1. True taxon or the end of the continuum
PSYCHOPATHY
True taxon or
the end of the continuum

2. Psychopathy
Based on work of Robert Hare; derived from conceptualization of Cleckley
More emphasis on affective and interpersonal features
Most (but not all) psychopaths will be antisocial personality disorders, but not all ASPD’s will be psychopaths
Most inmates will be ASPD, but only 25% or less will be psychopaths

3. Psychopathy
Etiology unknown: thought to be interaction of biological/genetic factors and social forces
Expression of disorder depends on social and developmental context (shaped by environment)
Most research with criminals, but construct important in general society
Most studies to date on white males, but recent research suggests validity with females and other ethnic/cultural groups
Hare, 2001

4. 1%
Psychopaths in General Population
Hare, 2001

5. 10-30%
Psychopaths in Prison Populations
Hare, 2001

6. 44%
Psychopaths as killers of Law Enforcement Officers
Hare, 2001

7. 90%+
Psychopaths as Serial Killers
Hare, 2001

8. Are psychopaths “mad”?
Unless comorbid condition present, not usually in legal or psychiatric sense
Know right from wrong, know the rules
But own rules are more important than society’s
Knowledge of rules is intellectual, not emotional

9. Are all psychopaths criminals?
Not in technical, legal sense
Behaviour is often unethical, but may not end up in jail
Hare undertaking studies of subclinical, white collar psychopaths

10. Criminal vs White-Collar Psychopaths
Although underlying personality structure is similar, other factors shape the outcome:
Physical attributes and appearance
Intelligence
Social and economic status
Family social connections (it’s who you know, not what you know)
Opportunities available in the environment

11. Core Personality Traits
Attributes,
Background,
Opportunity
Good
Bad
Subcriminal
psychopaths
Criminal
psychopaths
Violation of
legal and ethical
standards
subtle
flagrant
Fame, fortune
Minor setbacks
Prison
Early death
Outcome
Hare, 2001

12. ASPD
3-5%
Psychopaths 1%
Psychopathy and ASPD in General Population
Hare, 2001

13. Psychopathy and ASPD in Offender Populations
50-80%
Psychopaths
15-25%
Psychopathy and ASPD in Offender Populations
Hare, 2001

14. 20 Characteristics of Psychopaths
Glib/Superficial Charm
Grandiose Self Worth
Need for Stimulation/ proneness to boredom
Pathological Lying
Conning/Manipulative
Lack of Guilt or Remorse
Shallow Affect
Callous/Lack of Empathy
Parasitic Lifestyle
Poor Behavioral Controls
11. Promiscuous Sexual Behavior
12. Early Behavioral Problems
13. Lack of Realistic Long-Term Goals
14. Impulsivity
15. Irresponsibility
16. Failure to Take Responsibility for Own Actions
17. Many Short-Term Marital Relationships
18. Juvenile Delinquency
19. Revocation of Conditional Release
20. Criminal Versatility

15. Features of Psychopathy
Responsible of large proportion of crime
More violent crimes
Offend later into life
Higher rates of recidivism
More likely to use instrumental than reactive aggression (less often crimes of passion)
Can be politicians, CEO’s, rather than criminal justice offenders
May get worse with treatment

16. Neurobiological Differences in Psychopaths
Psychopaths show absence of autonomic responses of anticipatory anxiety to punishment (e.g. electric shock)
Criminal psychopaths show abnormalities in function of limbic system and frontal cortex while processing affective stimuli (e.g. words)
Amydala and hippocampus less active (emotion and memory)
Fronto-temporal cortex more active
(need more cognitive, non-emotional neural resources to process emotional stimuli)

17. Neurobiology and Psychopathy
Fearlessness Hypothesis - higher threshold for experience of anxiety/fear; don’t respond at autonomic level to anticipated threat/punishment
Cortical hypo-arousal – brain is understimulated except by dangerous/thrill seeking behavior
Different (non-limbic) processing of affective stimuli; not processed on an emotional level

18. Some conclusions from Robert Hare
Psychopaths are not the same as you and I
They think, feel and act differently
Emotions and deep processing play little role in their thinking, language or behavior
They may mimic emotions well, but it’s mostly an act
Their approach to the world is instrumental; they are viewed by us as predatory
They do not play by our rules, nor do they care about our feelings or welfare
They put on a good show, and it’s hard not to be taken in