Psychopathy can change one's thoughts in many ways and are not easy to change. The people affected by this disorder are typically not suffering. Normally, psychopathy begins to develop around late childhood to early juvenile. Many characteristics cause people to be a psychopath. There are also many other disorders in which share violent and antisocial traits. Psychopaths do not feel a large amount of empathy. The minds of psychopaths are intricate and are hard to change.
There are many childhood behaviors and usually starts near or shortly after this period in one’s life. Some behaviors involve things thought as criminal behaviors such as setting fires, truancy, theft, animal abuse and physical abuse towards other children. Some other is not so criminal like, bed-wetting to a later age and emotional aggression towards children. However, treatment is hard, treatment as a child or during development of the disorder changes some features, “early indications are that such programs may help to reduce the seriousness of post release offending” (Hare, Neumann, 2009, p. 798). Childhood actions can lead to many things and specific behavior can help develop psychopathy.
Many other factors of one’s childhood can help development of psychopathy. The way one is disciplined can be greatly involved in the development of psychopathy. Psychopathy can be a result of either lack of or harsh discipline. Other common factors can be poverty, discrimination, and unemployment of parents. However, psychopathy is not all from just nurture but it is an obvious factor in many different ways.
Many different characteristics define a psychopath. One common characteristic of psychopathy is impulsiveness. In many cases, psychopaths are also intelligent and manipu...
... middle of paper ...
...ychopath-boss/
J:Layton, J (2014) Do criminal psychopaths enjoy other peoples fear or just not notice? Retrieved January 10, 2014 from http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/psychopath.htm/printable
K: Perring (2010) Mental illness retrieved January 9 2014 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mental-illness/
L: Hogenboom (2013) Psychopathic criminals have empathy switch retrieved Feburary 4, 2014 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23431793
M: Landau (2011) More on the criminal brain: Nature vs. nurture retrieved February 4. 2014 from http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/28/more-on-the-criminal-brain-nature-vs-nurture/?iref=allaearch/
N: szalavitz (2012) The psychopathic traits successful president have in common. Retrieved Feburary 4, 2014 from http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/13/health/psychopathic-presidents-traits-time/index.html?iref=allsearch
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 nurturing of individuals plays a role in the making of killers, as 94% of serial killers had experienced some form of abuse as children and 42% have suffered severe physical abuse (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010). A child abuse is a determining factor, in which supports the idea that serial killers and psychopath, are influenced significantly by nurture (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). In most cases social, cultural and physiological determinants all play a role in influencing serial killers to grow into a mass murderer. It is important that physiological and social determinants can be identified, so they could be altered for the purpose of preventing the number of crime.
Identifying the mystery of the psychopath can prove to help the them and the general public. Early awareness of the common psychopaths among us will reduce the impact on society. Further research is still needed to better help the psychopath and the general population.
Psychopath and Sociopath are so closely related that many don’t know they are different illness. Both psychopath and sociopath have similar illness but their factors are completely different. Study’s shows this may be a product of nature vs nurture. Secondly, Psychopath behavior is shown to be controlled while sociopath is shown to have uncontrollable behavior. Thirdly, there violence outburst is different, psychopath usually plan out their crimes while sociopaths are erratic and careless with their crimes. Fourthly, Psychopaths don’t feel any type emotion towards others but they can be in relationships when it comes beneficial to them. Sociopaths often don’t have relationships, they don’t become attached to others. Lastly, Psychopath are actually
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).
Triarchic Conceptualization of Psychopathy: Developmental Origins of Disinhibition, Boldness, and Meanness. " Development and Psychopathology 21.03 (2009): 913–9. Cambridge Journals. 7 July 2009. Web.
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...
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.
A ‘power junky’ refers to a killer who tends to have an affinity with power even to the point where they have already been apprehended. These killers often leave out certain details to instill in their minds that they have more power than the authoritative figure. A ‘manipulator’ is another trait in which the killer is able to be perceived as vulnerable and use the need to please to hide their sinister personality. The type known as the ‘manipulator’ is able to pass blame using the problems during that day or medical research to explain their actions. Another trait is the ‘egotistical bragger’ who often feels the need to brag about the actions that they can committed. They often return to the scene of the crimes as a trophy which sometimes leads to their capture. A less noticeable trait called the ‘superficial charmer’ is where the the individual is able to recognize the vulnerability or weakness of their victim to coax the into doing something that is outside of their normality. The most dangerous trait that a serial killer can have is the ‘average Joe’. This trait describes the serial killers who seem normal average people, but behind closed door they commit unspeakable crimes. This is the most dangerous trait because it is harder to get a profile on these individuals and they often get away with many of the crimes that they commit. There are other traits which include: the ‘sensation seekers’ who get
...res of the psychopaths and gives the reader various examples of these individuals playing out these characteristics in everyday life. A widely used checklist is provided so the reader can get a wide spanning view of what is accounted for when scoring a psychopath. This form of research is very important within the deceitfulness of this population; it allows the professional to ignore their words and examine their actions. Hare made it clear that it is not uncommon for there to be an emotional and verbal disconnect from their actions. With virtually no emotional functioning psychopaths feel no remorse for the offenses that they commit and it is very important that we work towards using the opportunities we have to study and assist these populations; not only for them but for ourselves.
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...
Depictions of psychopaths today have become exaggerated based off of what you see in movies and films. The psychopaths in movies are believed to be dangerous or have an anti-social personality disorder. Not all psychopaths can be defined in that manner. Psychopaths are identified as people who are emotionally unstable. They are ultimately suffering from a chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. There have been studies ultimately wondering if a psychopath is born, or is it raised? Genetics and environment combine to produce conditions that create psychopathology. By paying attention to environmental variables we can potentially reduce the amount of people who become dangerous psychopaths.
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).
As with many influences on human behavior, environmental actions may actually trigger the genetic predispositions toward antisocial behavior. Of these environmental triggers, childhood abuse may be the most important of situational factors. Understanding antisocial personalities in individuals with biological susceptibility to antisocial behaviors and those who experienced maltreatment in a hostile environment would be at a high risk for developing antisocial personality disorder.