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PSYC 2400 > Lecture 10: Psychopathy > Flashcards

Lecture 10: Psychopathy Flashcards

1
Q

PCL-R

A

The PCL-R refers to the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, which is a method for determining whether someone is a psychopath (developed by Robert Hare). The measure consists of 20 items that tap into 3 features that are thought to define psychopathy: (1) interpersonal features (e.g., manipulative), (2) affective features (e.g., shallow emotion), and (3) lifestyle features (e.g., poor anger control).

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2
Q

psychopathy and serial killers

A
  • Most serial killers are psychopaths but most psychopaths are not serial killers
  • Serial killers are often described as psychopathic
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3
Q

psychopathy statistics

A
  • 90% of serial killers are psychopaths
  • 1% of the general population are psychopaths
  • 10-25% of the prison population are psychopaths
  • 44% of killers of police officers are psychopaths
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4
Q

what is psychopathy?

A
  • A personality disorder characterized by:
    1. An arrogant, deceitful interpersonal style
    2. Deficient affective experiences
    3. Impulsive and irresponsible behaviours
    4. Early onset and diverse antisocial behaviours
  • Only an abstract, intellectual awareness of the feelings of others
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5
Q

Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)

A
  • 20 items scored using a semi-structured interview and file information
  • 3-point scale
  • Total ranges from 0 to 40
  • Clinical cutoff for psychopathy: 30
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6
Q

PCL-R interpersonal features

A
  • Glib/superficially charming
  • Grandiose, inflated self-worth
  • Manipulative
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7
Q

PCL-R affective features

A
  • Shallow emotions
  • Lack of guilt
  • Callous
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8
Q

PCL-R lifestyle features

A
  • Impulsive
  • Irresponsible
  • Poor anger control
  • Criminal behaviours
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9
Q

DSM-IV criteria for APD

A
  • Current age is at least 18
  • Conduct disordered by age 15
  • Adult criteria (3 of 7 symptoms)
    1. Repeated criminal acts
    2. Irritability
    3. Recklessness
    4. Lack of remorse
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10
Q

overlap between APD and psychopathy in offenders

A

In the prison population:
60-80% APD
10-25% psychopathy

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11
Q

Mean PCL-R scores

A
  • 30 for psychopaths
  • 21 for criminals
  • 4 for the general population
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12
Q

methods for measuring psychopathy

A
  • Unstructured clinical judgments (ex. “In my clinical opinion)
  • Self-reports (ex. MMPI, MCMI, PPI)
  • Informant ratings (APSD)
  • Structured clinical judgment (DSM-V, PCL-R, PCL: YV)
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13
Q

distribution of psychopathy in male prisoners

A
  • Mean = 22
  • Base rate = 20%
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14
Q

distribution of psychopathy in female prisoners

A
  • Mean = 19
  • Base rate = 14%
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15
Q

importance of psychopathic traits: juvenile death penalty study method

A
  • Does the presence or absence of psychopathic traits impact a layperson’s perceptions of what is an appropriate legal sanction?
  • Juvenile capital defendant with either psychopathic traits (lacking remorse, callous, arrogant, deceptive) or
    non-psychopathic traits (remorseful, accepting, responsible, respects others)
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16
Q

importance of psychopathic traits: juvenile death penalty study results

A
  1. More likely to select the death penalty for psychopaths
  2. Less likely to support rehabilitation for psychopaths
17
Q

importance of psychopathic traits: juvenile death penalty study conclusion

A

“It seems that one would be particularly hard-pressed to justify the use of any of the psychopathy measures in a juvenile death penalty case.”

18
Q

psychopathy: motives for murder study method

A
  • 125 Canadian murderers
  • Classified murders as reactive or instrumental
19
Q

reactive murder

A

unplanned, crimes of passion, extreme provocation

20
Q

instrumental murder

A

planned, settle a score

21
Q

psychopathy: motives for murder study findings

A
  • Inmates with low PCL-R scores were more likely to commit reactive murder
  • Inmates with high PCL-R scores were more likely to commit instrumental murder
22
Q

psychopathy and general reoffending study method

A
  • Assessed 231 male adult offenders retrospectively
  • Release decisions were blind to the PCL-R (parole or mandatory supervision)
  • Follow-up period = 3.5 years
  • Outcome: revocation or new offence
23
Q

psychopathy and general reoffending study findings

A
  • Those who were given parole were less likely to re-offend than those given mandatory supervision
  • The higher one’s PCL-R score, the more likely they are to re-offend
24
Q

psychopathy and treatment study method

A
  • 176 treated patients/ - 146 untreated patients
  • Follow-up period = 10 years
  • Social therapy unit
  • Minimum 2-year treatment program
  • Foster responsibility and empathy
  • Limited professional contact
  • Entry to program nonvoluntary
25
Q

psychopathy and treatment study findings

A
  • Non-psychopaths had lower rates of violent offences following treatment
  • Psychopaths had higher rates of violent offences following treatment
26
Q

what makes psychopaths tick?

A
  • We don’t know
  • It’s not the sole result of poor parenting or abusive experiences
  • There are some clues from neuroscience
27
Q

psychopathy and affect language

A
  • They know the words but not the music
  • They know only the dictionary meaning of words
  • They can learn to use ordinary words and reproduce the pantomime of feeling but the feeling itself does not come to pass
28
Q

meaning of words

A

Words have both denotative (literal) and connotative (figurative) meanings

29
Q

how can we evaluate words?

A
  • Lexical decision times
  • Brain activity associated with the decisions
30
Q

lexical decision task method

A
  • Neutral & emotional words and pronounceable nonwords were briefly presented in random order on a computer screen
  • Participants were asked, “Was what you saw a word?”
31
Q

lexical decision task findings

A
  • Non-psychopaths identify both positive and negative emotional words quicker than neutral words
  • The same trends are not found for psychopaths; there is little difference in their reaction times for emotional and non-emotional stimuli
32
Q

Intrator et al., 1997 study method

A
  • Substance abusers
  • Lexical decision task
  • Assessed with PCL-R
  • Radioactive tracer injected
  • Blocks of neutral, emotional (negative) words
33
Q

Intrator et al., 1997 study findings

A
  1. Activation in non-psychopaths is widespread and primarily anterior
  2. Activation in psychopaths is more localized to posterior regions
  3. Implies that psychopaths perform the task in a superficial manner
34
Q

startle reflex

A

reflex occurs when something unexpected occurs

35
Q

when does startle blink occur?

A
  • Primed if a person is in a negative emotional state or feeling treated
  • Reduced if a person is in a positive emotional state
36
Q

psychopathy and startle reflex study method

A
  • Incarcerated offenders: psychopaths vs. non-psychopaths
  • Affective pictures: pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral
  • Present startle probes
37
Q

psychopathy and startle reflex study findings

A
  • Non-psychopaths had a significantly greater eye blink magnitude for unpleasant stimuli followed by neutral, then pleasant stimuli
  • Psychopaths showed similar magnitudes for all types of stimuli

PSYC 2400 (20 decks)

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