Unit 3 PT 3 Flashcards
(16 cards)
Label implies:
1) Prognosis for treatment is poor
2) High rate of offending and recidivism can be expected
3) Intrinsic and biological basis of the disorder means little can be done outside of biological interventions
Genetic factors
1) A temperament of this nature may disrupt the formation of guilt, conscience, or concern about punishment
2) Suggested that youths with psychopathic features may have brain abnormalities and that psychopathy may run in families
Neuropsychology
1) The branch of psychology that combines theory and research from the neurosciences and traditional psychology
Markers
1) A term used for the neurological indicators of a particular phenomenon, such as psychopathy
Left-hemisphere activation hypothesis’
1) Psychopaths exhibit deficits on variety of tasks that require activation of the left hemisphere
Emotional paradox
1) Psychopaths seem to be able to talk about emotional cues but lack the ability to use them effectively in the real world
2) Psychopaths demonstrate normal usage of emotional cues and situations in the abstract world (i.e. verbal discussion) but are deficient in using emotional cues to guide their judgements and behaviour in the process of living
3) Deficiency is due to processing problems located in the left hemisphere
Frontal lobes are responsible for ‘higher level’ cognitive functions- Which are:
1) Abstraction
2) Decision making
3) Cognitive flexibility
4) Foresight
5) Regulation of impulses
6) Control of appropriate behaviour
Executive functions
1) Higher-order mental abilities involved in goal-directed behaviour
Executive functions include:
1) Organizing behaviour
2) Memory
3) Inhibition processes
4) Planning strategies
Results of prefrontal damage:
1) Poor decision making
2) Reduced autonomic functioning 3) Psychopathic-like personality
Amygdala
1) Structure: Almond-shaped cluster of neurons in the brain
2) Function: Responsible for emotions
3) Location: Each amygdala (one for each side of the brain) is located close to the hippocampus in the front portion of the temporal lobe
4) (Examples: Anger, fear, and disgust) Hippocampus
5) Structure: Seahorse-shaped
6) Location: In the temporal lobe
Psychopaths and Amygdala
1) Psychopaths exhibit lower amygdala activity during an emotional processing task in comparison to criminal non-psychopaths
2) The relationship between amygdala and learning may emerge as a highly significant factor in understanding emotional behaviour of the psychopath
3) Possible link between abnormalities in the amygdala-hippocampus complex and psychopathy
Calm psychopath in a stressful situation
1) Either the sympathetic nervous system doesn’t react sufficiently to stressful stimuli
2) Or the parasympathetic system steps into action more rapidly
Calm Psychopaths Deficiencies
1) Psychopaths lack capacity to respond emotionally to stressful or fearful situations- They give the impression of being anxiety-free, care-free, and display a devil-may-care attitude
2) Psychopath has an underactive, under aroused autonomic nervous system
3) Low SC arousal in psychopaths- Deficits in measures of SC arousal are associated with low autonomic arousal levels related to low emotionality, lack of empathy/remorse, and ability to lie easily
Avoidance learning
1) A process whereby someone responds in time to a warning signal in order to avoid painful or aversive (cruel) stimuli
Each subject would sit quietly for 30 to 40 minutes and during this time they would periodically hear a buzzer, occasionally receiving a slight electric shock several seconds after the buzzer. The buzzer became associated with the shock
1) Non-psychopaths: Sound of the buzzer produces an anxiety response in anticipation of the electrical shock (classical conditioning)- Reflected by increase in SCR
2) Psychopaths: Less responsive to this stress and incapable of learning to avoid the painful electric shocks
