ASPD and psychopathy Flashcards
how did Cleckley originally describe psychopathy in the 1940s?
- behavioural features: impulsivity, antisocial behaviour, sexual deviancy, irresponsibility
- affective and interpersonal traits: egocentricity, superficial charm, lack of empathy
in which version of the DSM was ASPD first introduced? how did its criteria differ from Cleckley’s original conceptualization of the disorder?
- DSM-III
- focused exclusively on behavioural criteria as a way of improving diagnostic reliability (did away with interpersonal/affective traits)
what is the DSM-V criteria for ASPD?
- person repeatedly disregards the rights of others in 3+ ways
- person is at least 18 years old, and showed signs of conduct disorder before age 15
what are the main characteristics of conduct disorder?
- aggression towards people and animals
- destruction of property
- deceitfulness and theft
- serious violation of rules
what are the possible specifiers associated with a diagnosis of conduct disorder?
- childhood onset type (prior to age 10) vs adolescent onset type (no symptoms prior to age 10)
- with limited prosocial emotions
what is the gender difference regarding conduct disorder diagnosis?
- 4x more common in boys
- girls often diagnosed at a later age
who first introduced the idea that psychopathy and criminality are not synonymous
Cleckley
what is the PCL? who came up with it?
- Robert Hare (elaborated on Cleckley’s ideas)
- 20-item checklist, in which each item can score between 0 and 2
- with a max of 40 possible points, someone with 30+ can considered a psychopath
what is the main criticism of the PCL?
focuses on hostile and aggressive aspects without really touching on the person’s lack of anxiety in these situations
what are the two factors in the PCL that are delineated based on covariation of items?
- factor 1: emotional-interpersonal
- factor 2: behavioural deviance
in Patrick’s study on male prison inmates, what % met criteria for ASPD? what about psychopathy based on the PCL?
- 70-80% met criteria for ASPD
- 25-30% met criteria for psychopathy
what % of female inmates are estimated to meet criteria for psychopathy based on the PCL?
9-13%
what is the prevalence of ASPD?
0.2-3%
according to Hare, what is the prevalence of psychopathy in North America?
1%
what prenatal factors contribute to development of ASPD?
- low birth weight
- malnutrition during pregnancy (protein deficiency)
- lead poisoning
- mother’s use of nicotine, marijuana, alcohol, or other substances
what 3 types of genetic pathways may contribute to ASPD?
- direct: genes lead to difficult temperament, impulsivity, tendency to seek rewards, insensitivity to punishment
- moderated: genes may moderate susceptibility to environmental risk factors
- gene-environment correlation: genes increase likelihood for a child’s exposure to environmental risk factors
what is the link between the MAOA gene and ASPD/psychopathy?
- MAOA gene degrades amine neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin), increasing risk of psychological disorders
- acts as a diathesis, which, when paired with childhood maltreatment, can lead to aggression and criminal behaviour in adulthood
what are the three possible gene-environment correlations contributing to high PCL scores?
- passive: parents high on PCL lack resources to cope with difficult children, leading to inconsistent discipline
- active: antisocial individuals prefer to associate with others who are similar, and miss opportunities to learn positive prosocial behaviours
- evocative/reactive: early criminality/drug use due to genetic predisposition can eliminate future opportunities
according to Cadoret et al, what gene environment interaction for ASPD is shown in adoption studies?
- adopted children of bio parents with ASPD were more likely to adopt antisocial traits
- but they were even more likely to develop them if they were also exposed to an adverse environment in their adopted family
what are the possible mechanisms behind the relationship between poverty/neighbourhood crime and delinquency?
- social cause: living in poverty increases rates of delinquency
- social selection hypothesis: people living with psychopathology drift down to poverty
according to Cleckley, what is the main difference between psychopaths and other antisocial individuals?
psychopaths experience an incapacity for love
