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Alshukri S, Lyons M, Blinkhorn V, Muñoz L, Fallon N. Psychopathy, pain, and pain empathy: A psychophysiological study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306461. [PMID: 38968264 PMCID: PMC11226074 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study examined whether people higher in psychopathy experienced less self-reported and psychophysiological nociceptive pressure than people lower in psychopathy. We also examined whether psychopathy affects empathy for others' pain via self-reported and psychophysiological measures. Three hundred and sixty-nine students (18-78 years; M = 26, SD = 9.34) were screened for psychopathic traits using the Youth Psychopathy Inventory (YPI). Stratified sampling was used to recruit 49 adults residing in the highest (n = 23) and lowest (n = 26) 20% of the psychopathy spectrum. Using skin conductance response (SCR) and self-report responses, participants responded to individually adjusted intensities of pneumatic pressure and others' pain images and completed self-reported psychopathy and empathy measures (Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, TriPm; Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI). People higher in psychopathy self-reported feeling less nociceptive pressure compared to people lower in psychopathy, yet we did not find any differences in SCR to nociceptive pressure. However, when viewing other people in pain, the high psychopathy group displayed lower SCR and lower self-reported empathy compared to those lower in psychopathy. Our results suggest psychopathic traits relate to problems empathising with others' pain, as well as the perception of nociceptive pressure. We also show support for the theory of dual harm which has been receiving increasing attention. Consequently, psychopathy interventions should focus both on recognising and empathising with the pain of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Alshukri
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Minna Lyons
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Blinkhorn
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Luna Muñoz
- The Luminary Group Ltd., Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Fallon
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Allen CH, Gullapalli AR, Milillo M, Ulrich DM, Rodriguez SN, Maurer JM, Aharoni E, Anderson NE, Harenski CL, Vincent GM, Kiehl KA. Psychopathy Scores Predict Recidivism in High-risk Youth: A Five-year Follow-up Study. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:1089-1103. [PMID: 38407775 PMCID: PMC11217095 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01169-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Psychopathic traits have been associated with rearrest in adolescents involved in the criminal legal system. Much of the prior work has focused on White samples, short follow-up windows, and relatively low-risk youth. The current study aimed to evaluate the utility of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) for predicting general and violent felony recidivism in a large sample of high-risk, predominantly Hispanic/Latino, male adolescents (n = 254) with a five-year follow-up period. Results indicated higher PCL:YV scores and lower full-scale estimated IQ scores were significantly associated with a shorter time to felony and violent felony rearrest. These effects generalized to Hispanic/Latino adolescents (n = 193)-a group that faces disproportionate risk of being detained or committed to juvenile correctional facilities in the U.S. These results suggest that expert-rated measures of psychopathic traits and IQ are reliable predictors of subsequent felony and violent felony rearrest among high-risk male adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey H Allen
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106-4188, USA.
| | - Aparna R Gullapalli
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106-4188, USA
| | - Michaela Milillo
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106-4188, USA
| | - Devin M Ulrich
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106-4188, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois - Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Samantha N Rodriguez
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106-4188, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - J Michael Maurer
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106-4188, USA
| | - Eyal Aharoni
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5010, Atlanta, GA, 30302-5010, USA
| | | | - Carla L Harenski
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106-4188, USA
| | - Gina M Vincent
- Department of Psychiatry, Law & Psychiatry Program and Implementation Science & Practices Advances Research Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 222 Maple Ave, Shrewsbury, MA, 01545, USA
| | - Kent A Kiehl
- The Mind Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106-4188, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
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Garofalo C, Jones A, Nentjes L, Gillespie SM. Psychopathy and gaze cueing. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2024; 83:101936. [PMID: 38128274 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Psychopathic traits - and especially callous affective features - have been linked to altered processing of others' emotional expressions, and to reduced attention to the eyes. Despite the importance of gaze cueing (i.e., the tendency to orient attention toward where someone else is looking) for social functioning, few studies have investigated relationships between psychopathic traits and gaze cueing, and whether facial emotional expression influence these relationships, obtaining mixed results. To address this gap, the present study aimed to evaluate associations between psychopathic traits and gaze cueing for emotional and neutral expressions. METHODS 65 non-clinical male participants (Mage = 27.3 years) completed two self-report measures of psychopathy and performed laboratory tasks to assess gaze-cueing for emotional vs. neutral faces and an arrow-cueing task as a comparison. RESULTS Linear mixed models showed no significant associations of emotional (versus neutral) expressions, or psychopathy trait dimensions, with either gaze cueing or arrow cueing. LIMITATIONS Reliance on a convenience sample of non-clinical men, assessed with self-reports measures of psychopathy, and using static emotional stimuli limit the generalizability of our findings. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that psychopathic traits are not associated with individual differences in following others' gaze to direct attention, and that there was no advantage for affective relative to neutral expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Garofalo
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Italy.
| | - Andrew Jones
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moore's University, United Kingdom
| | - Lieke Nentjes
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Steven M Gillespie
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Burghart M, Sahm AHJ, Schmidt S, Bulla J, Mier D. Understanding empathy deficits and emotion dysregulation in psychopathy: The mediating role of alexithymia. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301085. [PMID: 38718018 PMCID: PMC11078418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Psychopathy is a severe personality disorder marked by a wide range of emotional deficits, including a lack of empathy, emotion dysregulation, and alexithymia. Previous research has largely examined these emotional impairments in isolation, ignoring their influence on each other. Thus, we examined the concurrent interrelationship between emotional impairments in psychopathy, with a particular focus on the mediating role of alexithymia. Using path analyses with cross-sectional data from a community sample (N = 315) and a forensic sample (N = 50), our results yielded a statistically significant mediating effect of alexithymia on the relationship between psychopathy and empathy (community and forensic) and between psychopathy and emotion dysregulation (community). Moreover, replacing psychopathy with its three dimensions (i.e., meanness, disinhibition, and boldness) in the community sample revealed that boldness may function as an adaptive trait, with lower levels of alexithymia counteracting deficits in empathy and emotion dysregulation. Overall, our findings indicate that psychopathic individuals' limited understanding of their own emotions contributes to their lack of empathy and emotion dysregulation. This underscores the potential benefits of improving emotional awareness in the treatment of individuals with psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Burghart
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Alexander H. J. Sahm
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sergej Schmidt
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jan Bulla
- Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Reichenau Psychiatric Center, Reichenau, Germany
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniela Mier
- Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Nicholas Shumate J, Song SH, Saleh FM. Paraphilic disorders, psychopathy, and those who sexually offend: a narrative review of treatment modalities. Int J Impot Res 2023:10.1038/s41443-023-00816-z. [PMID: 38160223 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-023-00816-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Despite its critical importance, the treatment of paraphilic disorders remains an often-overlooked domain both in clinical research and practice. Challenges have arisen in the morphing understanding of paraphilias and paraphilic disorders, now considered separate concepts, and efforts at developing a more nuanced understanding of these conditions is ongoing, resulting in a muddled history that can frustrate efforts at study and treatment. These populations are by nature more heterogeneous than may first be obvious-particularly among those with comorbid psychopathic traits-and may require a more nuanced and individualized approach based on risk, needs, and responsivity to treatment. Until recently, there were few guidelines to assist clinicians when confronted with these complicated clinical pictures and a sea of discrete studies investigating various biological and non-biological interventions. Treatments range from several variations of psychotherapy and behavioral therapies to SSRIs, anti-androgenic medications, to orchiectomy, all displaying varying degrees of effectiveness and evidence across decades of research. Fortunately, recent efforts to collate these studies supported by a task force of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) have helped form a better-focused and better-evidenced picture of effective treatments and the unique challenges faced by (and with) these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Nicholas Shumate
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seo Ho Song
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Fabian M Saleh
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Mendez B, Batky BD, Salekin RT. What is the Best Source of Information for Psychopathic Traits in Youth? A Review and Meta-analysis of Self- and Other-Reported Psychopathic Traits and Their Association with Negative Outcomes. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2023; 26:805-823. [PMID: 37247025 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00438-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Child psychopathic traits appear to be associated with negative outcomes. Despite the study of youth psychopathy often relying on multiple reporters (e.g., child, caregivers, teachers), there is limited insight into how much information these various sources contribute and moreover, how this information is integrated. The present study sought to address this gap in the literature by examining the magnitude of relationships between self- and other-reported youth psychopathy and negative outcomes (e.g., delinquency, aggression) using a meta-analytic approach. Results revealed a moderate association between psychopathic traits and negative outcomes. Moderator analyses showed a greater relationship for other- than self-reported psychopathy, although not to a substantive extent. Results further indicated the magnitude of the overall psychopathy-negative outcomes association was stronger for externalizing than internalizing outcomes. Study findings can inform improvements in the assessment of youth psychopathy across research and practice, in addition to advancing our understanding of the utility of psychopathic traits in the prediction of clinically relevant outcomes. This review also provides guidance for future multisource raters and source-specific information in the study of psychopathy in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Mendez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, 408 Gordon Palmer Hall, 505 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA.
| | - Blair D Batky
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, 408 Gordon Palmer Hall, 505 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
| | - Randall T Salekin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, 408 Gordon Palmer Hall, 505 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
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Sörman K, Fakih A, Caman S, Kelley SE, Poghosyan K, Gustavsson P, Edens JF, Howner K. Psychopathic Traits in a Swedish Court-Ordered Forensic Sample: Preferential Associations of Boldness, Meanness, and Disinhibition. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OFFENDER THERAPY AND COMPARATIVE CRIMINOLOGY 2023:306624X231188233. [PMID: 37599377 DOI: 10.1177/0306624x231188233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The construct validity of the triarchic psychopathy model has yet to be evaluated in the Swedish forensic psychiatric context. We examined associations between the three phenotypic constructs of the triarchic model of psychopathy (i.e., boldness, meanness, disinhibition), self-assessed empathy and anxiety, and clinical variables in 91 individuals undergoing pretrial forensic psychiatric evaluation in Sweden. Participants completed the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) and self-report measures of empathy and anxiety. Clinical variables, including psychiatric diagnoses and criminal behavior, were collected from the forensic psychiatric evaluations (FPE). All three subscales of the TriPM displayed significant and predominantly anticipated correlations with empathy and trait anxiety measures. TriPM Disinhibition was the only subscale with significant associations with the clinical variables collected from the FPEs. The results provide evidence for the reliability and construct validity of the Swedish translation of the TriPM in a pretrial forensic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ayman Fakih
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- National Board of Forensic Medicine, Huddinge, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Katarina Howner
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- National Board of Forensic Medicine, Huddinge, Sweden
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Buades-Rotger M, Smeijers D, Gallardo-Pujol D, Krämer UM, Brazil IA. Aggressive and psychopathic traits are linked to the acquisition of stable but imprecise hostile expectations. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:197. [PMID: 37296151 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02497-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with hostile expectations (HEX) anticipate harm from seemingly neutral or ambiguous stimuli. However, it is unclear how HEX are acquired, and whether specific components of HEX learning can predict antisocial thought, conduct, and personality. In an online sample of healthy young individuals (n = 256, 69% women), we administered a virtual shooting task and applied computational modelling of behaviour to investigate HEX learning and its constellation of correlates. HEX acquisition was best explained by a hierarchical reinforcement learning mechanism. Crucially, we found that individuals with relatively higher self-reported aggressiveness and psychopathy developed stronger and less accurate hostile beliefs as well as larger prediction errors. Moreover, aggressive and psychopathic traits were associated with more temporally stable hostility representations. Our study thus shows that aggressiveness and psychopathy are linked with the acquisition of robust yet imprecise hostile beliefs through reinforcement learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macià Buades-Rotger
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Danique Smeijers
- Division Diagnostics, Research, and Education, Forensic Psychiatric Center Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - David Gallardo-Pujol
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ulrike M Krämer
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Inti A Brazil
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Division Diagnostics, Research, and Education, Forensic Psychiatric Center Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Laricchiuta D, Garofalo C, Mazzeschi C. Trauma-related disorders and the bodily self: current perspectives and future directions. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1166127. [PMID: 37275691 PMCID: PMC10235635 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1166127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trauma-related disorders are debilitating psychiatric conditions that influence people who have directly or indirectly witnessed adversities. Dramatic brain/body transformations and altered person's relationship with self, others, and the world occur when experiencing multiple types of traumas. In turn, these unfortunate modifications may contribute to predisposition to trauma-related vulnerability conditions, such as externalizing (aggression, delinquency, and conduct disorders) problems. This mini-review analyzes the relations between traumatic experiences (encoded as implicit and embodied procedural memories) and bodily self, sense of safety for the own body, and relationship with others, also in the presence of externalizing conducts. Furthermore, an emerging research area is also considered, highlighting principles and techniques of body-oriented and sensorimotor therapies designed to remodel bodily self-aspects in the presence of trauma, discussing their potential application with individuals showing externalizing problems.
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