Class 12: Psychopathy Flashcards
Define personality
a pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving that makes a person different from other people
What is 4 things a personality can be influenced by?
- inherited characteristics
- experiences
- surroundings
- life situations
Define personality disorder
A pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving that departs from cultural expectations, causes problems in functioning, and lasts overtime
Define Paranoid personality disorder and 2 results of the disorder on the individual.
Characterized by a pattern of distrust and suspiciousness of the motives of others
- Often assume others will harm or deceive them
- Reluctant to confide in others or become close to them.
Define Schizotypical personality disorder and 1 result of the disorder on the individual.
Characterized by a pattern of acute distortions in thinking or perception and eccentric behaviour
1. May entertain odd beliefs
Name two personality disorders identified in the DSM-5.
- Paranoid Personality Disorder
2. Schizotypical Personality Disorder
Is Psychopathy in the DSM-5?
No
Define Psychopathy by its two features/ symptom categories.
A personality disorder that is marked by
- interpersonal/affective traits and
- Social deviance features
What have psychopaths been referred to as?
Intraspecies predators since they seek out vulnerable victims to use for their own benefit
How is psychopathy generally assessed?
Psychopathy checklist revised (PCL-R) for which a person can be scored as a 0, 1, or 2. If the individual receives a score of 30 (on 20 questions) they are “diagnosed” as a psychopath.
What are the 2 facets of Interpersonal/Affective of Psychopathy?
- Interpersonal
2. Affective
What are the 2 facets of Social Deviance of Psychopathy?
- Lifestyle
2. Antisocial
What are the 4 symptoms of the Interpersonal Facet of Psychopathy?
- Glibness/Super Charm
- Grandiose self-worth
- Pathological Lying
- Conning/Manipulative
What are the 4 symptoms of the Affective Facet of Psychopathy?
- Lack of remorse/guilt
- Shallow affect
- Callous/Lack of empathy
- Failure to accept responsibility for actions
What are the 6 symptoms of the Lifestyle Facet of Psychopathy?
- Need for stimulation/prone to boredom
- Parasitic lifestyle
- Lack of realistic long-term goals
- Impulsivity
- Irresponsibility
- Promiscuous
What are the 6 symptoms of the Antisocial Facet of Psychopathy?
- Poor behavioural controls
- Early behavioural problems
- Juvenile delinquency
- Revocation of conditional release
- Criminal versatility
- Many, short-term marital relationships
Which of psychopathy and psychosis are eligible for “insanity”
Only psychosis. Psychopathy is not currently eligible for “insanity”
Define subclinical psychopaths
People who score high on dimensions measured in community-based setting of self report measures
What percent of the male population (over 18) are psychopaths?
1%
What percentages of male prisoners are psychopaths?
15%-25% of total and 78% of violent offenders
How much more likely are psychopaths to be released early?
2.5X
How much more likely are psychopaths to be reincarcerated after release?
3X
How heritable is psychopathy?
64% in boys and 49% in girls
What is one environmental factor of psychopathy?
Socio-economic status
Name 3 physical symptoms of psychopaths?
- Less anxious
- Lower HR
- Lower Stress Response
What is the Galvanic Response and is it higher or lower in Psychopaths?
Changes in sweat gland activity and Lower
What is operant conditions?
Consequences of actions changes future behaviour.
Define empathy
Response that is induced by the perception of another person’s affective/emotional state
What is a mirror neuron?
A neuron that fires when one observes another person’s feeling
What part of the brain does not activate in psychopaths?
The amygdala
What part of the brain is used to recognize the portrayal of emotions?
Fusiform Gyrus
Define in pseudopsychopathy
Damage to the orbitofrontal cortex which results in symptoms similar to that of psychopaths
What is the blue area?
Orbitofrontal cortex
What is the pink area?
Dorsolateral Cortex
What are the blue and pink areas a part of?
The Prefrontal Cortex
What else (unrelated to psychopathy) is the orbitofrontal cortex responsible for?
processing of smells
Name one gene that is effected in psychopathy.
MAOA which is responsible for creating enzymes that degrade monoamines NTs
What is Brunner Syndrome?
A genetic disorder caused by a MAOA mutation that leads to a MAOA deficiency. This syndrome has similar symptoms to psychopaths (impulsive behaviour, hyper-sexuality, extreme mood swings, tendency towards violence)
