they are harmless. Kevins captives, however, see another side of him, and as a new personality emerges in Kevinthe Beastthings turn violent. Split ends with Kevin becoming the Beast, a kind of comic-bookish animal-monster hybrid (Kevin is somehow able to scale walls when the Beast takes over). Kevins personality disorder stems from childhood abuse, so the doctor believesand as he is about to kill the final captive he sees that she too is a victim of abuse and he spares her out of sympathy. This demonstrates at least some sign of humanity in Kevin not typically found in most true psychopaths. Before transforming totally into the Beast, Kevin emerges from deep withinwhen his name is called (as though this were some kind of magic act of conjuring)but then the other personalities quickly pull Kevin back and bury him deep within himself. This suggests that Kevin is not a genuine psychopath since he appears to be more the victim of a hostile takeover of spirits than anything else.

Is the Beast a Good Example of a Psychopath?

Is the Beast a Good Example of a Psychopath? Not really. Kevin suffers from extreme multiple personality disorder with 24 personalities identified by his doctor. The personality of Dennis is abusive towards women, and the Beast is homicidal and cannibalistic, but personalities like Patricia are calm and empathetic, while Hedwig is childlike. All of these personalities are inside Kevin, who is actually trapped and overwhelmed by them. Kevin as himself is not really in control of his own thoughts or actions. Therefore, Kevin is not, strictly speaking a good example of psychopathyalthough it can be argued that all psychopaths have a split personality: one personality or faade that they show to the world, and the other that is revealed only to their victims. This is certainly true of Kevin, although the personality that is typically shown to the world is usually that of Barry or Dennis. Barry is usually the dominant personalitybut Dennis emerges to abduct the girls and sacrifice them to the 24th emerging personality, the Beast.

A better example of a psychopath might be someone like Ted Bundy or even Norman Bates from the film Psycho. Kevin probably could not be considered even a borderline psychopath based on his 24 score in the PCL-R. The reason for this, to some extent, is that not enough is known about Kevins early life; but also that he has personalities within him that are genuinely empathetic and sympathetic to others (after all, he spares the girl at the end because he recognizes in her the signs of one who has been abusedand this kind of empathy is not typical of a psychopath). In many ways, he comes across as a possessed person. Possession is described in the DSM-5, so it is considered something real by psychologists. However, if more were known about Kevin, it might be shown...

Perhaps in the sequel to the film, there is more information that could be drawn upon.

Hits and Misses on the PCL-R

Kevin certainly scores some 2s on the PCL-R but he also scores some 0s. He does not meet the threshold 30 score for a conservative diagnosis...

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12. 12. Early behavioral problems Psychopaths display a lengthy history of behavioral problems that originates during early childhood. This might include cruelty to animals, truancy, substance abuse, fighting, firesetting and running away from home.

a. 2

13. 13. Lack of realistic or long-term goals Although psychopaths might talk a good game, they often show an inability to execute longterm goals. They might speak about all of the great things they are going to accomplish, but wont be able to provide any specific details about this will get done.

a. 1

14. 14. Impulsivity Psychopaths struggle to resist temptation and as a result might come across as reckless, foolhardy, and unpredictable.

a. 2

15. 15. Irresponsibility Psychopaths will repeatedly fail to honor commitments or obligations at work, school, family, or social situations. If they borrow money from you, good luck getting it back!

a. 1

16. 16. Failure to accept responsibility for their own actions None of their failures or setbacks are their own fault. There will always be someone else to blame!

a. 1

17. 17. Many short-term marital relationships If psychopaths do enter into a long-term relationship, it is likely only for their own financial or personal gain and it is likely that they will abruptly end the relationship as soon as they get bored or the incentives end.

a. 0

18. 18. Juvenile delinquency This item is similar to item #12, except this item pulls more for behavior that are violations of law.

a. 1

19. 19. Revocation of conditional release There is evidence of revoked parole or probation due to a number of different reasons such as failure to appear, substance use, or other violations.

a. 0

20. 20. Criminal versatility Unlike some criminals who develop a specific specialty, psychopaths are known for committing a wide variety of crimes. This likely has to do with their need for excitement and their poor impulse control.

a.…