Criminal Psychopathy

Section 5

How do criminal Psychopath differ from other offenders?

They are emotionally, cognitively, behaviorally and biologically different

How common are “full blown psychopaths”

It’s actually rare! Psychopathy exists on a continuum.

Primary (True) Psychopath contain:

Certain psychological, cognitive, and biological differences (which distinguish from general population.

What’s Antisocial personality Disorder?

to describe a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights of others that begin in early childhood and continues into adulthood.

Do many criminals have APD or Psychopaths?

Many have Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), few are psychopaths.

What are the four major dimensions of psychopathy?

Interpersonal, impulsive lifestyle, Affective, and Antisocial tendencies.

What ares one features of factor 1 of psychopathy, Interpersonal?

Lying, Conning, Manipulating others, superficial charm, or promiscuous sexual behavior.

How does factor one of psychopathy, Interpersonal show itself

Psychopaths appear friendly, smarts, education, and can talk themselves out of trouble. Can’t understand purpose of honestly.

What are the features of factor 2 of psychopathy, Impulsive Lifestyle?

Thrill seeking, poor self-regulation, irresponsibility, lack of realistic long-term goals.

What are some examples of factor 2 of psychopathy, Impulsive lifestyle?

Psychopaths can be responsible, faithful and reliable or long times but have uncanny knack of suddenly unraveling their lives, where the impulsive lifestyle is prominent.

Features of factor 3 of psychopathy, Affective

Lack of empathy, shallow, callousness.

What are the feature of factor 4 of psychopathy, Antisocial tendencies?

Persistent criminal activity, antisocial behavior.

Relationship to mental illness

Psychopaths usually do not exhibit mental disorders.

Psychopaths lack symptoms of:

Excessive anxiety, psychotic thinking, delusions, severe depression, or hallucination.

Successful Psychopaths

Psychopaths with no criminal history of antisocial or criminal behavior.

Are serious criminal offenders psychopaths?

No, it’s not common.

Common misunderstanding on psychopaths

Not as simple as believing either is or is not a psychopath. Some have more tendencies than others.

How we determine who’s a criminal psychopath?

They’re labeled after given a cutoff score on tests to measure the concept. (Not all experts agree on this)

What does the exam focus on to diagnosis with psychopathy?

Accumulation of psychopathy characteristics. BUT there is no official diagnosis in the DSM

Is psychopathy in the DSM?

No, the DSM does not include psychopathy

Two standard instruments for measuring psychology are:

Hare’s 22-item checklist (PCL) and 20 item revision (PCL-R)

what does the PCL and PCL-R do?

Assesses the affective (emotional), interpersonal, behavior, and social deviances parts for criminal psychopathy. (Self-reports, family, court records)

Who examines the information and check the hare 22 and 20-items revision.

Highly trained examiners, with extensive training and substantial time.

What is the score on the PCL and PCL-R to determine a primary psychopath?

30+

Classification of the “middle”? And what is it?

21-29. The middle is where subject shows features but do not fit all the criterias

What is considered Non-Psychopath in the scoring of PCL and PCL-R?

Below 21

How does classification help (PCL or PCL-R)

Distinguish criminal psychopath from criminal non-psychopath. Risk assessment and theory/research and clinical practice.

What’s the prevalence (commonness) of psychopaths in general populations?

About 1%

Prevalence (commonness) of psychopaths in adult prisons populations

****About 15% (Hare)

11% (Simourd & Hoge)

Gender difference of prevalence of psychopathy

There are significantly fewer female than male psychopaths in both criminal and general population.

Offending patterns of criminal psychopaths

Most violent and persistent offenders. Lack sense of ethics and morality. Live by their own rules and are cold blooded.

Are psychopathic or regular sex offenders more violent/brutal/sadistic?

Psychopathic sex offenders

What’s the recidivism rate of criminal psychopaths?

Very high! They have a tendency to return to criminal offending.

Psychopathy is formed through: (povs)

Complex interaction between neuropsychological (biological) and learning/socialization factors

Genetic (hereditary factor)

Temperament is infant (rather than learned) (low arousal and emotional dysfunction)

Brain hemispheres

right and left are two information-processing systems that must be balanced for normal judgment and self-control.

Psychopaths relations with brain hemisphere symmetry

an abnormal or unusual balance of both hemisphere (language processing and emotional states.)

left-hemisphere Activation Hypothesis

They exhibit deficits on variety of task that require the left hemisphere such as the emotional paradox.

Emotional Paradox

Phenomenon of normal appraisal of emotional cues (cognitive empathy) but lack ability to use them to guide judgements and behavior. (Affective Empathy)

Psychopaths relations with Amygdala

exhibit lower activity (of amygdala) during emotional processing task.

How does a psychopath’s amygdala affect their behavior?

Higher than normal tolerance for fear and disgust (commit more gruesome, terrible crimes)

Psychopaths relations with Cerebral Cortex

do not receive full impact of sensations from environments thus always craving more.

How does the cerebral cortex affect a psychopath’s behavior?

To keep under-stimulation cortex satisfied they will engage in frequent and various forms of excitement (Thrill-seeking, Risk)

Whats the function of the cerebral cortex?

Comprised on three parts: sensory, motor, and association areas. They receive and process information from the sense.

Psychopaths relations with the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Their PNS are under-aroused, lack bodily reactions to stimuli including emotional behavior and responsiveness to stress and tension.

How does the peripheral nervous system show in psychopath’s behavior?

Psychopaths display an eerie coolness or calmness even in stressful situations. presumed to be anxiety-free.

What’s the function of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

Controls bodily reactions such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, gland secretion and smooth muscle activity (blood and gastrointestinal system).

With all these biological factors, Is psychopathy hereditary?

It’s not hereditary! However one can be burned with a predisposition to psychopathy that can be triggered (neglect, abuse)

Relationship of psychopathy with childhood.

Between biological factors and social factors are not fully understood.

Treatment of psychopathy

There is no known treatment to psychopathy.

Why are psychopaths resistant to “treatment”?

They are completely non-responsive or play the treatment game well (manipulating, toying)

Have biological causes that can’t be changed by psychosocial intervention.

Relationship with criminal psychopaths in treatment with recidivism

exhibit higher rates of violent recidivism then those who did not participate in treatment. (Unlike non-criminal who became less likely).

Managing psychopaths

A system of rewards (rather than punishment) is more effective.

Biological relations with psychopath management in prison

The rewards system work as with a higher amygdala, not receiving full affects of sensation by the cerebral cortex, and anxiety free/calmness from PNS make punishment a non-issue. It doesn’t bother nor scare them.

Is the system placed for psychopath management like treatment or a cure?

No, it’s just more effective than punishment in terms of managing.