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Psychopathy is defined as a mental (antisocial) disorder in which an individual manifests amoral and antisocial behaviour, shows a lack of ability to ...
Investigation of psychopathy
Investigation of psychopathy
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Despite the scientific research that has been conducted, there is still much mystery regarding psychopathy. A fuller understanding of psychopathy can be derived through Dr. Robert Hare's insight on the functionality of the psychopath, the problems psychopathy has formed, and what can be done to decrease the negative influence these problems have presented on society. Hare recognizes the lack of effective treatment programs and the importance of early intervention for young individuals showing symptoms of psychopathy. He stresses the importance of establishing accurate identification techniques to reduce risks psychopaths put on society. Hare's “Without Conscience” speaks to the nature and responsibility of psychopaths, the recognition of child …show more content…
psychopathy development into adulthood, the difference between psychopaths and other criminals, the implications of white-collar psychopaths on the workplace, and the difficulties of encountering a psychopathic individual. Without the ability to contribute to social harmony, the psychopath pursues desires to benefit themselves despite adverse effects on others. “Without Conscience” raises the question of if a psychopath can be blamed for their behavior. Although made evident by Hare, I find it difficult to comprehend the lack of empathy reflected in psychopathic behavior. I agree with Hare about how psychopaths understand and should be held responsible for their actions, despite their lack of emotional capacity. As a society, if we fail to recognize that psychopaths are aware of their actions, and merely do not care about the aftereffect of these actions, then we will fail to punish crime committed by individuals who claim they should not be held responsible for their actions because they did not feel emotion for them. To prove a case of insanity, a defendant must show that they lack the understanding of their crime and fail to decipher right from wrong. However, psychopaths are aware that they are breaking laws or social standards and have no sense of guilt for doing so. Therefore, although a psychopath cannot be blamed for the inability to feel emotion, they definitely should be held responsible for the consequences of their actions. Engagement into environmental factors of those displaying early symptoms of psychopathy can play a role in the development and expression of adult psychopathy (175). Since psychopaths do not conform to societal rules and laws, a child developing psychopathy is unlikely to be shaped by the power of punishment. I find this problematic because if we cannot design a form of punishment that targets the self-interest of young people at risk for developing psychopathy, we will be unable to further direct the attitudes and behaviors as these individuals grow into adulthood. As a psychopath enters adulthood, there is evidence to suggest that treatment is relatively ineffective on these individuals. By this point, adults are established in their remorseless thinking and behaviors. When a psychopath is around the age of forty, their criminal activities typically decrease (97). I agree with Hare's proposal that improving techniques for measuring the causes of the decrease in criminal activity with age is required to minimize the harm a psychopath still has the potential of causing. Considering that “psychopaths are responsible for more than 50 percent of the serious crimes committed”, psychopathy generates problems for prisons and society (87).
I believe that designing interventions within a prison environment will be the most challenging factor as treatment programs for psychopathy develop. It is difficult to cultivate any type of improvement in incarcerated psychopaths because they are usually fixed in their thinking and behavior, and perceive their desires as being constrained by the law. Hare proposes that we modify psychopath's behavior by reducing aggression and impulsivity and by teaching strategies to satisfy needs in more prosocial ways (200). I believe that Hare's approach to psychopathy is wise and eliminates the commonality of therapists seeking to produce empathy by directing attention to the need to teach behavioral and impulse management skills. His suggestion for treatment allows the individuals to express their energy into something that appears beneficial to their own well-being, but is also beneficial to …show more content…
society. Psychopaths do not have to be criminals, and I found it troubling to discover that many people will encounter “white-collar” psychopaths within the workplace.
Psychopath's existence in diversified jobs have major implications on work performance and ethical decision making. Since psychopaths are not driven by social responsibility, they limit corporate social responsibility. A psychopath puts one's own interests before the interests of a company and is less likely to make rational decisions. A psychopath may not experience the anxiety needed to avoid making decisions that hurt the reputation of the company. If put in the position of power, a psychopathic individual is likely to disrupt effective organization development because of their inability to empathize with others. If designed appropriately, I believe it would be beneficial to introduce a procedure within the workplace that allows the opportunity to learn about the profile of psychopaths, techniques to respond to psychopathic behavior, and the ability for employees to report the observation of individuals who display concerning
behavior. Considering the deceptive nature of psychopaths, I can understand why people have difficulties identifying them and accepting that it is not their fault that this individual has entered their life and took advantage of them. When setting ground rules, it may be helpful for a victim to manipulate a sense of power to appear in favor of the psychopath to defer them from inflicting more harm on the victim. I think it is important to emphasize that expecting a psychopathic individual to show dramatic change, without antisocial tendencies, is naïve and can expose victims to false hope and the pain of disappointment. I agree with Hare and believe that it is in the best interest of the victim to cut off ties with a psychopath, if possible, and seek professional advice or support groups. Engaging with others who share similar experiences can develop understanding of the harm involved in continuing a relationship with a psychopath and can produce healing for harm already inflicted. Our beliefs, attitudes, and standards effect our interactions with others and the way in which we communicate with and perceive the world. It is important to understand the personality and social circumstances that contribute to the continuous antisocial behavior displayed by psychopaths. In increasing our understanding of psychopathy and efforts to create effective treatment, hopefully the functionality and comprehension of psychopaths within society will improve. “Without Conscience” depicts the profile of a psychopath and the implications of their actions on society through Hare's explanation of psychopathic functionality.
Psychopathy has fascinated the public for years due to the gruesome and evil portrayal it has received in the media. Psychopathy is defined in the DSM-III as a personality disorder characterized by enduring antisocial behavior, diminished empathy and remorse, and disinhibited or bold behavior (Patrick, Christopher, Fowles, Krueger, Rober, 2009). Psychopathy represents a cluster of different dimensions of personality found amongst the general population to varying degrees (Patrick et al, 2009). The diagnostic definition is meant to be applied to adults, however psychopathology can occur in children. Controversy surrounds the topic of childhood mental illness because the brain is not fully developed until the age of 18; thus allowing the possibility that symptoms are the result of growing up and will change. The triarchic model, formulated by Christopher J. Patrick, is the most commonly used model in diagnosing adult and childhood psychopathy. This model suggests that different conceptions of psychopathy emphasize three observable characteristics to varying degrees; boldness, disinhibition and meanness (Patrick, et al, 2009). Boldness is the first observable characteristic and is comprised of low fear including stress-tolerance, toleration of unfamiliarity and danger, and high self-confidence and social assertiveness. Disinhibition; characterized by poor impulse control including problems with planning and foresight, lacking affect and urge control, demand for immediate gratification, and poor behavioral restraints. Meanness is defined as lacking empathy and close attachments with others, disdain of close attachments, use of cruelty to gain empowerment, exploitative tendencies, defiance of authority, and destructive excitement seek...
I chose the book Without Conscience by Robert Hare, PhD, because I have always found psychopathy fascinating. How can they do what they do? Dr. Robert Hare not only brought valuable information and research about psychopaths, but also made the book gripping and easy to read. He provided a firsthand account and insight regarding his research on psychopaths. The goal of this book was to help the general public understand what a psychopath is. How to spot and avoid psychopaths.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations website, psychopathy has been described as the single most important clinical construct in the criminal justice system. It goes on to say that the need to understand psychopathy cannot be overstated (FBI, 2013.) From environmental influence to biology, psychopathy can be looked at from several different angles. This paper examines current thinking about how the brain and its structures contribute to psychopathy.
When envisioning a prison, one often conceptualizes a grisly scene of hardened rapists and murderers wandering aimlessly down the darkened halls of Alcatraz, as opposed to a pleasant facility catering to the needs of troubled souls. Prisons have long been a source of punishment for inmates in America and the debate continues as to whether or not an overhaul of the US prison system should occur. Such an overhaul would readjust the focuses of prison to rehabilitation and incarceration of inmates instead of the current focuses of punishment and incarceration. Altering the goal of the entire state and federal prison system for the purpose of rehabilitation is an unrealistic objective, however. Rehabilitation should not be the main purpose of prison because there are outlying factors that negatively affect the success of rehabilitation programs and such programs would be too costly for prisons currently struggling to accommodate additional inmate needs.
Hare used these core factors to develop the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised assessment tool that helps detect psychopathy in people. They developed this theory because psychopathic behavior was thought of as miscellaneous of a topic to be categorized in one or two factors. The four recommended factors proposed by Hare and Neumann are: Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle and Antisocial. The first factor, interpersonal consists of superficial charm, manipulation, pathological lying, and a grandiose sense of self-worth. Secondly, the affective factor involves the lack of remorse or guilt, shallow affect, callous and/or lack of empathy, and failure to accept responsibility for own actions. The third factor is lifestyle, which comprises of need for stimulation and/or proneness to boredom, parasitic lifestyle, impulsivity, irresponsibility, unsatisfactory work habits, and lack of realistic long-term goals. Finally the fourth factor is antisocial and contains poor behavioral controls, early behavior problems, juvenile delinquency, criminal versatility, and revocation of conditional release (Hare & Neumann, 2005, p.58-59). According to Hare and Neumann “The 4 psychopathy factors are significantly interrelated, and thus can be comprehensively explained by a single superordinate (that is, psychopathy) factor.” (Hare, R. D., & Neumann, C. S.
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry is a book by Jon Ronson, where he investigates the idea of psychopathy and the many individuals involved. Psychopathy is defined as “a person who is mentally ill, who does not care about other people, and who is usually dangerous or violent.” Ronson visited mental health professionals and psychopaths in order to determine the right way to control the diagnosis of mental health disorders. Throughout the novel, Ronson focuses on three main themes, which are the definition of madness, unnecessary mental diagnoses and the problem with confirmation bias.
For my book report, I have read and evaluated Dr. Hales book titled Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us, published by The Guilford Press. The purpose of the book was to bring awareness to psychopaths that live among us and will be describe in farther details in the paper. I will evaluated the purpose, strengths, weakness of the book and include a summarized portion for others to understand.
However, Glenn and Raine (2014) argue that the emotional deficits characteristic of psychopaths diminish their rational capacity, making them unable to be held accountable for the rash and harmful decisions. Additionally, psychopaths may display knowledge of right and wrong, however their understanding is substantially compromised (Maibom 2005). Therefore, because they cannot understand moral emotions, moral transgressions fail to motivate them and they cannot be held morally responsible for their actions. They treat moral transgressions as equal to conventional transgressions (Levy 2008); to them, they are merely breaking the rules. And although breaking the rules begets consequences, a short attention span prevents psychopaths from anticipating consequences. Nevertheless, say, for example, a psychopath on a different portion of the spectrum is aware of the consequences. In this case, they would be still be indifferent because their feelings of grandeur lead them to believe that they are removed from punishment (Gao, Glenn, Schug, Yang, Raine 2009). For these reasons, many argue that psychopaths should not be held responsible for their behaviors.
“Without Conscience" by Robert D. Hare is one aimed towards making the general public aware of the many psychopaths that inhabit the world we live in. Throughout the book Hare exposes the reader to a number of short stories; all with an emphasis on a characteristic of psychopaths. Hare makes the claim that close monitoring of psychopathy are vital if we ever hope to gain a hold over Psychopathy- A disorder that affects not only the individual but also society itself. He also indicates one of the reasons for this book is order to correctly treat these individuals we have to be able to correctly identify who meets the criteria. His ultimate goal with the text is to alleviate some of the confusion in the increase in criminal activity by determining how my of this is a result of Psychopathy.
Sociopaths are prevalent among society, and some researchers, like Martha Stout, claim that one out of every twenty-five people is a sociopath. However, this statistic is incorrect. This statistic is based on the assumption that sociopaths and psychopaths are the same people—which is untrue. While the sociopathic and psychopathic traits overlap, sociopaths differ in that they are obviously nervous and agitated, unable to create the illusions that psychopaths are so proud of. They live on the fringes of society, uneducated and unable to keep a steady job. Psychopaths, unlike sociopaths, are suave and able to maintain an illusion of conformity and maintain relationships on a superficial level. Both, however, are dominantly male, tend to disregard the rights and social mores of others, and have a tendency display violent and disruptive outbursts without remorse. Unlike psychopaths, who completely lack remorse and the ability to love, sociopaths may attach themselves to certain people, though they still remain contemptuous of the rest of humanity (7).
McKinnell, J. (2012). When your boss is almost a psychopath. Maclean's, 125(32), 64. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Database (AN: 78546729)
For this paper I plan to first define and outline the features of psychopathy. Then I will explore how traits of psychopathy are measured and present in children and adolescents and subsequently what relation there is between the expression of these traits in both 9childhood and adolescence and later criminality. Finally I plan to conclude my paper with possible interventions to help prevent persistent delinquent and criminal behavior as well as exploring any criticisms of measuring psychopathy and interventions in both adults and children.
Many people with antisocial personality disorder are taught to have a lack of empathy in early childhood. There is a high number of serial killers with abusive pasts. Parents who abuse their children both mentally and physically at an early age are training their child to be cold and emotionless. Many killers suffered this fate at childhood and became heartless creatures with little to no remorse for their actions. In the article “What makes Serial Killers Tick?” it is said that Serial Killer Albert Desalvo was sold into slavery by his father and was sexually and physically abused for most of his you...
The media most often showcases psychopaths as individuals who are inherently evil and dangerous towards themselves and others. Yet, this concept of psychopathy goes far beyond this idea of pure evil and instead necessitates a needed psychological understanding. These individuals, psychopaths, are generally characterized by a lack of empathy and conscience. Indeed, psychopath’s indifference to the repercussions of their actions combined with other characteristics such as hostility and aggression make for a potentially dangerous personality (Lyken, 1996, p.30). In order to identify a psychopath’s recidivism, it is important to differentiate them from sociopaths who, instead of having a psychological impairment that makes it difficult for them to socialize, have been systematically under socialized (Lyken, 1996, p.30). In accordance. psychologists have developed the methods such as the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised (PCL-R) to help identify those with psychopathic tendencies (Walters, 2012, p.409). That is why predictions of recidivism among psychopaths is most efficient when done
Adolescent psychopathy and the Big Five: Results from two samples. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 431–443. Magnavita, J. J. & Co. (2002). The 'Secondary' of the 'Second Theories of personality: Contemporary approaches to the science of personality. New York: Wiley & Co. Matthews, G., Deary, I. J., & Whiteman, M. C. (2009).