The psychopathic personality, or the construct of this disorder, has a long and contentious history. Psychopathy has been identified anecdotally for centuries; however, the ability to accurately define this construct continues to challenge researchers and clinicians. A preliminary concern noted is the relevance of antisocial behavior to this disorder. The work states that theoretical conceptualizations of psychopathy have changed over the past 65 years. Some have stressed the interpersonal and affective deficits of psychopathy, while later conceptualizations have included both personality traits as well as antisocial behavior as criteria of psychopathy. This article sought to review the literature, particularly the relevance of antisocial behavior to the core personality structure of the psychopath. In doing so, historical theories were reviewed, followed by later theoretical and empirical research. A great deal of this research has been conducted over the past 15 years, since the publication of the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), which has provided the field of psychopathy research with a consistent measurement device, and is discussed at length. The limitations of the psychopathy construct are also discussed, as well as needed future research and the policy implications of such research. Tables and references