Hancock (contemporary study) Flashcards by LIVIA BUXTON

What is psychopathy?

A disorder where someone has a ‘wholly selfish orientation with a profound emotional defiicit’
Aka a complete lack in empathy

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Psychometric test to test for psychopathy name?

PCl-R test

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How does the PCl-R test work?

20 items (qualities of psychopathy) that are scored from 0-2 after interviewing by a specialist
8 factor 1 items (personality traits)
As factor 2 items (antisocial lifestyle)

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Rating scale on PCl-R

0=does not apply at all
1=sometimes apply
2=fully applies

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Normal people on PCl-R score

0-4 out of 40

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Clinical psychopaths score on PCl-R

30 put of 40

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Psychopath in research score on PCl-R

25/40

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What aspect are we comparing between normal people to psychopaths?

Use of language

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What are the 3 main characteristics of language are we aiming to compare between psychopaths vs non psychopaths?

If psychopaths use more subordinate conjunctions (because + so) than non psychopaths
If psychopaths make more semantic references to lower level physiological needs like sex and money than higher level needs like love compared to non
If psychopaths use less intense emotional words, produce more disfluencies and more past tense

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Why would psychopaths use more subordinating conjunctions than non psychopaths?

Because they view the world instrumentally and for their taking so this establishes a cause and effect nature of their crimes
Using words like ‘so’ ‘because’ explain this

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Why would psychopaths make more references to lower level needs on Maslows pyramid?

Because they experience an emotional deficit so would not be motivated by love or spirituality or relationship with other people: make more references to materialistic things that are directly for their benefit

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Why would psychopaths produce less intensive emotional words?

Because they have trouble experiencing these emotions and feelings/ empathising these feelings with others

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Why would psychopaths use more disfluencies than non psychopaths?

Because there is a higher cognitive load on them to explain their crime appropriately, as they do not feel empathy for their crimes so requires more thought to show themselves as ‘normal’

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Why will psychopaths use more past tense and articles (the) instead of possessive pronouns (my)?

Language shows psychological distancing from crimes: psychopaths won’t feel guilt nor remorse for crime so won’t take responsibility or will seem dismissive

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Is this an experiment?

Yes, has an independent variable (whether participant is a psychopath or not based on score over 25/40 on PCLR-5

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What type of experiment is this?

Quasi experiment because the independent variable of whether someone is a psychopath as scored 25 or over on PCl-R or is not. Not manipulated by researcher

Experimental design

Independent measures because each participant only experienced 1 condition and does not repeat the experiment in a different condition
So results are compared against different people as the IV (psychopath or not) is naturally occurring and cannot be changed by researcher

Sample

52 adult men in Canadian prison for murder
14 psychopaths
38 non psychopaths

factors controlled within the sample

No significant difference in age or the time the crime was committed
All male

How did we classify the participants as psychopath or not?

39 assessments completed by trained psychologists/trained users of the psychometric tool using PCl-R
Score over 25 = research considers person a psychath

Inter rater reliability check for assessments and classification?

Checked with a graduate student
Agreement or 0.94 so consistent measure of who’s a psychopath or not

Is there a problem with validity by classifying psychopaths with a score or 25?

Some people were considered a psychopath when in the clinical sense they shouldn’t have been so could decrease the validity as not an accurate measurement of who’s a psychopath thus language differences

How did we collect data on the participants crimes?

Through a semi structured interview using step wise approach
25 minutes long audiotaped then transcribed

What was good about the way the interview was conducted?

Standardised by using the same step wise approach for all participants in a semi structured interview but also allows up for extra follow up data
Reduced Researcher bias as were the interviewers were. blind to who was a psychopath or not

What were the participants told about the interview?

To examine how homicide offenders recall the crime

Were the participants deceived on the nature of the interview? Did this affect demand characteristics?

Not really as the aim of the interview was explained but did not go into detail about what was specifically being tested, quite hard to guess true aim of study

2 methods of analysis of the transcripts of all interviews

Wmatrix DAL

Wmatrix

Entire corpus of psychopaths transcripts compared to non psychopaths. Find difference on: Nouns and verbs Semantic references Tense used

DAL

Used to assess emotional properties of language on an individual basis Of intensity and pleasantness of language

Results on subordinating conjunctions

Psychopaths used significantly more subordinating conjunctions (instrumental language) (1.82%) than non psychopaths (1.54%)

Results for Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Psychopaths make more references to satisfying lower level, physiological needs eg money and sex than non psychopaths who make more references to higher level needs (spirituality and family)

What is the conclusion of this study?

Psychopaths describe crimes in a distinct way using different language to non psychopaths: More disfluencies as they operate on a more primitive level More instrumental and premeditated More psychologically distanced

Why does this fall under the individual differences area?

Investigates how language of psychopathic criminals differ from how normal criminals describe their crime: Investigates how behaviour differs due to someone’s disorder (?)

Do we know if the difference in language is due to psychopathy?

Not directly caused, could be due to effects of imprisonment preventing thrill seeking Cultural/ differences in personality

What theme does this fall under?

Analysis of differences across people using psychometric testing

Why does this fall under the theme of analysing differences?

Uses computer analysis to check differences in language (past tense, semantic references to needs, subordinating conjunctions) of testimonies of psychopaths to non psychopaths

Why is this a psychodynamic study?: the unconscious

Suggests that language is a result of the unconscious mind we have no control over Eg, using subordinating conjunctions and instrumental language is a reference to the unconscious of psychopaths viewing the world for their taking

Why is this a psychodynamic study?: the id

Suggests that psychopaths are stuck at the lowest levels of ego development,can’t find it hard to control impulses for low level physiological needs such as money and sex Governed by the id

Why is this a psychodynamic study?: the ego defence mechanism

The psychological distancing by using more past tense and articles instead of possessive pronouns is an ego defence mechanism (unconscious effort by ego to reduce blame) By not accepting responsibility or accountability for actions: deflecting blame