Ch. 7 Psychopathy

Question 1

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Answer 1

ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER (APD) is a personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of disregard for, or violation of, the rights of others.

• A low moral sense or conscience is often apparent.
• Begins in childhood or early adolescence.
• Continues into adulthood.

COMPARING APD to PSYCHOPATHY:

• Psychopathy could simply be a more severe form of APD.
  
  • A DIAGNOSIS of APD is dependent upon CRIMINAL RECORDS.
    
    • An APD diagnosis focuses on BEHAVIOR.
  • A DIAGNOSIS of PSYCHOPATHY is dependent upon PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS that are ASSOCIATED with criminal behavior.
    
    • (Ex: callousness, superficiality, manipulation, and predation).
    • A PSYCHOPATHY diagnosis is more about PERSONALITY.

Question 2

Avoidance Learning

Answer 2

The process by which someone learns a behavior or response to avoid a stressful or unpleasant situation

Question 3

Boldness Factor (Fearless Dominance)

Answer 3

An interpersonal style that is characterized by fearlessness, being relatively immune to stress or anxiety, and being successful at negotiating social interactions to achieve desired goals

Question 4

Criminal Psychopath

Answer 4

CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATH is a person suffering from a chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. Typically includes, persistent antisocial behavior and impaired empathy and remorse.

• Responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime.
• Criminal Psychopaths tend to commit more serious & violent crimes than non-psychopathic prisoners.
• Criminal Psychopaths are also more likely to recidivate after they are released from prison.
• Derive pleasure from the suffering of others
• Target other men.
• More likely to create premeditated rather than impulsive crimes.
• PSYCHOPATHS account for about 1% of the general population.
  
  • 15-25% of the adult prison population meet the criteria for PSYCHOPATHY.
• ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER accounts for about 3% of men and 1% of women in the general population.
  
  • 50-75% of the adult prison population meet the criteria for APD.
• PSYCHOPATHY is fairly impervious to treatment.

Question 5

Dual-Process Model

Answer 5

Provides an account of how thought can arise in 2 different ways, or as a result 2 different processes. Often the 2 processes consist of an implicit (automatic), unconscious process and an explicit (controlled), conscious process In forensics this looks at criminal decision making

Question 6

Dyssocial Psychopath

Answer 6

People who resort to violence as a means of accomplishing their goals.

Question 7

Psychopathy

Answer 7

PSYCHOPATHY is a life-long condition that shows…

Deficits or deviance in several areas:

• Internal Relationships – don’t care about others, but they show a superficial charm because they have no concern for truth or consequences. They lie without remorse.
• Emotion – never genuine, only displayed intellectually.
• Self-control – impulsive and irresponsible, default on debts.

To be classified as a PSYCHOPATH, one must meet three criteria:

• Must have an ARROGANT interpersonal style
• Must have a DEFICIENT AFFECTIVE EXPERIENCE (lack of emotion)
• Must have the presence of an IMPULSIVE BEHAVIORAL STYLE

They lack conscience & empathy, making them MANIPULATIVE, VOLATILE, and often (but not always) CRIMINAL

• Psychopathy begins early (childhood) and decreases around age 40 for some, but not all.
• Psychopathy exists on a CONTINUUM. It is NOT a BINARY outcome whether one has it or not. It actually exists in people to one degree or another, with some more Psychopathic than others.
• Psychopathy is NOT PSYCHOSIS, which is a LOSS of CONTACT with REALITY.
• Psychopathy is NOT ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER (APD), which is the inability to follow rules. lying without remorse.
  
  • Though the definition of Psychopathy and APD are similar, APD shows up only AFTER a childhood without the symptoms, whereas PSYCHOPATHY seems always present.
• Psychopathy is NOT a SOCIOPATH, which is marked by an impaired conscience.
  
  • The way to remember the difference is this: SOCIOPATHS Are MADE by environmental influences while PSYCHOPATHS are BORN with the genetics that predisposes them to become a Psychopath.

PSYCHOPATHY does NOT seem to be associated or co-exist (Comorbidity) with any MENTAL DISORDERS.

• At least they show NO SYMPTOMS of other mental disorders.
• However, some research suggests a correlation between Psychopathy & SCHIZOPHRENIA in VERY violent and dangerous patients.
• SUICIDALITY can also become prevalent when Psychopaths are trapped in INTOLERABLE SITUATIONS, like prison – again, only in VERY violent and dangerous patients.

Question 8

Robert Hare Psychopathy Checklist

Answer 8

The HARE PSYCHOPATHY CHECKLIST (REVISED = PCL-R) is the dominant psychological instrument for measuring criminal psychopathy. It is a tool to DIFFERENTIATE those with ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER (APD) and the SUBSET which are actual PSYCHOPATHS.

• It is a TWO FACTOR STRUCTURE – addressing both PERSONALITY and BEHAVIOR characteristics.
• Scoring >30 indicates Psychopathy.
• 3 elements to Psychopathy:
  • Genetics
  • Developmental Deficits in the frontal cortex
  • Early Childhood Abuse
• Prevalence of APD is 3x that of Psychopathy.
• Some of the Characteristics that the PCL-R evaluate:
  
  • Personality Wise (Primary Psychopathy):
    
    • Callous
    • Manipulative
    • Glibness
    • Lack of Anxiety
    • Lack of Remorse
    • Superficial Charm
    • Inflated Self-worth
    • Need for Stimulation
    • Boredom
    • Lack of Sincere Emotion
    • Lack of Empathy
    • Early Behavioral Problems
    • Failure to Accept Responsibility
    • Juvenile Delinquency
  • Behavior Wise (Secondary Psychopathy): impulsive, antisocial, poor behavioral controls.
    
    • Impulsivity
    • Antisocial
    • Poor Behavioral Control
    • Pathological Liars

Question 9

Gender Differences in Psychopathy

Answer 9

There are significantly fewer female psychopaths than male psychopaths.

• Fewer Female Psychopaths than male psychopaths in the general population.
• 15% of incarcerated females are Psychopaths.
  
  • Women Psychopaths tend to be LESS VIOLENT than men psychopaths.
  • They also have a LOWER RECIDIVISM rate.

Question 10

Juvenile Psychopathy

Answer 10

Labeling a Juvenile a “Psychopath” is a dangerous game for several reasons:

1. There is still some question whether or not Juveniles can truly be diagnosed as Psychopaths since some common adolescent behavior and attitudes temporarily mirror those of the psychopath.
2. Receiving the label of “Psychopath” brings with it many NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS that could lead to:
   
   • Sending the juvenile directly to ADULT COURT.
   • “GIVING UP” on the juvenile because Psychopathy is difficult if not IMPOSSIBLE to TREAT due to its genetic nature.
   • The high rate of Recidivism
   • Labeling can cause the child to “BUY INTO” it and bring about a SELF-FULFILLING downward spiral.

Question 11

Genetics, Neurophysiology & Psychopathy

Answer 11

There is some research that tries to find the genetic/biological link between Psychopathy and brain function.

Genetics

• Role in under-arousal – There is a correlation with under-arousal (or low emotional responsiveness) and Psychopathy

Neurophysiology

• Hemisphere asymmetry
  
  • Psychopaths have shown an abnormal balance in language processing indicating a Right hemisphere deficit
  • Can talk about the emotional cues that people use, but can’t use them themselves.
• Reduced Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) function
  
  • ​Under Stimulated, so they seek Sensation
• Frontal lobe dysfunction
  
  • Lack of understanding of consequences of behaviors, problems with judgment, impulse control
• Amygdala dysfunction
  
  • Negative emotions and short-term memory – problems in emotional processing.

SUCCESSFUL PSYCHOPATHS – avoid detection of their affliction.

• Don’t have the same NEUROLOGICAL deficits as their CRIMINAL Couterparts.