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Forensic Pyschology > Psychopathy > Flashcards

Psychopathy Flashcards

1
Q

What is psychopathy?

A

A specific personality disorder characterized by a constellation of interpersonal, affective, and behavioural traits
An “intra-species predator” – (Hare, 2012)

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2
Q

Legal relevance

of psychopathy

A

Guide decisions about treatment, placement, and management

Pretrial:
-Diversion, bail, juvenile transfer

Sentencing:
-Alternative sanctions, indeterminate sentencing

Corrections:
-Institutional classification, conditional release, community supervision, community notification, duty to warn

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3
Q

Compared to other offenders, psychopaths:

A

Begin criminal career earlier
Persist longer
More violent and versatile
More likely to victimize strangers

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4
Q

Personality disorder

A

Chronic disturbance in relating to self, others & environment

Culturally abnormal
Evident in multiple domains of functioning
Evident across situations
Clinically significant distress/impairment
Early onset
-Stable over time
Not due to other mental disorder
Not due to medical condition
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5
Q

Antisocial personality disorder (APD)

A

Definition: There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.

After age of 15 years, 3 or more of:
Repeatedly engaging in criminal acts
Deceitfulness
Impulsivity
Irritability
Reckless behaviours
Irresponsibility
Lack of remorse
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6
Q

Some underlying common problems that can define psychopathy

A

Fearlessness
-Specific deficit in fearlessness (Lykken)

Hypo-emotionality
-A generalized deficit in processing of emotional stimuli (Hare, Blair, Patrick)

Cognitive
-Context-specific attentional deficit (Newman)

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7
Q

Some underlying biological abnormality in psychos

A

Limbic/VMF dysfunction
-Failure to integrate affect in executive planning (Blair, Newman)

Inter-hemispheric transfer dysfunction
-Difficulty with information that requires hemisphere-specific processing (Hare)

Behavioural genetic abnormality
-Extreme variant of normal traits (Livesley, Widiger)

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8
Q

Environmental Factors that suggest psychopathy

A 
Family background variables that predict psychopathy (Farrington, 2006):
Parent with criminal history
Uninvolved father (risk factor for men) 
Low family income
Physical neglect
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9
Q

Adversaral allegiance

A

Tendency for forensic experts to be biased towards the side that hired them

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10
Q

Psychopathy & Violence

A

Psychopaths engage in instrumental violence
-Target strangers, motivated by revenge or external gain

Motives for homicide(planned or motivated by external gain)

Sexual sadism related to psychopathy

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11
Q

Psychopathy & Sexual Violence

A

Highly associated with violence

-Only weakly associated with sexual violence (Brown & Forth, 1997)

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12
Q

Hare Psychopathy Checklists (original, revised, screening versions)

A

Dr. Robert Hare UBC: Revised based on clinical experience & psychometric evaluation

Most popular method for assessing psychopathy:
Require clinical/expert judgment
Based on all available clinical data
-Review of collateral material (required)
-Interview (recommended)

20 item rating scale that uses semi structured interview and a review of file info to assess interpersonal, affective, and behavioural features of psychopathy
Factor 1 - interpersonal & affective: strongly related to predatory violence and poor treatment response

Factor 2- combination of unstable and socially deviant traits: strongly correlated to re-offending substance abuse, lack of education and family background

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13
Q

Symptom Clusters: the argued 3 factor model

A

Arrogant and Deceitful Interpersonal Style (Factor 1)
-Superficial, egocentric, & manipulative

Deficient Affective Experience (Factor 2)
-Shallow emotions, callous, & lack remorse

Impulsive and Irresponsible Behavioural Style (Factor 3)
-Impulsive, sensation-seeking, & lack goals

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14
Q

PCL-R Limitations

A

Required detailed interview & case information

Some items based on criminal records

Some items more global & trait-like
-Others more specific & behavioural

Some items were markers rather than symptoms

  • “Previous diagnosis of psychopath”
  • Antisocial behaviour not direct result of alcohol/drug use
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15
Q

Qualifications for administering PCL-R

A 
Used independently:
Licensed/registered professional
PhD with psychometric training
Forensic experience
Specific training

Used with supervision:
Supervisor assumes full professional and ethical responsibility

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16
Q

Ethical issues with PCL-R

A

Unqualified users

Lack of expertise

Deviation from recommended practice
-E.g., exclusive file review, no interview

Violate test security
-Send materials to unqualified people

17
Q

PCL:SV (Hart et al., 1995)

A

Short form or Screening Version

  • Some items dropped
  • Others combined with similar items

Items scoring based on limited information
-No access to official criminal records required

12 items
Rated on 3-point scale
0 = absent; 1 = possible/partial; 2 = present

Screening, not diagnosis

18
Q

Juvenile Psychopathy

A

It is assumed that psychopathic traits manifest themselves at an early age

Evidence that psychopathic traits can be assessed reliably and validly in juveniles

Assessed using the PCL:YV
-other ones too

19
Q

PCL:YV (Forth et al., 2003)

Concerns about the test:

A

Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version( between ages 12-18)
Concerns:
Very new

Limited evidence supporting validity of psychopathic PD in adolescents

Increasing evidence that PCL:YV scores are stable from adolescence into adulthood

Issue of labeling youth as a psychopath

Some characteristics of psychopathy common features of a normally developing youth

20
Q

Antisocial Process Screening Device

A

Observer Rating Scale to asess psychopathic traits in children

Designed for assessing the precursors of psychopathy

3 Factors: Callous-unemotional, impulsivity, and narcissism

21
Q

Incarcerated adolescents with a high score:

A

Got involved in delinquency at earlier age

Engaged in a wider variety of antisocial behaviours

Committed more violent and non-violent offences

22
Q

Psychopathy in juveniles associated with:

A

Institutional and community aggression
Violence
Treatment non-compliance

23
Q

Psychopathy & Treatment

A

Most clinicians and researchers are pessimistic about treating psychopaths

Deemed untreatable

24
Q

Issues regarding psychopath treatment

A
  1. Psychopaths more likely to engage in disruptive behaviour during treatment
  2. Psychopaths less likely to remain in treatment
    -But those who do show benefits (Olver & Wong, 2009)
    Youth psychopathy may be more amenable to treatment
  3. Psychopaths more likely than others to be convicted after treatment

Forensic Pyschology (5 decks)

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