Question: You attended your husband's funeral and fell in love at first sight with a man present there. Later, you k-lled your son. Why?

This is one of the most famous questions in the genre of "Psychopath Test" or "Saikopasu Tesuto (サイコパステスト)" a type of game that is currently very popular in Japan. How would you answer this question? Or perhaps you already know the answer?

Most people typically respond with something like, "Because the son was in the way of a new romance," or a similar answer. However, on the internet, people who are often loosely and maliciously labeled as "psychopaths"—a term frequently used as a synonym for "emotionally detached individuals who might become serial killers, like Hannibal Lecter"—are said to answer, "Because they thought they could meet that person again." This is considered the well-known "correct" (?) answer.

Of course, this test has no scientific basis, and according to Kevin Dutton in his book The Wisdom of Psychopaths, when a similar test was actually given to real psychopaths, not a single one came up with the idea of a "second funeral" (or so it is said, but since it's an English book that I couldn't obtain, I haven't been able to verify this myself).

The test format known as the "Psychopath Test" or "Saikopasu Tesuto" is originally based on the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) proposed by criminal psychology researcher Robert D. Hare. If you search for "Psychopath Test" in English, this is most likely what you will come across. However, in Japan, as the concept spread across the internet, it gradually changed. It merged with the then-popular "personality tests (性格診断テスト)" and "subconscious psychology tests (深層心理テスト)," eventually evolving into what is now known as the "Saikopasu Tesuto": a genre of quiz that is a bit eerie and where the goal is NOT to answer correctly.

A Creepy Psychology Test

One day, Jane (A子) saw her boyfriend in town with an unfamiliar woman. That woman was sitting in the passenger seat of his car, a seat that Jane considered to be hers. Shocked, the next day Jane doused his car in gasoline and set it on fire. Strangely, however, she did not show any anger. Why was her expression calm?

• Because she got revenge on him.
• Because she felt relieved.
• Because she got rid of a car another woman had sat in.

 If you answered any of the above, you are normal.

The abnormal answer: "Because she was protecting her territory."

Explanation: Psychopaths have an excessively strong instinct to protect what they consider important, to the point where any action taken to defend it is rationalized. Jane succeeded in reclaiming her "territory"—the passenger seat—and likely intended to continue her relationship with him.

Due to its origins, I personally see "Saikopasu Tesuto" as nothing more than an entertainment piece with no psychiatric basis. However, it has become a highly enjoyable game among friends for two main reasons:

I. The bizarre scenarios presented in the questions

The test questions often describe disturbing situations that don't immediately make sense, almost like horror stories. A common reaction from participants is "I don't even want to think about that situation!", but since the game is in the form of a quiz, participants are forced to engage with the story whether they like it or not. This sometimes adds a new layer of depth to the horror story.

II. The occasional "error" where an ordinary person gives the "psychopath's answer"

Since the quiz has no scientific validity, there is no guarantee that answering "correctly" means someone is a psychopath. However, when someone happens to give the supposed "psychopath's answer," the game instantly becomes much more exciting. Though I personally dislike the culture of overhyping this, as it can resemble unhealthy labeling, it is part of the game’s appeal.

Despite its notorious reputation, I recently came across a claim that the famous "Psychopath Test" question originated from a passage in Sigmund Freud’s book The Interpretation of Dreams (Die Traumdeutung).

This book, written by Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud, argues that dreams express suppressed unconscious desires and can be analyzed to understand a person’s inner world. Despite its psychological complexity, I found it surprisingly accessible and enjoyable to read.

Freud recounts dreams from various patients, and one passage indeed appears to be the original inspiration for the "Psychopath Test."

Sigmund Freud, Die Traumdeutung, Franz Deuticke, Leipzig & Vienna, 1899, pp.106-107

Another dream of a more somber nature was likewise presented to me by a patient as an objection to the theory of wish-fulfillment in dreams. The patient, a young girl, began:

"You remember that my sister now has only one little boy, Karl; the older one, Otto, she lost while I was still living in her house. Otto was my favorite; I practically raised him. I am also fond of the little one, but of course not nearly as much as the deceased. Now, last night I dreamed that I saw Karl lying dead before me. He was lying in his little coffin, his hands folded, candles all around—just exactly as it was back then with little Otto, whose death shook me so deeply. Now tell me, what does this mean? You know me—am I such a bad person that I would wish my sister to lose the only child she still has? Or does the dream mean that I would rather Karl were dead instead of Otto, whom I loved so much more?"

I assured her that this latter interpretation was out of the question. After a brief reflection, I was able to provide her with the correct interpretation of the dream, which she then confirmed. I was able to do this because I was familiar with the entire history of the dreamer.

Orphaned at an early age, the girl had been raised in the home of her much older sister and, among the friends and visitors of the house, had met the man who left a lasting impression on her heart. For a while, it seemed as if this unspoken connection might lead to marriage, but this happy outcome was thwarted by the sister, whose motives were never fully clarified. After the break, the man whom our patient loved avoided the house; she herself became independent some time after the death of little Otto, to whom she had directed her affections in the meantime. However, she did not succeed in freeing herself from the emotional dependence she had developed due to her love for her sister's friend. Her pride forbade her from approaching him, yet she found it impossible to transfer her love to other suitors who later appeared. Whenever the beloved man, who belonged to the literary profession, was scheduled to give a lecture somewhere, she would invariably be among the audience, and she seized every opportunity to catch a distant glimpse of him in other settings as well.

I recalled that she had told me the day before that the professor was going to attend a particular concert, and she intended to go as well to enjoy the sight of him once more. This was the day before the dream; on the day she recounted the dream to me, the concert was set to take place. This made it easy for me to construct the correct interpretation, so I asked her whether she could recall any event that had occurred after the death of little Otto. She immediately replied:

"Of course—back then, after a long absence, the professor returned, and I saw him once again at little Otto's coffin."

It was just as I had expected. So I interpreted the dream in the following way:

"If the other boy were to die now, the same thing would happen again. You would spend the day with your sister, the professor would surely come to offer his condolences, and under the same circumstances as before, you would see him again. The dream is nothing more than an expression of your desire to see him again, a desire that you are struggling against internally. I know that you have the ticket for tonight's concert in your pocket. Your dream is a dream of impatience—it has merely brought forward by a few hours the reunion that is set to happen today."

In other words, does that mean the patient was a psychopath?!?! …Sorry. As you can see, there is no psychological basis for a "Saikopasu Tesuto." What he actually wanted to argue, based on this case, was the hypothesis that "dreams have the property of revealing a person's repressed unconscious desires."

Of course, I am not saying that "Saikopasu Tesuto" has any psychiatric validity, but this discovery made me think, "The strange theories that have spread in society may have actually originated from certain documents or events that gave rise to these rumors. And by investigating them, we may be able to make new discoveries," and that is the conclusion of this article.

Incidentally, since "Psychopath Tests" have been a long-standing part of Japanese internet culture, multiple variations have emerged. If these are not well-known in English-speaking communities, I would love to write another article introducing them. Here is an example:

Question: One day, you witness a serious crime taking place in an apartment across the street. The perpetrator notices you and points at your building while saying something. What do they say?

For those curious about the "correct" answer, I have included a Japanese link: https://karapaia.com/archives/52164935.html

However, I must emphasize once again that these quizzes have no psychiatric foundation, and answering with what is considered a "psychopath’s response" does not mean you are a psychopath.

Lastly, I had an interesting conversation (in Japanese) with ChatGPT about this topic, so I will include a record of that conversation at the end of this report.

Me:

Are you familiar with the game called "Psychopath Test," which is well-known in Japan’s online community?

ChatGPT:

Yes, the "Psychopath Test" is a common game in Japanese internet culture.

It’s a quiz-like game designed to identify people who think differently from the average person—those who exhibit "psychopathic thinking." In most cases, the test determines "psychopathic tendencies" based on answers that differ from logical thinking or typical emotional responses.

Me:

Thank you. Now, could you come up with an original Psychopath Test question? Of course, I have no intention of using it for any malicious purposes!

ChatGPT:

That sounds interesting! Here’s an original Psychopath Test question for you.

Question: A series of murders has occurred in a town. All the victims were killed after shopping at a specific supermarket. When the police reviewed the security camera footage, they discovered that every victim shared a particular characteristic while shopping. Upon learning this, the investigator immediately understood the killer’s motive.

What was this "particular characteristic"?

Me:

Perhaps the killer had a traumatic experience in the past where they wanted to buy something from that supermarket but couldn’t. This frustration left a deep psychological scar, so they targeted people who had purchased whatever item they had once desired.

ChatGPT:

That’s an interesting theory! It’s possible that the killer had a traumatic past and targeted those who bought a certain item. Thinking about the psychological motives behind a crime is one of the key aspects of the Psychopath Test.

Now, here’s the "model answer" from a psychopathic perspective.

Model Answer (Psychopathic Perspective): "They didn’t carry a shopping basket."

Explanation: The killer was searching for "someone who thinks like them." Normally, people pick up a basket when they enter a supermarket. However, those who shop without a basket either plan carefully and buy only the bare minimum or act impulsively. The killer fixated on "people who, like themselves, don’t conform to general rules" and murdered them for that reason.

This is a way of thinking that doesn’t typically come to mind for most people. But your reasoning also delved into the killer’s psychology, making for an intriguing interpretation!