A number of different models have been proposed and meaningful relationships have been found between the different factors, facets, and external variables. For example, Factor 1 seems to be positively correlated with intelligence scores whereas Factor 2 appears to be negatively correlated with intelligence scores Blonigen et al. The PCL-R was designed to assess psychopathic traits in the clinical tradition articulated by Cleckley. However, many studies have shown that the PCL-R scores predict recidivism, which has contributed to its widespread use in the criminal justice system.
Additional meta-analyses yielded a mean weighted AUC of. These results amount to moderate effect sizes in the behavioral sciences Cohen, The PCL-R has also demonstrated significant predictive value with respect to sexual recidivism, particularly when combined with a measure of sexual deviance Hawes et al.
The PCL-R is also used as a component of several instruments that were explicitly designed to assess future risk of violence. The following are popular risk assessors that incorporate the PCL-R:. It is important to note that the PCL-R may not predict recidivism in all populations. Due to the significance of the PCL-R in forensic settings, including determination of liberty and death sentences, careful scrutiny of its predictive value is essential.
Indeed, judges and parole boards often use the PCL-R to predict future dangerousness, equating high scores with higher risk of recidivism Freedman, Accordingly, misuse of the PCL-R in incarcerated individuals could have serious consequences Edens, Thus, it is strongly advised that specifically trained experts administer and score the PCL-R in appropriate contexts Hare, The causes and specific pathophysiology of psychopathy are an active area of research.
Like other mental illnesses, psychopathy appears in all races and cultures. At the present time, the general consensus is that a genetic predisposition is necessary for psychopathy while environmental conditions determine its specific expression Porter, One preliminary question regarding the etiology of psychopathy is whether the disorder is dimensional or categorical in nature.
As with most personality disorders, this is an ongoing topic of research in psychopathy. Coid, and model based cluster analysis Hicks, et al. However, dimensional and categorical assumptions are built into factor and cluster analyses, respectively.
These tests do not determine whether a construct is categorical or dimensional Walters et al. On the other hand, taxometric analyses were specifically designed to identify discrete versus dimensional structures. Taxometric studies of the PCL and related instruments have yielded mixed results, Walters et al. Further controversy over the latent structure of psychopathy relates to a more general problem in personality disorder diagnosis; namely, the cut off for pathological behavior is inherently normative.
Nevertheless, individuals who evince elevated psychopathic traits, but not at pathological levels, may appear to a layperson to have psychopathy but in actuality they do not likely have clinical levels of all of the traits.
Preliminary research indicates that there are correlations between physical neglect, absentee father, whether either parent was incarcerated, low socioeconomic status, young mother, depressed mother, and general instability in the family with psychopathic traits in adults Patrick, These conditions are hardly dispositive of psychopathy however and likely only produce psychopathic outcomes when a certain genotype is present.
A more nuanced look at the relationship between psychopathy and environmental conditions revealed correlations between childhood abuse and the irresponsible lifestyle and impulsivity facet of psychopathy Pothyress, Again, the prevailing pathogenic hypothesis of psychopathy is a diathesis stress model similar to that of schizophrenia; i.
Thus, the precise environmental risk factors for psychopathy remain elusive. Another study looked at callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior in seven-year-old twins Viding et al.
The conclusions of this study suggest callous-unemotional traits are strongly determined by genetic influences, while antisocial behavior in the absence of callous-unemotional traits has strong shared and non-shared environmental influences. Further research is necessary to determine the generalizability of these findings to non-twin children, as well as examining the predictability of different callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior presentations in children on the development of clinical levels of psychopathy as an adult.
An additional line of genetic research in psychopathy focuses on a variant of the monoamine oxidase A MAO-A gene and its correlation with psychopathic traits Frazzetto et al.
Low MAO-A phenotypes coupled with adverse childhood experiences have been shown to correlate with low thresholds for violence and aggression Caspi et al. While there is no gene for antisocial behavior or psychopathy, MAO-A may be a useful predictor of relevant neurophysiological vulnerabilities that when certain environmental conditions are present e. Psychopathy may emerge from a number of different pathways.
One conceptualization suggests two dichotomous origins, termed primary and secondary psychopathy Karpman, In this model, primary psychopaths arise from largely genetic factors whereas environmental factors play a stronger role in secondary psychopathy. Secondary psychopaths are believed to have high levels of anxiety while primary psychopaths are low anxious individuals Newman et al.
There is substantial evidence that anxiety can play a mediating role in a many psychopathologies, including psychopathy. However, there is insufficient evidence supporting the etiological processes thought to underlie primary versus secondary psychopathy at this time. The general finding is that there is no relationship between classic neuropsychological tests and clinical levels of psychopathy Hart et al. A significant body of research regarding emotional processing abnormalities in psychopaths continues to emerge.
Decision making itself, however, is a complex and multifaceted cognitive function. Substantial research is dedicated to identifying the specific information- processing skills relevant to decision making that are disrupted in psychopathy.
For example, one influential hypothesis suggests that an inability to generate fearful responses underlies psychopathy Lykken, Other research points to abnormalities in the deployment of attention that go beyond affective processing Hiatt, Another line of inquiry suggests a general deficit in the perception, reasoning, and management of emotional states in oneself and others among psychopaths using a well-validated test of emotional intelligence Ermer et al.
The last decade has seen a significant increase in brain imaging studies of psychopathy. Forensic Res Criminol Int J 2 2 : DOI: Download PDF. The terms psychopathy, sociopathy, and antisocial personality disorder ASPD are commonly used interchangeably in clinical and research literature as well as the popular media. However, the consensus among most researchers is that ASPD, psychopathy, and sociopathy are related but distinct constructs.
It was described by Theophrastus, a student of Aristotle, and was the first personality disorder to be recognized in psychiatry.
During the early 19th century, Pinel described patients who exhibited a lack of restraint despite being aware of the consequences of their behavior as having manie sans delire insanity without delirium. Cleckley 8 published The Mask of Sanity describing the features of psychopathy that served as the foundation for current research in the field. The PCL-R is a reliable and valid instrument that consists of 20 items and is completed using a semi structured interview and a review of collateral information to assess a distinctive pattern of interpersonal e.
Psychopathy can also be assessed categorically or dimensionally. The first edition of the DSM in included the diagnosis of Sociopathic Personality Disturbance, which included many of the features of psychopathy originally described by Cleckley. Antisocial sociopaths referred to common offenders and dyssocial sociopaths included white-collar criminals. However, the diagnosis evolved to reflect the changing attitudes of the era that suggested criminality was due to environmental factors, in particular, a lack of socialization.
This revision also required the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder before the age of 15 to meet the diagnostic criteria of ASPD. In order to meet the diagnosis, an individual must be at least 18 years of age, have a history of Conduct Disorder before age 15, and meet three of seven of the following criteria:.
Although some of these diagnostic criteria overlap with psychopathy as measured by the PCL-R , they have been criticized as being too focused on antisocial behavior, whereas the PCL-R encompasses both personality traits and antisocial behaviors.
The prevalence rates of the disorders also differ. Sociopathy is an outdated term that infrequently appears in the scientific research literature and is more related to ASPD due to the emphasis on behavioral characteristics. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Withdrawal Guidlines. Publication Ethics. Withdrawal Policies Publication Ethics.
Editorial Volume 2 Issue 2. Sorry, Dr. Feedback We've Added New Words! Word of the Day. Meanings Meanings. Next "Intrusive" vs. Don't Get Mixed Up Again! Get Dictionary. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
0コメント