Rasmus R. Larsen

Fallon's story is designed to, well, sell books. The premise is flawed. We still haven't found a stable neurological signal associated with psychopathy. So, Fallon could of course never have diagnosed himself using MRI technology. See?

This might ruffle some feathers. But hear me out... new piece in
Aeon Magazine on #psychopathy
aeon.co/essays/psych...

Is the Psychopathy Checklist Unsuitable for Court? A study finds flaws in the use of scores from psychopathy tests in court, but fails to address the influence on juries of cultural portrayals of psychopathy.

Psychology Today highlights our research on the PCL-R in court. The article explores whether psychopathy assessments should inform high-stakes legal decisions.

www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/shad...

This made-in-Canada ‘psychopath test’ doesn’t work and has no place in courts, major study finds “We should probably consider a complete moratorium on these types of assessments,” says U of T researcher Rasmus Rosenberg Larsen.

The Toronto Star features our 2025 study on how the PCL-R is used in Canadian courts. The piece examines the empirical and legal concerns surrounding psychopathy assessments in judicial decision-making.
www.thestar.com/news/gta/thi...

Why I teach my students about scientific failure “It’s a lesson I wish I’d learned before starting grad school,” this professor writes

Students can learn from our failures as scientists...

This short (and older ) piece in Science makes a compelling case for treating scientific failure not as an embarrassment, but as a core pedagogical resource.

www.science.org/content/arti...

What is Bayesian reasoning? Once you understand what is, you'll spot Bayesian reasoning in science, medicine - and many aspects of daily life.

This is an excellent short video on Bayesian thinking by the BBC.

The core idea in Bayesian thinking is that our current interpretations should be fundamentally informed by prior knowledge and existing evidence.

www.bbc.com/videos/c78ee...

Psychopathy Unmasked: The Rise and Fall of a Dangerous Diagnosis Hosted by UTM Alumni Relations Psychopathy is one of the oldest and most researched personality disorders. Yet in the past decade, empirical studies have raised serious doubts about the reality of…

If you were unable to attend last week’s UTM Alumni Relations lecture, the full recording is now available. In this talk, I examine how the psychopathy construct/diagnosis migrated from research settings into legal decision-making.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=moGn...

Thanks to UTM Alumni community 🙏

I'm pleased to share that I will be participating in a four-person "round table" panel at the annual conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, taking place in Helsinki, June 16–18. Hope to see you there!

All students should have what I call a “𝗯𝗲𝗱𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 ”... By this I mean a book of your own choosing. It can be popular science, literature, history, or something else entirely. The point is to choose something you genuinely desire to read. So I’m curious: what is your bedstand book right now?

Why Philosophy Matters Its true and final value: a rant

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀?

This is an unapologetic defence of academic philosophy by my colleague Steven Hales. It's really a rant, and it's both timely and well-aimed.

hilariusbookbinder.substack.com/p/why-philos...

Handbook on Lived Experience in the Justice System | Christopher P. Du This volume offers a diverse set of scholarly essays on the imaginative potential of corrections and sentencing research/practice that centers on the lived

This recently published anthology, Handbook of Lived Experience in the Justice System, is a gem for forensic psychologists. It showcase lived experience, a type of information often missing from forensic research. www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/1...

I’ve made complete teaching materials for my book, Psychopathy Unmasked, freely available under CCBY4.0, including PowerPoint lecture slides. The materials integrate empirical research, philosophy of science, and forensic practice, with a focus on legal use

Link: www.psychopathyunmasked.com/course

Psychopathy Unmasked: The Rise and Fall of a Dangerous Diagnosis | Academic book on psychopathy The first critical book on Psychopathic Personality Disorder. Explore the science, history, and controversy behind the diagnosis. Psychopathy Unmasked challenges myths, exposes legal misuse, and rethi...

Psychopathy Unmasked: The Rise and Fall of a Dangerous Diagnosis.
Order your copy here 👉 psychopathyunmasked.com
#Psychopathy #Psychopath #ForensicPsychology #criminalpsychology #CriminalJustice #ForensicPsychiatry

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Does studying 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀..? It seems so.

This study provides convincing evidence. Very large sample size (N=649,511) and moderate effect sizes (improve GRE verbal with d=0.48): philosophy students improve significantly in reasoning skills compared to peers. Link 👇

Bluesky now platform of choice for science community It’s not just you. Survey says: “Twitter sucks now and all the cool kids are moving to Bluesky”…

Is it me, or is a claim like this slightly exaggerated? Can't figure it out...
arstechnica.com/science/2025...

Blog Series: The Making of Psychopathy Unmasked As we count down to release day on June 17, I’ll be sharing a series of short behind-the-scenes stories: what sparked my interest in psychopathy, how the book project took shape, which chapters almost didn’t make it, the unexpected hurdles along the way, and the generous help and inspiration I received from friends, colleagues, and students.Think of it as a peek behind the curtain. Part research diary, part intellectual journey.And on a more honest note: writing a book is hard, often agonizing w

My book, Psychopathy Unmasked, is out on June 17. I have created a blog series of short behind-the-scenes stories: what sparked my interest in psychopathy and how the book project took shape.

Think of it as a peek behind the curtain. Check it out:

www.psychopathyunmasked.com/post/blog-se...