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The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:11 pm
by Dan Rowden
If you pass this test, you may need to see a doctor.

To find out, please read the question below, and try to come up with the right answer.

This is NOT a trick question.

The question is exactly what it is; there are no games. No one I know so far has got it right . . .
A woman went to the funeral of her own mother. There, she met a guy whom she did not know. She thought the man was amazing. Really amazing. She fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and could not find him again. A week later she killed her sister.
Question: What is her motive for killing her sister?

Give this some thought before you look at the answer.

-

Answer (highlight text between the brackets below to read):

[She was hoping the guy would appear at the funeral again.

If you answered this correctly, you think like a psychopath. This was a test by a famous American psychologist used to test if one has the same mentality as a killer. Several arrested serial killers were given test and answered the question correctly.

If you didn’t answer the question correctly, good for you. If you did, admit it, and look for a good doctor.
]

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:17 pm
by Imadrongo
Edit: I peaked. Yay I got it right. What a dumb question. How could anyone not figure that out? You don't need to be a psychopath to figure that out.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:23 pm
by Dan Rowden
I didn't get it. You're now officially disturbing, Neil. I also removed where you stated the answer.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:44 pm
by Nick
The answer appears so simple after it's revealed. It's seems like the kind of connection a child's mind might make.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:46 pm
by Iolaus
I know a perfectly nice (smart) guy who answered that question correctly in the military and was looked at askance, and felt pretty worried about himself.

I figured it out, too.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:48 pm
by Imadrongo
I would hesitate to call anyone intelligent if they couldn't get the question, knowing that this was a psychopath. There is a world of difference between doing the action and answering the question correctly.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:55 pm
by Dan Rowden
Not from the point of view of psychologists. I thought of a couple of rather devious answers but the one they give never occured to me at all.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:58 pm
by Shahrazad
I got the correct answer, but I suspect it's because I had heard the question before.

I need to run that one by my kid.

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Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:00 pm
by Shardrol
I first saw this test several years ago & coincidentally just asked someone about it tonight before I read this thread (she didn't get it).

My understanding is that you're not supposed to tell people that the test has anything to do with psychopathy because then some people try to figure out what a psychopath would answer rather than just spontaneously answering like a psychopath because they really do think that way.

The advice about seeing a doctor is also ridiculous since it's well known that psychopathy is pretty much untreatable.

PS Approximately 5 out of 25 people I've asked it to have gotten it right, including one family where the man, woman & both sons got it. I didn't.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:01 pm
by Iolaus
I put no stock in it at all. Perhaps it is an urban myth that psychologists used it.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:02 pm
by Shardrol
Yes I think you're right. The people I know who answered correctly weren't remotely psychopathic.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:20 pm
by Dan Rowden
As far as you know :)

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:24 pm
by skipair
I got it right. I know how to think like a woman to some extent. Not sure that makes me a psychopath.

....orrrrr does it? hahahaha. I'm gonna go paint my nails.

j/k

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:33 pm
by Imadrongo
It is revealing that everyone other than Dan got it right. :)

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:06 pm
by Iolaus
It's true that I knew it was a psychopath test, and might not have gotten it otherwise.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:35 pm
by Dan Rowden
Neil Melnyk wrote:It is revealing that everyone other than Dan got it right. :)
Yes, it obviously means you're all raving psychopaths. It's not like anything new has been revealed ;)

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:40 pm
by Katy
Dan, I don't understand how you missed it, given that I'd told you the answer last time I brought it up. Sher, you have heard it before. About a year ago or so I posted it at FP. You didn't get it that time.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:54 pm
by nitty-gritty
I heard this riddle from a friend and I didn't get it either. The answer like with most riddles seems obvious after you're told what it is. However, with this particular riddle the answer seems less obvious then the question.

A person that did get the answer may have simply been lucky -- Sorta like a non-enlightened person experiencing moments of pseudo-enlightenment.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:42 pm
by Shahrazad
Sher, you have heard it before. About a year ago or so I posted it at FP. You didn't get it that time.
Yay! I'm not a psychopath.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 12:12 am
by vicdan
I knew this puzzle, but the first time I heard it, i couldn't figure it out either. My mind simply doesn't run in the direction of killing someone for personal gain. It never even crossed my mind.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:13 am
by Pye
(okay, vicdan . . . . I've just spent 5 minutes with pencil and paper trying to work out the rhyme for "Forethought" that goes with the "Venus Wednesday" that I can easily hear. help? I find that the more interesting puzzle right now, psychopathic or otherwise ;)

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:19 am
by vicdan
it has nothing to do with rhyme. :) if you figure it out what each of those three represents, you will figure out what i stand for.

of the three, one is the key but also the wall. let me know if you need another hint.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:21 am
by Nick
I didn't get it, I just said it appeared simple after it was revealed.

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:27 am
by Pye
no, don't hint me further just yet, now that I'm steered away from horrible punning . . . .

Re: The Psychopath Test

Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:52 am
by Pye
Is Wednesday/Wodan something to do with Mercury?