Case Study 1 Psych 305 PDF

Case Study Questions “Jeffrey Dahmer: The Monster Within” 1. You are a psychologist who wants to determine if childhood neglect is associated with an increase in the likelihood of exhibiting antisocial personality disorder in adulthood. What research method wou...

Case Study Questions “Jeffrey Dahmer: The Monster Within” 1. You are a psychologist who wants to determine if childhood neglect is associated with an increase in the likelihood of exhibiting antisocial personality disorder in adulthood. What research method would you use? Why? Correlational study- covariation of naturally occurring variables. Childhood neglect and antisocial behaviour Longitudinal study- assess overtime as it would a quasi-experimental design no manipulation. 2. As a psychologist, how would you measure psychopathy? How would you assess the reliability and validity of your measure? Self-report – not ideal, tendency to lie Hare Psychopathy checklist: Assess 20 symptoms of psychopathy- each scored from 0-2 (0=not apply, 2=does apply) Reflect behavioural and interpersonal features Max score = 40 cut off categorical description of a psychopath, 30 indicatives of presence of psychopathy Lower scores mean there may be dimensions of psychopathy Form of reliability: Internal consistency Inter-rater reliability Test-retest reliability Form of validity: Predictive validity – examining scores on psychopathy and related behaviours convergent validity – Correlational between similar constructs (inverse correlation of empathy and psychopathy) ** negative correlation  Discriminant validity- measures should not be correlated is not correlated with (no correlation between psychopathy & hours of sleep) ** 0 correlation 3. Which of Eysenck’s personality types best describes Dahmer? Explain. 1. Sanguine – high neuroticism + low extraversion 2. Choleric – high neuroticism + high extraversion There is no one single category. He associated to multiple categories as disorganized. Difficulty with eye gaze behavior. Body posture rigid. Facial expression. At 6 years old unable to socialize. Isolated. By age 15 rejected all activities with others. Result: Low extraversion. Group B. Melancholic 4. Speculate on Dahmer’s scores on Wiggins’ interpersonal circle. In context with dad- highly submissive In context of other-highly dominant o Hard to reconcile 5. As exemplified in “Jeffrey Dahmer: The Monster Within,” Dahmer exhibited significant variability in traits across situations. Reflecting on trait theories of personality and the first reading in our course (i.e., “The Power of Personality”), how would you explain the variability in traits that Dahmer exhibited across situations? Both person and situation are necessary for human behaviour. Both have comparable relations with important outcomes. Person-situation debate: dispositional qualities vs. Situational approaches. Personality is a critical determinant of our behaviour. Dispositional view and situational have low influence. Interactionist approach is vital, personality and situation are critical together. Strong situations is strongly dictated by behaviour. (Ex: at a plane crash behaviour expresses itself greatly) Weak situations allow personality to remark itself more. (Ex: at a wedding personality expresses itself at high levels) 6. Which, if any, personality disorders (e.g., antisocial, avoidant, schizotypal) do you think characterized Dahmer? Why? Antisocial PD cluster B o Aggressive  o Irresponsible o Rationalized harm caused to others Schizotypal features Avoidant features Borderline disorders- highly unstable o Fear of hate and abandonment ** high level of comorbidity 7. Was Dahmer a psychopath? Explain. Used the Hare Psychopathy checklist. Scored = 22-23 Higher than the average but not qualified for psychopathy. Dahmer killed his victims quickly for them not to suffer. 8. Apply the maladaptive personality trait model to Dahmer’s personality. How would you expect Dahmer to score on each of the dimensions associated with this model? Extreme levels of high extraversion (psychoticism), low agreeableness(antagonism) and anxious (negative affectivity). High in detachment, low agreeableness (manipulativeness), negative affectivity High in psychoticism (openness to experience) High in disinhibition (low in conscientiousness) High in detachment (low in extraversion) High in antagonism (low in agreeableness) High in negative affectivity (high in neuroticism)