Book et al. (2013)

Psychopathy and Victim Selection: The Use of Gait as a Cue to Vulnerability

1. Introduction

  • Exploration of the relationship between psychopathy and victim identification.

  • Gait as a predictor of perceived vulnerability.

2. Overview of Psychopathy

  • Defined as a personality disorder characterized by:

    • Lack of empathy and remorse

    • Glibness and manipulation

    • Poor behavioral controls and callousness

  • Commonly measured by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), which has two factors:

    • Factor 1: Interpersonal/affective traits

    • Factor 2: Lifestyle/antisocial behaviors

3. Body Language and Vulnerability

  • Previous studies emphasize that body language can indicate vulnerability and affect perceptions of dominance and assertiveness.

  • Nonverbal cues, such as gait, can signify an individual's vulnerability to victimization.

  • Research by Grayson & Stein (1981) established that specific walking styles are perceived as vulnerable by inmates convicted of violent crimes.

4. Study Findings

4.1 Objective

  • To investigate if higher Factor 1 traits in prisoners enhance their ability to identify vulnerable victims via gait cues.

4.2 Methodology

  • Sample: 47 male inmates from a maximum-security penitentiary in Ontario, Canada (Mean age = 35.55).

  • Participants rated vulnerability on footage of individuals walking.

  • Gait characteristics were coded based on established criteria.

4.3 Results

  • Inmates scoring higher on Factor 1:

    • Showed greater accuracy in assessing vulnerability.

    • Were more likely to mention gait as a cue for vulnerability compared to participants lower in psychopathy traits.

  • Factor 2 showed no significant relationship with victim selection accuracy.

5. Implications of Findings

  • Highlights the role of psychopathic traits, particularly interpersonal/affective traits in victim selection.

  • Suggests that psychopathic individuals can use gait cues strategically to identify vulnerable victims.

  • Reinforces the concept of psychopathy as a personality characteristic that predisposes individuals to manipulative and predatory behavior.

6. Limitations and Future Research Directions

  • The study used a small and specific sample (violent offenders) which may limit generalizability.

  • Further research should expand to examine other crime types (e.g., sexual assault) and additional factors influencing victimization perceptions, including societal variables.

  • Consideration of the effects of gender in victim vulnerability assessments.

7. Conclusion

  • Findings support the assertion that psychopaths have enhanced abilities to perceive and exploit vulnerability cues in potential victims, further emphasizing the need for victim awareness strategies.