ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN PATIENTS WERE TESTED WITH THE OVERCONTROLLED HOSTILITY SCALE, THE SELF-FOCUS SENTENCE COMPLETION, AND AN EMOTIONAL EMPATHY MEASURE. THE SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO FIVE GROUPS ON THE BASIS OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES (MURDER, ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON, RAPE, PEDOPHILIA, AND NONVIOLENT PROPERTY OFFENSES). IT WAS ALSO POSSIBLE TO DIVIDE THE SAMPLE ON THE BASIS OF DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES (PSYCHOSIS, PERSONALITY DISORDER, AND BRAIN SYNDROME). THE RESULTS FAILED TO SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT MORE VIOLENT (BY NATURE OF THEIR OFFENSE) INDIVIDUALS WOULD--AS A GROUP--SCORE HIGHER ON OVERCONTROLLED HOSTILITY SCALE THAN LESS AGGRESSIVE COUNTERPARTS. THERE WAS SOME EVIDENCE THAT PSYCHOTICS SHOWED MORE SELF-FOCUS AT THE EXPENSE OF EXTERNAL FOCUS. THE EMPATHY MEASURE FAILED TO REVEAL ANY MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCES. MORE VALIDATION DATA ARE CALLED FOR TO ESTABLISH THE GENERALITY OF THE OVERCONTROLLED HOSTILITY SCALE. IN VIEW OF THE THERAPEUTIC IMPORTANCE WHICH EMPATHY TRAINING MAY HAVE FOR VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS, FURTHER EFFORT SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO FIND A GENERALLY VALID EMPATHY MEASURE. TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MJW)