PSYC39H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5,7,8,9,10,12,16: Psychopathy Checklist, The Psychopath, Psychopathy
Psychopathology 10/2/2016 7:02:00 AM
WHAT IS A PSYCHOPATH?
• “completely lacking in conscience and empathy, they selfishly take
what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and
expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret”
• Hare: 3 types
o primary psychopath: “true” psychopath … the individual
who demonstrates those physiological and behavioral feature
that represent psychopathy
o secondary psychopath: commit antisocial acts because of
severe emotional problems or inner conflicts … more
aggressive/impulsive than primary
o dyssocial psychopath: antisocial because of social learning
Antisocial Personality Disorder
• distinct from primary psychopathy
• must be at least 18 years old, and there must be evidence that
behavioral patterns corresponding to conduct disorder (CD)
occurred prior to age 15
• APD is narrower than the definition of psychopathy
• do not mirror the same underlying psychopathology
o cognitive impairment more pronounced in psychopaths
• APD by definition always involves criminal behavior … not all
psychopaths are criminal, and not all criminals are psychopaths
• psychopathy is not a category but exists on a continuum
• criminal psychopath will be used to identify those primary
psychopaths who do engage in criminal behavior
BEHAVIORAL DESCRIPTIONS
Behavioral Characteristics
• superficial charm and average to above-average intelligence = 2
main features
• usually impress others as friendly, outgoing, likable, and alert
• often appear well educated and knowledgeable, and they display
many interests
• verbally skillful and can talk themselves out of trouble
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o makes language shortcomings not readily apparent
• do not usually lead to success in life
Psychological Testing Differences
• usually score higher on intelligence tests than the general
population
• many are bright but some not
• “successful” psychopaths versus “unsuccessful” psychopaths
Psychopaths & Mental Disorders
• most do not exhibit severe or disabling mental disorders
• even under high pressure conditions, they remain cool and calm
• but … individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and who
demonstrated many of the features of psychopathy had more
severe histories of offending and violence than those persons
diagnosed with schizophrenia alone
Psychopaths & Suicide
• among male inmates, psychopaths who were especially aggressive
and impulsive did show some indicators of suicidality
• some psychopaths who find themselves in desperate situations do
commit suicide, especially if they are highly impulsive and violent
Other Trait Principles
• selfishness and an inability to love or give affection to others
• egocentricity is always present and is essentially unmodifiable
• may be likable, but they are seldom able to keep close friends, and
they have great difficulty understanding love in others
• flat emotional reaction and affect
• little contact with their families
• may do small favors and appear considerate
• no internalized moral or ethical sense and cannot understand the
purpose of being honest
• unreliable, irresponsible, and unpredictable, regardless of the
importance of the occasion or the consequences
• small amounts of alcohol prompt most to become vulgar/loud
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• self-destructive
• lack genuine humor/ability to laugh at self
• professional criminal has purpose and a plan of action … psychopath
is impulsive and lacks long-range goals
• semantic aphasia: words without meaning
• excessive use of instrumental aggression: goal-directed aggression
used to achieve a specific goal
• excessive neuropsychological need for thrills and excitement
THE CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATH
• reserved for those psychopaths who demonstrate a wide range of
persistent and serious antisocial behavior
• tend to be “dominant, manipulative individuals characterized by an
impulsive, risk-taking and antisocial lifestyle, who obtain their
greatest thrill from diverse sexual gratification and target diverse
victims over time
• cutoff point … but best to look as a continuum
Prevalence of Criminal Psychopathy
• in general population, about 1%
• in the adult prison population estimates range from 15 to 25%
o inflated range? … must look at type of facility, as well as the
cultural, ethnic, gender and age mix of target population
Offending Patterns of Criminal Psychopaths
• believed to be responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime in
society & considered to be most violent and persistent offenders
• appear to be significantly more sadistic
• may be more likely than other offenders to derive pleasure from
both the nonsexual and sexual suffering of others
• frequently engage in violence as a form of revenge or retribution, or
during a bout of drinking
• many of the attacks of criminal psychopaths are directed at men
who are strangers
• rapists who have psychopathic characteristics are more likely to
have “nonsexual” motivations for their crimes
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
