Psychopathy is a personality disorder typically characterized by a lack of remorse and empathy, and a heightened sense of self-worth. Most cultures around the world have their labels for personality and behavior patterns consistent with psychopathy. For example, the term ‘Aranakan’ is used in rural Nigeria to describe a person who “always goes their way regardless of others, who is uncooperative, full of malice, and bullheaded.”
The first uses of terms for psychopathy emerged in the 19th century although they had a much broader meaning then. In 1801, French psychiatrist Philippe Pinel described patients who lacked moral judgment and participated in impulsive and impulsive and self-defeating activities but appeared mentally sound. He described this as ‘manie sans délire’ or insanity without delusion. In 1835, Englishman James Cowles Prichard improved upon Pinel’s assessment and developed a category of mental illness he called moral insanity. In his words, it was, “a madness of emotional or social dispositions without significant delusions or hallucinations.”
In 1970, Canadian psychologist Robert D. Hare created a checklist of personality traits that fit a certain category of psychopathy. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is most commonly used to identify psychopaths in a criminal setting or to differentiate between psychopaths and individuals suffering from an antisocial personality disorder that has similar characteristics as psychopathy.
The PCL-R consists of 20 items and each aspect can be rated on a scale from 0 to 2, 0 meaning ‘does not apply’, 1 meaning ‘somewhat applies’ and 2 meaning ‘perfectly applies’. The items in the checklist are:
1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM
2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH
3. SEEK STIMULATION or PRONE TO BOREDOM
4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING
5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS
6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT
7. SHALLOW AFFECT
8. CALLOUSNESS/LACK OF EMPATHY
9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE
10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS
11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS
14. IMPULSIVITY
15. IRRESPONSIBILITY
16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS
17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS
18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE –
20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY.
Anybody who scores more than 30 in the United States and Canada and 25 in the United Kingdom is labeled as a psychopath. Now the question arises: Why are only some people psychopaths? Are they born that way? Do environmental conditions affect psychopathy?
Studies have shown that psychopathy is an amalgamation of neurological, genetic, and environmental factors. Fearless dominance and impulsive antisociality are typically inherited from parents. A study on a large group of children found more than 60% heritability for ‘callous-unemotional traits’ and conduct problems.
The strongest environmental factors that influence psychopathy are a convicted parent, harsh discipline, being physically neglected, low family income, and coming from a disrupted family.
Advancing MRI studies have displayed that psychopaths have a different brain structure and chemistry. Specific brain differences and abnormalities of individuals with psychopathy in areas that control emotions, social interactions, ethics, morality, regret, impulsivity, and conscience within the brain have been observed. It is suggested that the amygdala and other frontal areas are particularly significant. People scoring 25 or higher in the PCL-R appear on average to have significantly reduced microstructural integrity between the white matter connecting the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex.
It has also been theorized that high levels of testosterone combined with lower levels of cortisol and/or serotonin are contributing factors. Testosterone has been described as “associated with approach-related behavior, reward sensitivity, and fear reduction” and high levels of the hormone can be linked to a lack of fear, sensitivity to anger, and antisocial and aggressive behaviors.
While all these studies do offer concrete evidence of psychopathy, most of the conclusions drawn are purely speculative. A child of divorce who grew up in poverty in a family with a history of aggressive behavior might grow up to be the most gentle and empathetic person you know. Psychopathy is a condition we are only beginning to understand and it cannot be predicted accurately.
One reply on “The Brief Study of Psychopathy”
Very interesting and gripping article!