March 27 Flashcards
8 common themes of psychopathy identified by Kirman (2005)
Talking victim into victimization
Lying
Economic abuse
Emotional abuse/psychological torture
Multiple infidelities
Isolation and coercion
Assault
Mistreatment of children
What are people with psychopathic traits better at?
Identifying people who have experienced prior violence based on gait cues
Wheeler et al. (2009) and Book et al. (2013) findings
Viewers with higher psychopathy and Factor 1 scores (interpersonal) were more accurate at classifying people who had experienced sexual or violent crimes
Affective deficits model of psychopathy
General emotional deficit: Core deficit in psychopathy is likely poverty of emotions
Specific emotional deficit
Specific emotional deficit examples in the affective deficits model of psychopathy
Lack of fear (e.g., in face of punishment; low-fear hypothesis)
Integrated emotion systems theory; inability to recognize sadness or distress in others (and therefore to inhibit violence)
Attention model of psychopathy
Response modulation deficit; can’t focus attention to modify (i.e., inhibit) initial responses
E.g., once they decide to retaliate, they don’t change their minds
Developmental models of psychopathy
Lack of emotional capacity for developing a conscience in response to discipline
In terms of the developmental models of psychopathy, what do healthy children learn to do?
From as young as 30 months, healthy children learn to inhibit behaviours that have negative consequences for others
By having their own negative emotions in response to other people’s distress
In terms of the developmental models of psychopathy, what do children and adult with psychopathic traits show?
Reduced autonomic responses to the distress of others and reduced recognition of sad and fearful expressions
In comparison to children with other conduct problems, what are some aspects characteristic of children with psychopathic traits?
Less responsive to parental socialization
Have reduced overall emotional responses to emotional stimuli
Display less distress after hurting others
In terms of the developmental models of psychopathy, what are the 2 developmental paths according to Frick and Marsee (2006)
Callous/unemotional (instrumental aggression)
Impulse conduct problems (reactive aggression)
Genetics and psychopathy
Twin studies show strong genetic component
Moderate to strong genetic influence for all psychopathic traits
Interventions need to start early
Neurology and psychopathy
Reduction in prefrontal gray matter
Less gray matter in right superior temporal gyrus
Less hippocampal volume
Less amygdala volume
Increase in callosal white matter, hyperconnectivity
Implications of reduction in prefrontal gray matter
Problem-solving, self-control
Implications of less gray matter in right superior temporal gyrus
Perception of emotion (lack moral judgment, hostile attribution)
Implications of less hippocampal volume
Response inhibition, learning/memory (lack of fear conditioning)
Implications of less amygdala colume
Storage of memory of emotional events (e.g., contextual fear conditioning), moral emotions
Implications of increase in callosal white matter, hyperconnectivity
Intellect, reduced lateralization of functions (e.g., areas important for emotional processing, remorse)
What is psychopathy often comorbid with?
Substance use disorder
What are psychopathic traits strongly related to?
Antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders
What are psychopathic traits moderately related to?
Paranoid, borderline, and histrionic personality disorders
In youth, what do psychopathic traits have a strong association with?
Conduct disorder
In youth, what do psychopathic traits have a moderate association with?
ADHD
Psychopaths and criminal trajectory
Often begin criminal careers early and persist in violence across the lifespan
