7. Psychopathy & Crime

Topic 7.2

What was the contribution of Hervey Cleckley?

first to define/describe the psychopath

delineated 16 criteria that capture the prototypical psychopath

Nine Items on Cleckley’s Checklist for Psychopathy

1. manipulative

2. superficial charm

3. above-average intelligence

4. absence of psychotic symptoms (delusions, hallucinations)

5. absences of anxiety

6. lack of remorse

7. failure to learn from experience

8. ego centric

9. lacking emotional depth

ASPD in Correctional Services Canada is high at ~44% (24-75%)

How is the psychopath differentiated from ASPD?

• less reliant of behavioural antisocial history

• more focus on the emotional-interpersonal domain

Is psychopathy a diagnosis?

No it is not a psychiatric disorder/diagnosis → it is a construct developed for the purposes of research & decision making 

What was the contribution of Hare?

developed an objective assessment instrument from Cleckley’s checklist → PCL-R

estimated that 20-25% of prisoners are psychopaths vs. ~1% of the general pop

Affective Deficit Models of Psychopathy

core deficit in psychopathy relates to abnormality or lack of emotional components → reduced affect & emotionality

General Emotional Deficit Theory

(Affective Deficit Model)

have a general lack of ability to experience emotion & therefore also not able to appreciate the emotional reactions of others

Low-Fear Hypothesis

(Affective Deficit Model)

not responsive to punishment & are therefore not motivated to avoid antisocial behaviour b/c of the threat of punishment (not deterred)

Integrated Emotional Deficit Theory

(Affective Deficit Model)

specifically impaired in their ability to recognize sadness or distress in others

Attention Model

psychopaths have a response modulation deficit

• once focus their attention on certain features, will fail to use info to modify their response

e.g. failure to learn behaviour inhibition

Role of Emotions in the Development of Conscience

(Developmental Model)

Pathway is disrupted b/c people psychopathic traits show reduced autonomic responses to the distress of others & reduced recognitions of sad/fearful expressions → less responsive to parental socialization practices

w/o emotional response they will not learn to inhibit behaviours

Based on neuroimaging, psychopaths have….

(Brain Models)

(5)

• a reduction in prefrontal grey matter & white matter

• less grey matter in the rostral temporal & the ventral frontal lobes

• less hippocampal volume → fear conditioning (limbic)

• less amygdala volume → social emotion judgements & moral emotions (limbic)

• less volume in the anterior cingulate cortex → inhibition (limbic)

Two Self-Report Measures for Psychopathy Assessment

1. PPI-R (Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised)

2. SRP-4 (Self-Report Psychopathy Scale)

3. *TriPM (Triarchic Psychopathy Measure)

Three Rater Measures for Psychopathy Assessment

1. PCL-R (Psychopathy Checklist - Revised)

2. PCL-SV (Psychopathy Checklist - Screening Version)

3. PCL-YV (Psychopathy Checklist - Youth Version)

4. *CAPP (Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality)

Three Concerns Assessing Psychopathy in Youth

1. future neg. consequences of labelling a youth w psychopathic traits (e.g. transfer to adult court, harsher sentences, denial of access to treatment)

2. possibility that traits are common features of normally developing youth

3. the stability of psychopathic traits from childhood to adolescence & on to adulthood

Stability of Psychopathic Traits:

1. psychopathic traits show ________ rank-order stability, meaning _________

2. in longitudinal studies, higher stability is found in ______ follow-up periods

3. most change in psychopathic traits occurs during ________

4. when change happens, it is towards _______ psychopathic traits

1. moderate to high rank-order stability → those rated highest remain highest & those rated low stay low

2. higher stability in shorter compared to longer follow-up periods

3. most change during adolescence

4. change towards decreasing psychopathic traits

PCL-R Structure

(Psychopathy Checklist - Revised)

20 item symptom rating using three point scale

measures two factors & four facets of psychopathy

• Interpersonal/Affective → interpersonal + affective

• Social Deviance → behavioural + antisocial

PCL-R Factor 1 Items

(Interpersonal/Affective) (4/4)

Interpersonal

• glibness/superficial charm

• grandiose sense of self-worth

• pathological lying

• conning/manipulative

Affective

• lack of remorse or guilt

• shallow affect

• callous/lacking empathy

• failure to accept responsibility for own actions

PCL-R Factor 2 Items

(Social Deviance) (5/5)

Behavioural

• need for stimulation or proneness to boredom

• parasitic lifestyle

• lack of realistic, long-term goals

• impulsivity

• irresponsibility

Antisocial

• poor behavioural control

• early behavioural problems

• juvenile delinquency

• revocation of conditional release

• criminal versatility

PCL-R as a Risk Assessment Tool:

1. Factor 1 scores more strongly assoc. w _____ violence

2. Factor 2 scores more strongly assoc. w _____ violence

3. Total scores moderately assoc. w all outcomes except _____ & _____

4. Factor ___ consistently had greater predictive value than factor ___

1. factor 1 scores more strongly assoc. w instrumental violence

2. factor 2 score more strongly assoc. w reactive violence

3. total scores → moderately assoc. w all outcomes except sexual recidivism & institutional violence

4. factor 2 (lifestyle & antisocial features) consistently had greater predictive value than factor 1 (interpersonal/affective)

Treatment

• generally respond poorly to treatment

• staying in & showing treatment gains reduces reoffending

• programs should be high-intensity & cognitive-behavioural

• providers should be familiar w cognitive/emotional processing diffs

• treatment should target treatment-interfering behaviours