Psychology of Criminal Behavior Exam 2 Study Guide The Successful Psychopath Successful Psychopath One who embodies the essential personality characteristics of psychopathy but who refrains from serious antisocial behavior o Cleckley cases businessman psychiatrist o The Senator case file Conceptualization of noncriminal psychopathy o Noncriminal psychopathy as a subclinical manifestation of the disorder Core idea Noncriminal psychopaths represent less extreme examples of psychopathy Implicit causal view Noncriminal expression of the disorder entails the same underlying cause as criminal psychopathy but at a reduced level of severity Cleckley characterized more successful cases as incomplete manifestations of the disorder o Noncriminal psychopathy as a moderated expression of the full disorder Core idea Noncriminal psychopaths possess the same underlying causal mechanism to an equally severe degree but they also possess separate compensatory characteristics that modify moderate its expression The key difference between criminal and noncriminal manifestations phenotypes consists of moderating factors that shape the behavioral expression of the underlying constitutional vulnerability genotype o Noncriminal psychopathy from a dual process perspective Core idea Differing causal mechanisms give rise to the affective interpersonal features of psychopathy versus the antisocial deviance component Because differing causal mechanisms underlie the two components of psychopathy individuals may possess one or the other or in some cases both Assessment of noncriminal psychopathy o Some studies have used the PCL R or a 12 item screening version in community samples Ex Employment agencies What is Psychopathy Psychopathy as callous predatory criminal deviance o Karpman McCord s Robs DSM III IV Hare PCL R Frick APSD Psychopathy as masked psychological disturbance o Cleckley Lykken DSM I II Lilienfeld Psychopathy in Criminal Delinquent Samples McCord McCord 1964 o Described psychopathy as a distinctively malignant form of criminal deviancy o The psychopath is an asocial aggressive highly impulsive person who feels little or no guilt and is unable to form lasting bonds of affection with other human beings o Core features of the disorder Antipathy toward others lovelessness Absence of remorse guiltlessness 1 Psychology of Criminal Behavior Exam 2 Study Guide 2 Psychology of Criminal Behavior Exam 2 Study Guide PCL R APSD Operationalization Issues Not suitable for use with non offender samples Neglects positive adjustment features emphasized by Cleckley o Ex Lack of anxiety nervousness primary psychopath Fails to accommodate phenomenon of non criminal successful psychopathy Psychopathy in Non Criminal Samples Cleckley 1976 Psychiatric inpatients o Described psychopathy as a paradoxical condition in which severe behavioral pathology and good adjustment seemed to go hand in hand o The surface of the psychopath shows up as equal to or better than normal and gives no hint at all of a disorder within the observer is confronted with a convincing mask of sanity o Clinical features identified by Cleckley Positive Adjustment Social charm good intelligence no delusions or irrational thinking no anxiety or depressive symptoms not suicidal Reckless Uninhibited Behavior Impulsive antiosocial action failure to learn from experience irresponsibility promiscuous sexual relations absence of any life plan Callous Unemotional Traits Lack of remorse lack of strong emotions inability to love absence of loyalty lying manipulation Use of Self Report Questionnaires to Assess Psychopathy in Noncriminal Participants 3 Psychology of Criminal Behavior Exam 2 Study Guide Psychopathic Personality Inventory PPI o 187 item questionnaire for measuring psychopathy in non prison samples o 8 scales sum scale scores to yield a total psychopathy score o 2 uncorrelated factors underlying the PPI scales Benning 2003 PPI 1 Dominant non anxious fearless PPI 2 Impulsive aggressive rebellious blames others 4 Psychology of Criminal Behavior Exam 2 Study Guide PPI Factors Sample Items o PPI 1 Boldness o PPI 2 Externalizing Dominance Social Potency I m not intimidated by anyone Stress Immunity Fearlessness I can remain calm in situations that would make many other people panic If I were a firefighter I think I might actually enjoy the excitement of trying to rescue someone from the top floor of a burning building Impulsivity Nonplanfulness I generally prefer to act first and think later Aggressiveness Machiavellian Egocentricity I become very angry if I do not receive special favors or privileges I feel I deserve Rebelliousness Nonconformity I ve always considered myself to be something of a rebel Alienation Blame Externalization A lot of people in my life have tried to stab me in the back Benning 2003 found that the two PPI factors showed differing relations with measures of adjustment maladjustment PPI 1 PPI 2 More adult symptoms of antisocial personality APD Higher education More child adult symptoms of APD More alcohol drug use Lower education 5 Psychology of Criminal Behavior Exam 2 Study Guide Higher career status income Higher verbal intelligence Lower career status income Lower verbal intelligence Bold Measures of adjustment Regular Measures of maladjustment College Men Women Correlates of PPI 1 and PPI 2 scores in 3 other samples PPI Boldness Narcissism SSS thrill adventure seeking Activity Sociability Low empathy PPI Externalizing Anger SSS boredom susceptibility SSS disinhibition Low socialization Low empathy Adolescent Community Males Fewer symptoms of simple social phobia Male Prisoners PCL R Factor 1 r 28 More child adult APD symptoms More alcohol drug use Higher depression PCL R Factor 2 r 31 Bold Measures of adjustment Regular Measures of maladjustment SSS Sensation Seeking Scale PPI Operationalization Issues unitary syndrome o 2 PPI factors are uncorrelated inconsistent with the idea of psychopathy as a o PPI 1 reflects adjustment as much as deviancy inconsistent with the notion of psychopathy as essentially pathological Other self report psychopathy measures o Hare s Self Report Psychopathy Scale SRP 40 items o Levenson s Primary Secondary Psychopathy Scale LPSP 20 items o Triarchic Psychopathy Measure TriPM 58 items o Can estimate scores on the two PPI factors from scores on various normal personality inventories Triarchic Conceptualization of Psychopathy Triarchy Governance of a territory by three rulers Triarchic Model