What is a Psychopathic Personality? According to the Society for the Study of Psychopathy, these traits of a psychopath are: Lack of guilt and empathy Lack of close, emotional bonds with others Narcissism narcissistic psychopath Superficial charm Dishonesty Manipulativeness Reckless risk-taking The diagnosis of a psychopath cannot be done until adulthood but psychopathic traits are commonly seen in psychopaths before they become adults.
The Psychopathic Personality Inventory The Psychopathic Personality Inventory is a checklist, the revised version of which contains items, that is used in research settings to self-report psychopathy. The items revolve around the following eight factors: Social influence Fearlessness Stress immunity Grandiose egocentricity Rebellious nonconformity Externalization of blame Carefree with lack of plans Coldheartedness It is these characteristics that make people wonder if the psychopath can cry, love, or experience any feelings at all.
How the Personality of a Psychopath Develops It's unclear exactly how the personality of a psychopath develops but it is known that some circumstance in childhood can increase the likelihood of psychopathology but also some brain and genetic abnormalities also play a part.
It is possible that the following are environmental factors that may put a child at risk for developing a psychopathic personality: Negative parenting focusing on punishment and on a lack of rewards or inconsistent parenting Other types of poor parenting A lack of parental involvement Having an antisocial sociopathic or psychopathic parent Parental substance use Separation from a parent Child physical abuse or neglect Of course, few children who experience these factors will develop into psychopaths as other neurocognitive factors must also be present.
Related Articles. Psychopathic Symptoms: Spotting the Symptoms of a Psychopath. Psychopathy: Definition, Symptoms, Signs and Causes. Grandiosity Hangover and Narcissistic Baiting. Personality Disorder Treatment. Differences in Brain Biology. Genetic and environmental influences do not cause psychopathy directly.
Instead, they influence the way certain brain structures and circuits develop in a way that increases the risk a person will develop psychopathy. For example, one brain region that seems to be particularly important is the amygdala. This structure is involved in social responsiveness, empathy, and outcomes related to fear. Children with psychopathy may have amygdalas that develop differently from other children. In children who are psychopathic, this region may be smaller or less active than in other children.
This may be why they are relatively fearless and less socially responsive. The amygdala also sends and receives information from other brain regions that may also be affected in psychopathy. These include parts of the cortex, or surface, of the brain, as well as other brain systems that regulate emotion and decision-making. Research continues to explore these differences with the aim of developing treatments that can improve behavior and quality of life.
Some children are born at higher risk for psychopathy—but what parents do still matters. Some children are born at higher risk for psychopathy due to genetic variables that affect brain development. But parents still play an important role. Learning to use specific therapeutic techniques with high-risk children can reduce their chances of developing psychopathy.
Similarly, research on psychopathy has made clear it is also not caused by specific parenting practices. Most families in which a child has psychopathy also have other children without psychopathy. Although scientific research shows that warm and responsive parenting can reduce the risk of psychopathy, many children and adults with psychopathy have parents who are warm and responsive. Warm parenting behaviors include smiling, speaking in a warm tone of voice, and using positive touch for example, a gentle touch on the arm, a hug, or a high-five.
Responsive parenting behaviors include, for example, expressing concern through your face and voice, asking questions, or offering a hug if your child is upset. In other words, neglect at a young age appeared to have more of a connection with an adult psychopathic personality than being physically assaulted as a child.
Neo said that children who take on these experiences sometimes deal with them by becoming manipulative and learning how to play parents off against each other. However, that's not the full story. Other children are predisposed to acting a certain way, regardless of their parental situation or how they were brought up.
One case study, reported in The Atlantic , involved a child called Samantha a fake name , who began exhibiting some worrying behaviours at about age six. She made a "book about how to hurt people" which included drawings of murder weapons like knives, poison chemicals, and a plastic bag to be used for suffocation. Samantha was adopted by her parents at age two, who already had five biological children of their own. When one of their youngest children was still a baby, Samantha tried to strangle him, just to see what would happen.
Over time as they grow up, these people find themselves in certain environments which reward their psychopathic traits and behaviours, according to Neo. Where nature or nurture is more of a factor in becoming a psychopath is not fully understood, and much of the research in the area points out the need for further study. What is known is how psychopaths manipulate the people around them.
Neo says they are often familiar with the fact they have had a troubled past, and they use this information to get people to do what they want.
For example, it can be incredibly hard to cut psychopathic people out of our lives , because we know they have had a tough time,so we feel sorry for them. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.
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