10 - Psychopathy and Displaced Aggression in Gangs

Question 1

What is psychopathy?

Answer 1

An innate, biologically-based mental disorder involving anti-social behaviour and includes low empathy and remorse, as well as impulsive and egotistical characteristics

Question 2

What is sociopathy?

Answer 2

Similar to psychopathy but may result from environmental factors and not usually as severe as psychopathy e.g. may feel attached to some individuals

Question 3

What are the 3 predictor factors of psychopathy?

Answer 3

Low resting heart rate, frontal deficits in the brain, early health factors (birth complications, physical anomalies, malnutrition)

Question 4

What is a well-replicated predictor of future violent and anti-social behaviour in youth?

Answer 4

Low resting heart rate

Question 5

Damage in what brain area appears to be linked with violent offending?

Answer 5

Prefrontal cortex

Question 6

What do early health factors (birth complications, physical anomalies, malnutrition) lead to?

Answer 6

Underdevelopment of prefrontal cortex, which in turn leads to psychopathic tendencies

Question 7

What is displaced aggression?

Answer 7

Aggressive action directed towards a person or object that is not the original source of the provocation or negative affect.

Question 8

What are the three situations that preclude retaliation - set the context for displacing aggression?

Answer 8

The provoking material has an immaterial source, the source of the provocation leaves before the “victim” retaliates, or the provocateur has power over the “victim”

Question 9

Why should we expect a greater tendency to displace aggression in this gang-affiliated population? (3 points)

Answer 9

Non-normative behaviours bring them into conflict with authority figures, which leads to more aversive events that may prime them for aggression. Social environments that produce maladaptive behaviours and lifestyles may produce more negative affect overall. These two factors may enhance rumination.

Question 10

Why are gang members expected to ruminate more than non-gang members?

Answer 10

Because persons who perceive anger as useful may be more likely to ruminate

Question 11

What did Vasquez et al., find?

Answer 11

Being strongly affiliated with a gang is positively related to rumination and displacing aggression to others