Unit 3 Flashcards
(25 cards)
Psychopath
A person who exhibits traits such as lack of empathy, impulsivity, deceitfulness, and shallow affect, which heightens them to engage in criminal behaviour and cause harm to others
3 categories of psychopaths:
1) Primary psychopath
2)Secondary psychopath
3) Dyssocial psychopath
Secondary psychopath
1) Sometimes called ‘acting-out neurotics’, ‘neurotic delinquents’, ‘symptomatic psychopaths’ or simply ‘emotionally disturbed offenders’
2) They demonstrate more emotional instability and impulsivity
3) More rooted in parental abuse and rejection
Dyssocial psychopaths
1) Individuals with psychopathic characteristics who are antisocial because od social learning and don’t process features of the primary psychopath
2) Display aggressive, antisocial behaviour that is learned from their subculture
Primary psychopath
1) Have certain identifiable psychological, emotional, cognitive, and biological differences that distinguish them from the general and criminal populations
Antisocial personality disorder
A disorder characterized by a history of continuous behaviour in which the rights of others are violated
Three or more must be present to be diagnosed with APD:
1) Repetitive lying
2) Impulsiveness
3) Disregard for the safety of others
Criminal psychopath
A primary psychopath who engages in repetitive antisocial or criminal behaviour
Psychopaths may be divided into:
1) ‘Successful’ psychopaths- Those that have committed crimes but avoided arrest and conviction for offense
2) ‘Unsuccessful’ psychopaths- Those that have been convicted and imprisoned
Two main characteristics of psychopaths:
1) Superficial charm and above to above-average intelligence
2) Other characteristics of psychopaths: Many impress others as friendly, outgoing, likable, and alert (at least initially)
2) Often appear well-educate, knowledgeable, and display many interests
3) Verbally skilled and can talk themselves out of trouble
4) Their vocabulary is very extensive that they can talk lengthily about anything
Psychopaths and mental disorders
1) Most psychopaths don’t exhibit severe or disabling mental disorders
2) As a group they lack any symptoms of excessive worry, excessive anxiety, psychotic thinking, delusions, severe depressions, or hallucinations
3) Even under high pressure conditions- Remain cool and calm
Some argue that psychopathy and schizophrenia are part of the same spectrum of disorders
4) Not uncommon to find psychopaths who seem mentally disordered in maximum security psychiatric units for highly violent or dangerous patients
Some psychopaths took their own lives when it became clear to them there was no other way out of what they perceived as an intolerable situation Intolerable situations include:
1) Very long prison term
2) Incurable illness
3) Being surrounded by the police
Suicidality
Term used by clinician to indicate there is a risk of suicide, usually implied from self-reported suicidal thoughts or intentions
Other principal traits
1) Egocentricity is always present in the psychopath and is essentially unmodifiable
2) Selfishness and an inability to love or give affection to others
3) They may be likable but are seldom able to keep close friends (have great difficulty understanding love in others)
4) Have remarkable disregard for truth- ‘Pathological liars’
5) No internalized moral or ethical sense and cannot understand the purpose of being honest (especially if dishonesty will bring them some personal gain)
6) They tend to be skillful ‘con artists’
7) Have cunning ability to appear straightforward, honest, and sincere but their claims to sincerity are without essence
Semantic aphasia
They articulate their regrets for having done something but the words they speak are devoid (reduced) of emotional meaning or sincerity
CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATH
1) Are related to those psychopaths demonstrating a wide range of persistent and serious antisocial behaviour
2)As a group they tend to be dominant, manipulative individuals characterized by an impulsive, risk-taking, and antisocial lifestyle
Offending patterns of criminal psychopaths
1) Lack a normal sense of ethics and morality
2) Live by their own rules
3) Are prone to use cold-blooded, instrumental intimidation and violence to satisfy their needs and wants
4) Are disrespectful of social norms and the rights of others
Sexual assault and rape
1) Unlawful acts of psychopathic sex offenders are likely to be more violent, brutal, unconventional, and sadistic than other sex offenders
2) Psychopathic sex offenders appear to be more motivated by thrill seeking and excitement rather than simply sexual arousal
3) Psychopaths appear to be more sadistic and commit more diverse/severe forms or sexual homicide than violent non-psychopaths
4) Rapists containing psychopathic characteristics are more likely to have ‘nonsexual’ motivations for their crimes (Examples: Anger, opportunism, or sadism)
Murders
1) Murderers described as excessively sadistic and brutal tend to have many psychopathic traits
2) Serial murderers who exhibit psychopathic features are especially sadistic and brutal
3) Psychopaths may be more likely than other offenders to derive pleasure from both nonsexual and sexual suffering of others (Violence is callous and cold-blooded)
4) Many murders and serious assaults committed by non-psychopaths tend to occur during domestic disputes or extreme emotional arousal- Qualifying as hostile or reactive aggression
5) Criminal psychopaths frequently engage in violence as a form of revenge or retribution (or during a session of drinking)
6) Many attacks of non-psychopaths are against women they know well- Many attacks of criminal psychopaths are directed at men who are strangers
Psychopathic criminals
1) More sadistic, brutal, unconventional, callous, and cold-blooded
2) Motivated by thrill seeking and excitement (‘nonsexual’ motivations for crime)
3) Derive pleasure from both sexual and nonsexual suffering of others
Engage in violence as a form of revenge or retribution (or during a session of drinking)
4) Many attacks are directed at men who are strangers Many attacks are against women they know well
Recidivism
Tendency to return to offending
Non-psychopathic criminals
1) Violent
2) Motivated by sexual arousal
3) Murders and serious assaults tend to occur during domestic disputes or extreme emotional arousal- Qualifying as hostile or reactive aggression
4) Many attacks are directed at men who are strangers Many attacks are against women they know well
Recidivism of criminal psychopaths
1) Psychopaths reoffend faster, violate patrol sooner, and commit more institutional violence than non-psychopaths
2) High recidivism rates are characteristic of psychopathic adolescent male offenders
3) These offenders are more likely than other adolescent offenders to escape from custody, violate conditions of probation, and commit nonviolent/violent offenses over 5-year follow-up period
4) High recidivism rates among adult and juvenile offenders resulted in conclusion that there is nothing the behavioural sciences can offer for treating those with psychopathy
5) This is because psychopaths tend to be unmotivated to alter their problematic behaviour and often lack insight into the nature and extent of their psychopathology
Versions of Psychopathy Checklist
1) - Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)
2) Psychopathy Checklist: Screening version
3) P-scan: Research version
4) Psychopathy Checklist: Youth version
