The Dark Side of Personality Flashcards
16 Features of Psychopathy~ Cleckley 1941
- Superficial charm and good intelligence
- Absence of delusions
- Lack of anxiety
- Unreliability
- Untruthfulness and insincerity
- Lack of remorse and shame
- Inadequately motivated antisocial behaviour
- Failure to earn by experience
- Ego centricity and incapacity for love
- Lack of affect
- Lack of self-reflection
- Unresponsiveness in interpersonal relation
- Suicide threats not carried out
- Impersonal sex life, trivial
- Failure to follow any life plan
Development of psycopathy as clinically defined as personality disorder
1952- sociopathic personality
2nd edition of DSM removed psychopathy and replace with ASPD
2012- DSM-V anti-social/ psychopathic disorder
1985- psychopathy checklist
1991- psychopathy checklist revised (PCI-R)- considered gold standard of diagnostic tool
Two factor model of psychopathy- Lykken (1948)
> Galvanised skin response test
> Anxiety levels differentiate psychopaths into two groups
Two factor model of psychopathy- primary psychopathy
“Specific mental disease…. having in particular a virtual absence of any redeeming social interaction”
Two factor model of psychopathy- secondary psychopathy
“Presence of psychoses and neuroses that have a strong antisocial or delinquent aspect”
Characteristics of primary psychopathy (PP)
Personality and affective aspects of psychopathy:
- Pathological lying
- Manipulation
- Lack of remorse
- Predetermined behavior
- Callousness
Characteristics of secondary psychopathy (SP)
Lifestyle and behavioural features of psychopathy:
- Parasitic lifestyle
- Impulsiveness
- Re actively violent
- Antisocial behaviour
Evidence for 2-factor model:
Primary psychopathy
> Inability to discriminate between pleasant and unpleasant sounds (Verona et al 2004)
> Poor perceptional processing of distracting stimuli- goal-focused (Zeier et al 2009)
> Reduced attention to emotion cues and ability to change mood (Malterer et al 2008)
Evidence for 2-factor model:
Secondary psychopathy
> Higher level of anxiety, depression and suicide idealisation (Vaughn et al 2009)
> Negative urgency- act impulsively to relieve currently experienced negative emotion (Anestis el al 2009)
> Borderline personality characteristics, poor interpersonal functioning mental disorders (Skeem et al, 2007)
Reinforcement sensitivity theory (Gray,1981)
Behavior inhibition system (BIS)
> Avoidance behaviour in response to threat and harm
Behavioral activation system (BAS)
> Regulates appetite behaviours, approach behaviours to reward and impulsivity
PP= weak BIS
SP= strong BAS
Response modulation theory (Newman and colleges)- Attentional processing deficit
Can’t attend to peripheral info that prevents threat and distress cues (or insufficient allocation of attentional resources)
Response modulation theory (Newman and colleges)-
Higher order cognitive processes mediate neural functioning
> Preservation in gambling task (Newman and Kosson, 1986)
> Can’t alter attention focus
> Impairment in rule learning and error monitoring (von Borries et al 2009)
Low fear model of psychopathy (Blair 2005, 2006)
Deficient amygdala, paralimbic system and orbitofrontal cortex (neural regions associated with fear and emotion processing)
What does Low fear model of psychopathy explain?
> Deficient aversive conditioning
> Recued automatic response and startle threat to anticipated threat
> Poor passive avoidance learning
PP- neurological and cognitive deficits leads to inadequate moral socialisation
Nuerobiolgocial characteristics of SP
> Deteriorated prefrontal cortex grey matter- bad decision making (Raine et al 2000
> Unequal balance of activity between PFC and subcortal regions
> Impulsive and not predetermined violence (raine et al 1998)
> Variours other neural regions
Neurotransmitters~ Serotonin transporter gene 5-HTTLPR (Long allele version associated with PP)
- Attentional deficits
- Impaired aversive conditioning
- Perseveration
- May shape amygdala functioning (Glenn,2011)
- Neuronal hypoactivity
Serotonin transporter gene 5-HTTLPR (Short allele associated with SP)
Associated with hypersensitive psychopaths such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse (Glenn, 2011)
How does psychopathy develop: callous unemotional (CU) traits (in children)
> Emerge from 2 years old
> Under strong genetic influence from 7-16 years (estimates 40%-78% heritability)
> Stability maintained genetically
> Children with CU traits- more pervasive and less treatable-failure of moral socialization
How does psychopathy develop~ CU traits pertain more to PP
> Less likely to make eye contact with their mother
> Have problems recognizing fearful body poses and faces
> Emotionally unresponsive to others’ distress
Less responsive to fearful eyes
Nature and Nurture
> CU traits may protect against adverse rearing environment
> Antisocial behavior (ASB) moderately influenced by genetics as well as shared and non-shared environmental factors
> Harsh parenting strongly related to ASB in children who are normal for CU traits
> CU traits promote high ASB and criminally beyond what would be expected by adverse parenting alone
> Gene X environment interactions (epigenetics) need to be considered (no longer nature vs nurture debate)
“Successful” psychopathy
Psychopaths are charming; lack anxiety, and articulate, but also guiltless, callous, and self-entered (Lilienfeld et al 2015)- happy to deceive people
“Successful” psychopathy~ Cleckley 1982
“The typical psychopath will seem particularly agreeable and make a distinctively positive impression when he is first encounted… indications of good sense and sound reasoning will emerge… normal and pleasant person is also one of high abilities”
Successful psychopathy as primary psychopathy
> Interpersonal aspects- positively associated with verbal IQ, fluid intelligence, creativity, practicality and analytical thinking
> Useful for navigating social situations
> Overrepresented in high-achieving professions (eg lawyers, managers etc)
> Levels of psychopathy higher in business studies students (Wilson and MCcarty 2011)
> “Business psychopathy” (Francis and Lilienfeld 2012)
Models of successful psychopaths
> Differential severity model
> Moderated expression model- protective factors eg good parenting and better higher-order thinking
> Differential configuration model- successful psychopaths higher in extraversion and conscientiousness and low levels of agreeableness and disinhibition
> Bond based on Yeo Thomas (WW1 special agent) “swashbuckling, charismatic, and daring” (Lilienfeld et al 2015)
How narcissism is different psychopathy
- Quiet often confused
- Psychopathic individuals can be narcissistic
- Narcissists not necessarily psychopathic
Grandiose narcissistic traits
- Superior sense of self
- Egotism
- Self-centered
- Overconfident
- Hyper competitive
- Status seeking
Narcissism in some ways is better
- Sociable
- Confident in social situations
- Entertaining
- Resilience and psychological well-being in context of high self-esteem
- Low loneliness anxiety and neuroticism
Psychopathy as an evolutionary adaption
- “Male typical”, cheater strategy
- Resources and mates through cheating
- Short term relationships, risky sexual behavior, unrestricted sociosexuality, casual sex, exploitative and aggressive mating tactics
Primary psychopathy as an adaption
> Psychopathy as an adaption to altruistic social groups during Enrionment of Evolutionary Adaptedness (exploit trust)
> Primary psychopathy as the genetically inherited, fast life history strategy “cheater strategy”
> Frequency dependent- 1% of the population
SP as an adaption
> Developmental plasticity
> Environmental conditions can change temporarily and spatially
> Adaptive to be able to shift LHS accordingly
> SP is a conditional adaptation to an adverse environment (Glenn 2011)
> Still attractive members of the opposite sex (sensation seeking, impulsive, risk taking)
Sex similarities in psychopathy- PP
- Fear and emotion processing deficits
- Low empathy
- Resiliency against adverse life experiences
- Lower anxiety
- Less agreeableness
Sex similarities in psychopathy- SP
- Same adverse emotional style
- Antisocial, violent and criminal behaviour
- Alcohol and substance misuse
- Mental health problems
- High anxiety levels
Women and psychopathy
> Less likely to engage in proactive and reactive violence
> Commit nonviolent crimes like theft and prostitution
> Internalize behavior like self-harm and running away
> Greater degree of psychopathology
> Suicide attempts
Internalizing symptoms
> Differences between PP and SP less distinct- report feelings of alienation and high stress
Why the difference in sex with psychopathy?
> Remains largely unexamined
> Estrogen may be protective factor against abnormal neural functioning in psychopathy brain regions
> Genes have stronger influences on ASB in women- for men environmental factors more important
Controversies with the 2-factor model(Skeem,Cooke & Michie)
> Emphasis on criminality – emphasis on “unsuccessful” psychopathy, and over-emphasis on antisocial and violent behaviour
> What is measured by the PCL-R hasreplaced psychopathy as a construct
3-factor model (Cooke & Michie, 2001)
> Arrogant & deceitful personality style
Deficient affective experience
Impulsive & irresponsible behavioural style
How to diagnose psychopathy
- Based on Hare’s two-factor model:
Factor 1:
Interpersonal (1, 2, 4, 5)
Affective (6, 7, 8, 16)
Factor 2:
Lifestyle (3, 9, 13, 14, 15)
Antisocial (10, 12, 18, 19, 20)
> Collateral and interview info used to score personality traits and behaviour
Score of >25 is concerning, >30 = psychopathy
Av score in general population is 5
Women >18 for clinical consideration
Issues over assessment
> Reliability of inter-rater scoring (e.g.,Edens et al., 2010)
Which side the assessor is on in criminal case
Predictability of future behaviour
Co-morbidity
Psychopathy and treatment: We still don’t fully “know” what psychopathy is
> Not a single disorder but actually a “dimensional configuration of traits”(Polaschek & Daly, 2013)
> Essential to differentiate between PP and SP – “failure to account for these variants… may dilute or conceal differential treatment effects” (Polaschek& Daly, 2013)
Psychopathy and treatment: What should be included in the diagnosis even?
> Adaptive aspects?
Adverse aspects?
Are criminal and AS behaviour part of the disorder or a symptom of it?
How to treat psychopathy?
> Only recently accepted that offenders are treatable
> Best to view PCL-R diagnosis as indicative of a high-risk offender and therefore should receive intensive treatment
> How is treatment judged? affected by psychopathy?
Background to controversy with psychopathy treatment
> Typically considered unlikely (Cleckley, 1941)
> Various studies demonstrated that psychopaths not treatable or even made them worse (Rice et al.,1992)
> But multiple confounding/unaccounted for factors – precise mechanism impossible to define
> Other studies – issues with methodology and contradictory findings (Seta & Barbaree 1999; Barbaree,2005; Looman et al., 2005)
> Very few studies – different levels of scrutiny (randomised control trials probably impossible)
Psychopathy and Crime
> Key predictor in violent offending
> Factor 2 is more predictive (unstable antisocial lifestyle) than Factor 1 (Affective and Interpersonal) (Leistico etal., 2008; Coid et al., 2008)
> 3 ½ times more likely to commit violent crimes(Hare & McPherson, 1984
> Psychopaths more likely to commit violent crimes for material gain while non-psychopaths motivated by strong emotional arousa
> More likely to reoffend and at a quicker rate (Hart,Kropp and Hare, 1988; Harris, Rice and Cormier,1991)
> Psychopathic murderers are much more likely to have committed predatory premeditated murder.
Psychopathy and sexual offending
> Olver & Wong (2006) studied psychopathy and recidivism in a sample of federally incarcerated sex offenders
> Rapists and mixed offenders had higher total and Factor 2 psychopathy scores than child molesters and incest offenders.
> PCL-R weak predictor of sexual recidivism but predicted non sexual violent recidivism and general recidivism
Psychopathy and criminal responsibility
> Are psychopaths fully criminally responsible for their actions? (defence?)
> Can they understand court proceedings? (fit to plead)
> Is psychopathy a mitigating or aggravating factor that should be considered when sentencing?
> Is the crime relevant?
Does diagnosis of P have a prejudicial effect on jurors in capital punishment cases?:Edens et al. (2003)
> Pts significantly more likely to support the death sentence when offender was described as having psychopathic traits
> The extent to which pts considered the offender to have psychopathic traits also significantly predicted support of the death penalty despite mitigating factors (adverse childhood)
Does diagnosis of P have a prejudicial effect on jurors in capital punishment cases?: Cox et al. (2013)
Defendants evaluated as being higher in psychopathic traits, more likely to be given the death sentence
Does diagnosis of P have a prejudicial effect on jurors in capital punishment cases?:Edens et al. (2005)
> Expert testimony – when psychopathy, 60% of participants supported the DP, compared to psychotic (30%) or not mentally disordered (38%)
> Defendant is being put to death not for the offence but because of psychopathic traits
Does diagnosis of P have a prejudicial effect on jurors in capital punishment cases?: Lloyd et al. (2010)
PCL-R scores were related to trial outcome with regards to treatability
