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| Often regarded, almost superstitiously, as a predator in human form. The Psychopath is portrayed as one who cuts a swath of destruction through the world without a trace of guilt or conscience, whether as a vampiric creature feeding off the lives and hearts of others, or as a desperate and disturbed criminal who, once incarcerated, can never be safely released. | Often regarded, almost superstitiously, as a predator in human form. The Psychopath is portrayed as one who cuts a swath of destruction through the world without a trace of guilt or conscience, whether as a vampiric creature feeding off the lives and hearts of others, or as a desperate and disturbed criminal who, once incarcerated, can never be safely released. | ||
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| == Psychopathy== | == Psychopathy - Definitions== | ||
| Washington State Legislature defines a "Psychopathic personality" to mean the existence in any person of such hereditary, congenital or acquired condition affecting the emotional or volitional rather than the intellectual field and manifested by anomalies of such character as to render satisfactory social adjustment of such person difficult or impossible. | Washington State Legislature defines a "Psychopathic personality" to mean the existence in any person of such hereditary, congenital or acquired condition affecting the emotional or volitional rather than the intellectual field and manifested by anomalies of such character as to render satisfactory social adjustment of such person difficult or impossible. | ||
Revision as of 04:07, 7 January 2006
Often regarded, almost superstitiously, as a predator in human form. The Psychopath is portrayed as one who cuts a swath of destruction through the world without a trace of guilt or conscience, whether as a vampiric creature feeding off the lives and hearts of others, or as a desperate and disturbed criminal who, once incarcerated, can never be safely released.
In real terms, the psychopath is just as likely to sit on a Board of Directors as behind bars. Concealing his true nature behind a well crafted "Mask of Sanity" (also the title of the one of the first definitive studies of Psychopathy written by Hervey Cleckley in 1941).
Medical condition| Psychopathy | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Psychology  |
Psychopathy - Definitions
Washington State Legislature defines a "Psychopathic personality" to mean the existence in any person of such hereditary, congenital or acquired condition affecting the emotional or volitional rather than the intellectual field and manifested by anomalies of such character as to render satisfactory social adjustment of such person difficult or impossible.
Psychopathic Disorder is legally defined in the UK Mental Health Act as "a persistent disorder or disability of mind (whether or not including significant impairment of intelligence) which results in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned".
The DSM-IV-TR's conceptualization of psychopathy is covered by antisocial personality disorder, although there is some dispute over the theoretical and practical equivalence of the two constructs (with psychopathy being measured on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised). The ICD-10 names it dissocial personality disorder.
Diagnostic criteria (PCL-R test)
In contemporary research and clinical practice, psychopathy is most commonly assessed with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist- Revised (PCL-R), which is a clinical rating scale with 20 items. Each of the items in the PCL-R is scored on a three-point (0, 1, 2) scale according to specific criteria through file information and a semi-structured interview. The items are as follows:
Factor 1: Aggressive narcissism
- Glibness/superficial charm
- Grandiose sense of self-worth
- Pathological lying
- Conning/manipulative
- Lack of remorse or guilt
- Shallow affect
- Callous/lack of empathy
- Failure to accept responsibility for own actions
Factor 2: Socially deviant lifestyle
- Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
- Parasitic lifestyle
- Poor behavioral controls
- Early behavioral problems
- Lack of realistic, long-term goals
- Impulsivity
- Irresponsibility
- Juvenile delinquency
- Revocation of conditional release
Traits not correlated with either factor
- Promiscuous sexual behavior
- Many short-term marital relationships
- Criminal versatility
Score 0 if the trait is absent, 1 if it is possibly or partially present and 2 if it is present. The item scores are summed to yield a total score ranging from 0 to 40 which is then considered to reflect the degree to which they resemble the prototypical psychopath. A score higher than 30 supports a diagnosis of psychopathy. Forensic studies of prison populations have reported average scores of around 22 on PCL-R; control "normal" populations show an average score of around 5.
A note of caution: the test must be administered by a trained mental health practitioner under controlled conditions for it to have any validity.
Models of Psychopathy
The current edition of the PCL-R officially lists four factors (1.a, 1.b, 2.a, and 2.b), but different researchers have come up with differing numbers of factors depending on their statistical analysis methods and data sample.
A Three-Factor Model of Psychopathy
Cooke and Michie eliminated criteria related to criminal incarceration and juvenile delinquency and statistically analyzed three factors of psychopathy. This allows for a conception of the psychopathic personality that is better applicable outside forensic populations.
Arrogant/Deceitful Interpersonal Style
- Glibness/superficial charm
- Egocentricity/Grandiose sense of self-worth
- Pathological lying
- Conning/Manipulative
Deficient Affective Experience
- Lack of remorse or guilt
- Callous/Lack of empathy
- Shallow affect
- Failure to accept responsibility for own actions
Impulsive/Irresponsible Behavioral Style
- Need for stimulation/Proneness to boredom
- Parasitic lifestyle
- Lack of realistic, long-term goals
- Impulsivity
- Irresponsibility
(Cooke, Mitchie 2001)
A Four-Factor Model of Psychopathy
Hare, Neumann, Rogers, and others have criticized the three-factor model for using questionnable procedures and analyses to retain and omit items. They have provided strong evidence for a four-factor model of the PCL-R and the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV). The four-factor model adds an Antisocial factor (early, persistent, serious rule-breaking) to the three-factor model:
Interpersonal
* Glibness/superficial charm * Egocentricity/Grandiose sense of self-worth * Pathological lying * Conning/Manipulative
Affective
* Lack of remorse or guilt * Callous/Lack of empathy * Shallow affect * Failure to accept responsibility for own actions
Lifestyle
* Need for stimulation/Proneness to boredom * Parasitic lifestyle * Lack of realistic, long-term goals * Impulsivity * Irresponsibility
Antisocial
* Early behavior problems * Poor behavioral controls * Juvenile delinquency * Violation of conditional release * Criminal versatility
Traits not asociated with any factor * Promiscuous sexual behavior * Many short-term marital relationships
(Hare, 2003; Hare & Neumann, 2005; Neumann, Hare, Vitacco, & Wupperman,in press; Vitacco, Rogers,Neumann,Harrison,& Vincent,2005).
The four-factor model also fits the PCL: SV, which does not contain any criminal items.
(Hill, Neumann, & Rogers, 2005; Vitacco, Neumann, & Jackson, 2005;
Portrayal of psychopaths in the media
Psychopaths in popular fiction and movies generally possess a number of standard characteristics which are not necessarily as common amongst real-life psychopaths. The traditional "Hollywood psychopath" is likely to exhibit some or all of the following traits which make them ideal villains.
- High intelligence, and a preference for intellectual stimulation (music, fine art etc.)
- A somewhat vain, stylish, almost "cat-like" demeanor
- Prestige, or a successful career or position
- A calm, calculating and always-in-control attitude
It is this last feature which is probably most at odds with the typical real-life psychopath: an individual with APD is much more likely to be impulsive, disorganised and short-tempered rather than the smooth-talking, self-disciplined characters portrayed by Anthony Hopkins (Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs), Christian Bale (Patrick Bateman in American Psycho), Jack Nicholson ( The Joker (comics) in 1989's Batman (film) and Kiefer Sutherland (in Phone Booth). Perhaps more accurate portrayals of psychopaths are Don Logan (Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast), Doyle Hargrave (Dwight Yoakam in Sling Blade), and Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet), all of whom are crude, impulsive characters who relentlessly torment other people.
It has also been suggested that Bram Stoker based his Count Dracula on a real person (actor manager Henry Irving see http://www.bookpage.com/9604bp/nonfiction/bramstoker.html ) and, in so doing, may well have left us one of the first ever detailed, fictionalised portraits of a psychopath. Count Dracula fits the stereotype of the "Hollywood Psychopath" he predates so perfectly that it would be reasonable to consider him something of a prototype.
In popular culture, "psychopath" is often used interchangeably with "serial killer" (such as the characters in slasher films) though the terms are not synonymous. It is, however, true that most serial killers are also psychopaths.
Psychopathy's relationship with other mental health disorders
Psychopathy, as measured on the PCL-R, is negatively correlated with all DSM-IV Axis I disorders except substance-abuse disorders. Psychopathy is most strongly correlated with DSM-IV antisocial personality disorder. PCL-R Factor 1 is correlated with narcissistic personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder. PCL-R Factor 2 is particularly strongly correlated to antisocial personality disorder and criminality.
PCL-R Factor 2 is associated with reactive anger, anxiety, increased risk of suicide, criminality, and impulsive violence. PCL-R Factor 1, in contrast, is associated with extroversion and positive affect. Factor 1, the so-called core personality traits of psychopathy, may even be beneficial for the psychopath (in terms of nondeviant social functioning).
Potential warning signs
As a child, three warning signs are often found in individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder when diagnosed by a psychiatrist. These are a longer-than-usual period of bedwetting, cruelty to animals, and/or pyromania. Obviously, not all children who exhibit these signs grow up to be psychopaths, but these signs are found in significantly higher proportions than in the general population.
Many people are aware that a lack of moral conscience could indicate that they are dealing with a psychopath, fewer are aware that a Psychopath also has a markedly distorted sense of the potential consequences of his actions, not only for others, but also for himself. Put simply, he does not, for example, recognise realistically the risk of being caught, disbelieved or injured as a result of his choices.
See also
Citations
- Cooke D.J., Michie C. "Refining the construct of psychopathy: Towards a hierarchical model." Psychological Assessment, 2001, 13 (2), 171-188.
- Hare, R. D. (2003). "The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, 2nd Edition." Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.
- Hill, C. D., Neumann, C. S., & Rogers, R. (2004). "Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) in Offenders with Axis I Disorders." Psychological Assessment, 16, 90-95.
- Neumann, C. N., Vitacco, M. J., Hare, R .D., & Wupperman, P. (in press). "Deconstructing the 'Reconstruction' of Psychopathy: A Comment on Cooke, Michie, Hart, & Clark. Journal of Personality Disorders.
- Vitacco, M. J., Neumann, C. S.,& Jackson, R.(2005). "Testing a four-factor model of psychopathy and its association with ethnicity, gender, intelligence, and violence." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 466-76.
- Vitacco, M. J., Rogers, R., Neumann, C. S., Harrison, K., & Vincent, G. (2005). "A comparison of factor models on the PCL-R with mentally disordered offenders: The development of a four factor model." Criminal Justice and Behavior, 32, 526-545.
External Links
- Sociopathic and Psychopathic Development at Sociopathic.net
- Washington State Legislature - Chapter 71.06 RCW Sexual psychopaths
- Reforming The Mental Health Act (uk)
- The Sociopathic or Psychopathic Personality Disorder
- "The Mask of Sanity" Hervey Cleckley - download