Understanding Empathy, Aggression, and Abnormal Behavior

Lecture 1: Introduction

• The Juvenile Antisocial Behavior study involved scanning the brains and collecting genetic data from boys aged 15-19 in correctional facilities who had committed murder or armed robbery
• Boys in this study were convinced to participate through rewards, understanding their behavior, and trying to diminish their accountability
• There was no truth in the idea that studying them would lead to understanding in order to absolve them of responsibility for the things they have done
• Some of the boys studied had already left the facility and were in a reintegration program
• People who chronically exhibit antisocial behavior are more dangerous
• There is a direct relationship between age and crime
• With young people, their brains are still developing.
• Nature and nurture both contribute to dangerous behavior
• Biological susceptibility to abnormal behavior occurs along with environmental factors
• Innate predisposing traits exist in the brains of some for violence
• There is no full prevention or treatment possible
• Looking at brain scans in conjunction with an interdisciplinary scientific approach can indicate a person's likelihood of future violence within 3-4 years to a great degree
• Offenders often show poor functioning in the front region of the brain, in addition to reduced volume of the amygdala, making them four times more likely to commit crimes
• Brain damage acquired at birth may shape violent behavior
• Recognizing an individual's likelihood to commit violence helps to assess dangerousness in court and policymaking, which influences intervention and prevention programs
• Examination of the prefrontal cortex and amygdala may assist in recognizing violent tendencies

Normal vs. Abnormal Behavior

• Normal or typical behavior becomes antisocial or abnormal when measured with other similar cases and examples
• The study covers three cases of boys involved in antisocial behavior, one of which includes a 17 year old named Michael who frequently cuts off the tails of family cats and is proud of it
• Joost, 15, pushed a toddler into a pool, watched him drown, and enjoyed it. He was not afraid of punishment and liked the attention
• Dino, 22, used excessive violence during an assault after the victim provoked him with a curse. He feels no remorse and lacks regard for possible incarceration
• Categorizing human behavior can, although, oversimplify complex situations
• Abnormal behavior is not categorical, but dimensional/ exists on a spectrum
• Extreme cases are at the very ends of the spectrum, with normal behavior in the middle
• Normalcy can be defined by cultural, social, and ethical criteria, but is not definitive
• What is normal in Europe might be abnormal in Asia, which informs ethical perspectives
• The statistical model locates the majority of people in the middle of a bell curve and extreme cases on either side when studying concepts
• Medical models in psychiatry include diagnostic manuals for diagnosis, intervention, etc., but don't speak to causes, treatment, prognostics, or co-morbidity
• A key phenomenon for grasping antisociality is Comorbidity, or having multiple psychological/ psychotic disorders at the same time
• Disorders are almost never isolated.
• The DSM-5 describes every disorder being discrete to its own, which is frequently inaccurate

Conduct Disorder and Psychopathy

• Two phenomena exist for grasping antisociality
• Conduct disorder and psychopathy are the strongest predictors of chronic antisocial behaviors
• Conduct disorder is a disorder of childhood and adolescence (under 18/19)
• Its adult form is "antisocial personality disorder"
• A repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior violates the rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules
• Symptoms must be present for a minimum of six months out of the past twelve months
• Common symptoms include:
• Aggression to people and animals
• Destruction of property
• Deceitfulness or theft
• Serious violations of rules
• Individuals who are diagnosed at an adolescent age and eventually grow out of their disorder is due to maturation of the brain
• A conduct disorder subgroup demonstrates psychopathic traits in individuals with limited prosocial emotions such as:
• Lack of remorse of guilt
• Callousness and lack of empathy
• Unconcern about performance
• Shallow or deficient affect
• Societal relevance is:
• • 7% prevalence and high referral rates, as it is the disorder most often treated in conjunction with depression and anxiety
• It functions as a precursor to adult psychopathy by creating an externalizing disorder because of the outward nature toward social interaction
• A minority subset of youth continues into adulthood
• 30-40% continue in some state/severity
• It is notoriously difficult to treat due too the scarce research concerning effective forms of treatment
• Core symptoms include
• Aggression/intimidation
• Destruction/vandalism
• Lying/ stealing
• Breaking rules, male vs female

Psychopathy

• It is a psychological disorder in the personality, or a combination of abnormal traits
• Characterized by a negative bias, can also be referred to as antisocial traits
• Personality integration makes complete change challenging
• Management focuses on monitoring, supervising, and preventing damage
• An example of a personality disorder is borderline personality disorder marked by a roller coaster of emotions, creating a stressful integration
• While psychotherapy can help, it is not a cure
• There are two subdivisions of personality factors
• Factor 1: interpersonal/ affective domain -- Interpersonal ----Notorious components -- Affective centered / Psychopathic heart component
• Factor 2: Chronic Antisocial Lifestyle (behavioral components)
  • Lifestyle Facet
• • Antisocial facet is characterized by the perception that people in movies are extremely smart
• Full diagnosis necessitates showcase of all facets Having psychopathic traits includes all listed facets

Societal Relevance Pertaining to Psychopathy

• 1% Prevalence in the general population
• 30% Incarcerated population
• Annual cost is 460 million dollars (US only) Costs include:
  • Prison
  • Lawyer
  • Overlooked emotional/ social support
• It is greater than 10x that which accounts for depression
• There is no effective treatment
• Key signs of Psychopathy include:
• Lack of empathy, guilt or remorse
• Insensitivity to punishment or fear
• Reward-orientation is self-centered
• Male > female relationship
• Cinema depiction/ Examples via Hollywood:
• Silence of the Lambs
• American Psycho

Movie Examples:

• Highlight charm, smarts, lacks mistakes, narcissistic
• Psychopathy is often synonymous with extreme violence and even serial killings
• Many successful psychopaths exist as politicians and CEOs
• Some people fire 20,000 Employees with out empathy given financial crises is evident of these traits
• Why are personality traits persistent/ existent from a Darwin/ evolutionary perspective?
• This can lead to a series of evolutionary benefits
  • Helpful for the pursuit of engagement in combat without emotional distress
  • Low-stress levels can benefit positions requiring surgery / crisis environments.
• With psychopathic traits there is opportunity to not be perceived in a negative manner
• It is a result might also be interpreted as a product evolutionary benefits
• They are often coupled with neurological and developmental disorders
• Something occurs that prohibits normal and typical brain development from early age to adolescence.

This is is derived from:

• Genetic predisposition
• Environmental stress factors

Lecture Two: Neuro-bio-psychosocial Jigsaw

• the brain of people with anti-social behavior are different

• such traits are typically labeled manipulative, lacking sensitivity towards punishment, unemotional

• the plans for aggression are derived from the individual to get what they desire in most environments

• brain scans show a consistent theme with those anti-social and criminal tendacies

• prefrontal cortex and amygdala differences are noted.

• Different results towards punishment response teaching

• There is an anti-social brain!

• In comparison the ethical drawback of the matter

• It assumes that it is difficult to treat, change or alter people's behavior with anti-social personalities There is also a group that acts or behaves normally

• Behaviors are noted to change after treatment, even if anti-social tendencies linger

• those with Anxiety and depression also contribute to trends

• those traits are developed both from birth, typically hereditary, while also environmental An existing injury contributes even to anti-social tendencies

• The study of youth at risk is most important given they are by far the strongest indicators of tendencies as an adult

• A study regarding conduct disorder and psychopathy is most relevant

• Conduct disorder is based and hyper focused on childhood as adolescent

Better Prognostic Prospective- Treatable

• Personality disorder in comparison is difficult to treat during childhood

• Both disorders are neurodevelopmental in origin due to a variety of factors

• Disorder occurs in the neurological system

• Happens at a variety of timed instances

• --- During Uterus stages

• --- During Childhood from factors such as parental interactions

• This is all from a result and interaction between both genetic as environmental factors

• There are several interactions, with each one derived from the specific stage of development

• Genetic risks

Environmental Factors

• Maternal Drug Usage

• High Stress

• Birth

• Complications

• Harsh -Inconsistent

• Parenting

• Parental Psychopathology

• Maltreatment or Neglect

• Low status or Economic conditions

• Community Violence

• To better conceptualize these factors.

• three forms of Gene and environment interactions exist, conceptualized by Fairchild 2019

• Passive gene-environment correlation

• The inherited genetic varies in kids that also derive in the environment that parents create The liability destined to genetic pass and expression is very high

• Negligent behaviors that are facilitates without directly invoking a child

• The passive interaction is caused because inherited tendencies lead to behaviors Where an individual with active role will inherit a certain genetics related risks

• The children's genes predispose the child by creating and evoking negative feedback in the environment

• behaving loudly

• Behaving loud

• Behaving insensitive towards authority

• Evocative Gene Environment Correlation

• Genes affect Behavior

• How Genes affect to behavior, it's a code created in the human structure

The code for Specific proteins

• The proteins derive different neutrons
• The Neutrons form a brain
• The neurons create a collection that form a single one
• Not on their own and are not relevant Together they form Neuronal Population
• Neurons help form Neurons to work together
• --- These shape our behaviors
• Neural system to affect thoughts
• --- the combination can be damaged, either from Genetic origin or Environmental circumstances
• Genes influence the way behaviors are affected --- These influence cascading Genetics via either genetics or affect
• Single neurons are formed to a level the neutrons can form clinical issues --- Psychopathy issues -- The study is often examined through neurological responses
• Neuro-cognitive models of issues and anti-social tendencies
• ----- Amyglada-Centered Model---

General salience to detect stimuli quickly

• -- Amyglada Hypo sensitive

• -- Amyglada does not fully engage

• Sub optimize the Amygdala front striatal coupling

• These traits have deficient effective processing

• -------Poor Associative Learning -----------

• The ability and punishment have affect what they behavior is understOOd

• Those that is hyper sensitive tends to reward sensitivity

• The learning process is derived from negative reinforcements

Paranormal System

• used as a way to understand all behaviors
• MRI allows you to look and get data, from several security prisons at those are in the severe side of the tendencies
• extends a model
• more distributed neuro anomalies

Explore empathy facets, impact of brain damage, and testosterone's role in aggression. Challenges to behavior categorization are discussed using examples. Limitations of statistical and medical models in defining abnormality are highlighted.