Psychopathy Overview and Self-Report Measures
31 Questions
0 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to Lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

Which of the following traits is NOT characteristic of psychopathy?

  • Impulsivity
  • Manipulation
  • Extreme empathy (correct)
  • Lack of remorse

What is the primary focus of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP)?

  • Determining criminal history
  • Assessing emotional intelligence
  • Evaluating educational background
  • Measuring psychopathic traits (correct)

Which statement about subclinical psychopaths is true?

  • They are more likely to cheat on exams. (correct)
  • They have lower SRP scores than non-psychopaths.
  • They do not tend to defraud experimenters.
  • They are less likely to identify vulnerable victims.

Which scale is considered the most popular method for assessing psychopathy in adults?

<p>Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception regarding Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and psychopathy?

<p>Most offenders diagnosed with APD are also psychopaths. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In forensic contexts, how have psychopathy assessments affected court outcomes?

<p>Resulted in more severe dispositions. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which criterion is NOT necessary for diagnosing Antisocial Personality Disorder?

<p>Display of remorse (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do assessments like the PCL-R help determine regarding psychopaths?

<p>Their specific interpersonal traits. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does psychopathy relate to the insanity defense in legal contexts?

<p>Psychopathy does not meet the criteria for insanity defense. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors increases the likelihood of a person being classified as a psychopath?

<p>Manipulative behavior (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant outcome for youth with high scores on the PCL:YV?

<p>They begin criminal behaviors at a younger age. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the treatment outcome for youth in a correctional center compare to those in an intensive treatment program?

<p>Youth in intensive programs have lower rates of violent reoffending. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key finding regarding juror attitudes towards psychopathic defendants?

<p>They are more likely to support the death penalty for psychopathic offenders. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which disorder is characterized by a 3:1 male-female ratio and a lack of response to punishment?

<p>Antisocial Personality Disorder (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does genetics play in psychopathy according to the content?

<p>Genetic factors account for some variance in psychopathy scores. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which parenting intervention is specifically designed to assist children with conduct problems and high CU traits?

<p>Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What describes the general perception of psychopathic defendants in a legal context?

<p>They are more likely to be found guilty. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true regarding the impact of psychopathy on reoffending rates?

<p>Psychopathic traits are linked with a higher likelihood of reoffending. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of violence is primarily associated with psychopathy?

<p>Instrumental violence (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes psychopathy in terms of violent crime?

<p>Psychopaths persist longer in their criminal activities. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which relationship behavior is often observed in nonincarcerated psychopaths?

<p>Manipulation of their partners (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT typically found in psychopathic offenders?

<p>High emotional response to events (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a common finding regarding the PCL-R scores of prosecution experts compared to defense experts?

<p>Prosecution experts provide higher PCL-R scores. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In terms of crime rates, how do psychopaths compare to non-psychopaths?

<p>They are responsible for a majority of violent crimes. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does psychopathy relate to the experience of emotions?

<p>Psychopaths lack the ability to experience certain critical emotions. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What factor is typically linked to psychopathic sexual offenders compared to non-psychopathic offenders?

<p>More vindictive and opportunistic behavior. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What approach do clinicians often recommend regarding the treatment of psychopaths?

<p>Avoiding treatment due to worsening effects. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true about psychopathy and its association with crime?

<p>Psychopathy is rare within the general community. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant challenge faced by law enforcement when interrogating psychopathic suspects?

<p>They enjoy being the focus of investigation. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of treatment on violent recidivism rates among treated psychopaths?

<p>Treated psychopaths show lower rates than untreated ones. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true regarding the number of previous violent offenses and psychopathy?

<p>There is a strong correlation between psychopathy and previous violent offenses. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Adversarial Allegiance

Bias in forensic experts towards the side that hired them (e.g., prosecution or defense).

PCL-R Scores

Scores from a psychopathy checklist used to assess psychopathic traits in forensic contexts.

Psychopathy & Crime

Psychopaths commit a disproportionately higher number of crimes compared to the general population, starting younger, engaging in more violent crimes, and persisting longer.

Instrumental Violence

Violence used as a means to achieve a different goal, not reactive to a threat.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathic Homicide

Murder committed by psychopaths, characterized by multiple victims, stranger victims, male victims, and a lack of remorse.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathy in Community

Psychopathy is relatively rare in community samples; a large portion score low on psychopathic checklists.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathy & Relationships

Psychopaths in relationships often manipulate, lie to, and emotionally/financially abuse their partners, leading to victimization.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathy & Sexual Violence

Weak correlation between psychopathy and sexual offenses.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathy Treatment ineffectiveness

Studies suggest that treatment of psychopaths often leads to worse violent recidivism rates than no treatment.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Response Modulation Deficit Theory

Inability of psychopaths to adjust their behaviors based on contextual cues; inability to learn from punishment.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Affective Theory of Psychopathy

Psychopaths experience emotional deficits that impair prosocial behavior due to a lack of critical emotions.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathy & Interrogation

Psychopathic suspects are difficult to interrogate because they try to outwit, control, and are not easily fooled during interrogation.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Police Killers

A surprising statistic indicating a significant proportion of police officers who kill are psychopathic.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Mixed Sexual Offences

Sexual offenders who target both adults and children.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Child Molesters

Sexual offenders who victimize children.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Corporate Psychopaths

Individuals in corporate settings exhibiting psychopathic tendencies.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathy

A personality disorder characterized by interpersonal, affective, and behavioral traits like manipulation, lack of remorse, impulsivity, and antisocial behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

PPI-R

Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised. A self-report measure for psychopathic traits.

Signup and view all the flashcards

SRP

Self-Report Psychopathy Scale. Measures psychopathic traits in community samples.

Signup and view all the flashcards

PCL-R

Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. A popular assessment for psychopathy in adults.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD)

A personality disorder marked by a history of violating others' rights, including deceitfulness, impulsivity, and irresponsible behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Subclinical Psychopaths

Individuals who exhibit some psychopathic traits, but do not meet the full criteria for a formal diagnosis.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Forensic Use of Psychopathy

The application of psychopathy assessments in legal contexts, particularly to determine the severity of sentencing or to rule out insanity.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Insanity Defense

A legal defense asserting that a person did not understand right from wrong when committing a crime, due to mental illness.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Self-report measures

Assessments where individuals report on their own thoughts, feels, and behaviors using a questionnaire.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Bias in Psychopathy Assessments

The potential for assessments to be influenced by factors like who requests the assessment.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Early Criminal Behavior

Youth who score high on the PCL:YV, a measure of psychopathic traits, are more likely to begin committing crimes at a younger age compared to their peers.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Violent Offending

Youth with high PCL:YV scores are associated with a higher involvement in violent crimes.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Recidivism Risk

Youth with psychopathic traits, particularly those with high PCL:YV scores, are at a greater risk of reoffending after being released from custody.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathy and Treatment

While youth with psychopathic traits might be more receptive to intervention, studies indicate that treatment in correctional centers can sometimes lead to higher rates of violent reoffending compared to treatment in specialized intensive programs.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Psychopathy Label Impact

Mock jurors presented with information about defendants labeled as psychopathic are more likely to support the death penalty, highlighting the strong negative stigma associated with this diagnosis.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Nature vs. Nurture in Psychopathy

Psychopathy is influenced by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, with evidence suggesting a significant contribution from genetics.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A personality disorder characterized by a disregard for social norms, a lack of empathy and remorse, and a tendency towards manipulative behavior.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

An intervention focusing on improving the parent-child relationship through positive reinforcement techniques and teaching positive parenting strategies. This therapy can be beneficial for children with conduct problems and high CU traits.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

Psychopathy

  • Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by interpersonal, affective, and behavioral traits, including manipulation, lack of remorse, impulsivity, and antisocial behavior.
  • Descriptions of psychopathy exist in most cultures.

Self-Report Measures

  • Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R): A 154-item inventory designed to measure psychopathic traits, including a "coldheartedness" scale. Used for offender and community samples.
  • Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP): A 64-item self-report measure used to assess psychopathic traits in community samples. It has four main factors: erratic lifestyle, callous affect, interpersonal manipulation, and criminal tendencies. It's easier to administer and less expensive than the PPI-R, but psychopaths may not give accurate self-reports.

Subclinical Psychopaths

  • Students scoring high on the SRP were more likely to engage in dishonest behavior (defrauding the experimenter, cheating on exams, identifying vulnerable victims).

Assessment

  • Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R): The most popular method for assessing psychopathy in adults. It's a 20-item scale, using a semi-structured interview, and reviewing file information. It assesses interpersonal, affective, and behavioral features.
  • PCL-R scores by prosecution experts tend to be higher than scores by defense experts. There's evidence supporting adversarial allegiance (forensic experts being biased toward the side that appointed them).

Psychopathy and Violence

  • Psychopaths form a small proportion of the population but account for a significant portion of crime, including violent crime. They tend to begin criminal careers younger and persist in criminal activity longer than non-psychopaths.
  • Psychopaths are more likely to engage in instrumental violence (violence used to achieve a goal) as opposed to reactive violence. They are also more likely to show callous traits.
  • In cases of murder, psychopaths tend to have more victims, more likely stranger victims, and more likely male victims. They also show a lack of remorse.

Psychopathy in the Community

  • Psychopathy is relatively rare in community samples.
  • One study found that 5% of corporate professionals met the criteria for psychopathy.
  • Psychopathic individuals in the community often exhibit poor management and performance evaluation, but stronger creativity and communication skills compared to non-psychopaths.
  • Psychopaths in relationships often manipulate and abuse their partners.

Psychopathy and Sexual Violence

  • Psychopathy is related to the number of previous violent offences, but not necessarily previous sexual offences.
  • Mixed sexual offenders (committing offences against both adults and children) tend to show higher psychopathic traits than other sexual offenders.

Psychopathy and Treatment

  • Treatment programs are often less successful with psychopaths, meaning they often continue to re-offend at higher rates.
  • Treatment does not appear to effectively change core psychopathic traits.

Nature vs. Nurture in Psychopathy

  • There is evidence supporting genetic contribution to psychopathy.
  • Twin studies have shown that identical twins have more similar scores on psychopathy measures than fraternal twins.

Forensic Use of Psychopathy

  • In court cases, testimony about psychopathy can lead to more severe dispositions.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Quiz Team

Related Documents

Pre Study Guide - Psychology FINAL PDF

Description

This quiz explores the characteristics of psychopathy, a personality disorder marked by traits such as manipulation and lack of remorse. It also covers self-report measures like the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised and the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, assessing their use and implications in different samples.

More Like This

Use Quizgecko on...
Browser
Open
Browser
Browser