Psychopathy

Psychopathy

“Morally depraved individual who represents our society, an unstoppable and untreatable predator whose violence is planned, purposeful and emotionless.”

Interpersonal characteristics

Egocentric, manipulative, dominant, cold-hearted

Affective characteristics

Labile emotions, no long lasting bonds to people or principles or goal, lack of empathy or guilt

Behaviors

Impulsive, sensation-seeking, violate social norms

Hare Psychopathy Checklist

Assesses and diagnoses psychopathy for research and clinical purposes

Lexical decision task

A powerful technique for investigation of the semantic and affective components of language

Orbitoprefrontal cortex role

Psychopaths are not getting that emotional input from the limbic system and so their behavior doesn’t include that emotional component

fMRI study

Psychopaths showed reduced activation of several limbic structures while viewing emotional words and increased activation of the anterior temporal lobe when compared with noncriminal individuals