Crim Final Test Notes PDF

WEEK 6 PSYCHOPATHY CRIMINOLOGY 103 Focus on psychological explanations of criminal and deviant behavior. LECTURE OVERVIEW Topics: Symptoms of psychopathy, assessment methods, psychopathy and crime, juvenile psychopathy, theoretical models, and treatment strategies. Presented...

WEEK 6 PSYCHOPATHY CRIMINOLOGY 103 Focus on psychological explanations of criminal and deviant behavior. LECTURE OVERVIEW Topics: Symptoms of psychopathy, assessment methods, psychopathy and crime, juvenile psychopathy, theoretical models, and treatment strategies. Presented by Suzanna Michener, 2024. CONTENT WARNING Discussion to include sensitive topics such as sexual violence, sadism, child abuse, animal cruelty, and violent homicide. WHAT IS A PSYCHOPATH? Defined by Robert Hare (1996) as social predators who charm and manipulate, lacking conscience and empathy. Characterized by disregard for social norms and expectations, without guilt or regret for their actions. TERMINOLOGY Primary Psychopath: True psychopath with psychological, emotional, cognitive, and biological differences. Secondary Psychopath: Not a true psychopath; behavior stemming from parental abuse or rejection. Typically displays emotional instability. Dyssocial Psychopath: Not a true psychopath; antisocial behavior learned through social environments. Sociopath: No accepted clinical diagnosis; sometimes viewed as a less severe form of psychopathy, previously replaced by Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) in DSM. ASPD vs. Psychopathy ASPD: Includes behavior and criminal indicators, present in 50-80% of prison population; 3.5% in the general population. Psychopathy: Behavioral, emotional, and cognitive indicators; present in 11-25% of prisoners and 1% in the general population. Most psychopathic prisoners also meet ASPD criteria. PSYCHOPATHY SYMPTOMS  Hare & Cleckley’s Symptoms: Glibness, grandiosity, pathological lying, manipulativeness, lack of remorse, shallow affect, callousness, irresponsibility, lack of long-term goals, impulsivity, need for stimulation. FACTORS OF PSYCHOPATHY Factor 1 (Interpersonal & Affective): Includes a sense of charm, grandiosity, lack of guilt/empathy. Factor 2 (Lifestyle & Antisocial): Includes impulsivity, irresponsibility, and poor behavioral control. Items not saturating any factor: promiscuous sexual behavior, short-term marriages. INTERPERSONAL SYMPTOMS Exhibit superficial charm; skilled verbal interactions but lack substantive communication. Often attribute their problems to external factors, showing disregard for the truth. AFFECTIVE SYMPTOMS Difficulty in feeling genuine affection; flat emotional affect; total lack of remorse. BEHAVIOURAL SYMPTOMS Characterized by impulsivity and poor temper control; excessive instrumental aggression. TRIARCHIC MODEL OF PSYCHOPATHY Boldness: Calm in stressful events, social adeptness. Meanness: Lack of empathy and pleasure through cruelty. Disinhibition: Impulsivity and inability to manage emotions, leading to hostility. PSYCHOPATHY CHECKLIST – REVISED (PCL-R) Developed by Hare; scores on a scale of 0-2, with 30+ indicating a psychopath. PCL-R CRITICISM Concerns about robustness and adequacy for non-criminal psychopaths; potential gender bias observed. CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATHS  Not every psychopath is criminal; general prevalence is 1%, with serious offenders being 11-25%. Criminal psychopaths commit 1.5-2x more crimes than non-psychopath offenders. VIOLENCE IN CRIMINAL PSYCHOPATHS Engage in sexual violence that is brutal; motivated by thrill rather than sexual arousal; commit murders with sadistic tendencies. Differentiate from non-psychopathic criminals, whose violence often stems from emotional contexts. RECIDIVISM Psychopaths do not change behavior in custody or post-release; faster offenders with a tendency to reoffend and violate parole conditions. FEMALE PSYCHOPATHS Exhibit lower prevalence rates compared to males; display different behavioral patterns. More likely to have experienced environmental deprivation; greater victimization. CASE STUDY: KAYLA BOURQUE Historical background indicating lack of attachment; exhibits dangerous behaviors including intended harm to others. CHILDHOOD OF THE PSYCHOPATH Psychopathy may begin in childhood; common features include family issues, hyperactivity, and conduct problems. CHILD PSYCHOPATH: BETH THOMAS Documented case showcasing psychopathic traits in a child. JUVENILE PSYCHOPATHY Discussion on whether juvenile psychopathy exists; consideration of whether traits indicate normal adolescence or early indicators of psychopathy. The PCL-YV supports the concept of juvenile psychopathy but raises ethical concerns about labeling. PSYCHOPATHY ACROSS THE LIFESPAN  Traits stable from ages 7 to 40; behavior may seem unchanged due to learned avoidance of detection by the criminal justice system. CAUSES OF PSYCHOPATHY Complex interplay of biopsychological, social, and learning factors. HEMISPHERIC DIFFERENCES Imbalance in psychological processing and emotional experience; leads to deficiencies in processing emotions and social cues. LYKKEN’S FEARLESSNESS MODEL Suggests that psychopaths may lack capacity to learn from aversive experiences due to under-responsiveness of the autonomic nervous system. HARE’S HYPOEMOTIONALITY MODEL Emotional deficits leading to lack of feelings toward others, significantly affecting criminal behavior likelihood. NEWMAN’S RESPONSE MODULATION MODEL Examines how psychopaths process and respond to stimuli, explaining impulsive tendencies. HOSTILE ATTRIBUTION BIAS Tendency to interpret neutral actions as hostile, creating a cycle of aggression. BAUMEISTER’S THREATENED EGOTISM MODEL Aggression as a response to insults to pride; prevalent in narcissistic psychopaths. TREATMENT FOR ADULT PSYCHOPATHS Difficulties due to persistent and resistant characteristics; traditional psychological interventions often ineffective. TREATMENT FOR JUVENILE PSYCHOPATHS Theoretical framework suggesting juveniles may respond better to interventions; focus on reward-driven methods.