Sharon Stenberg Psicopathy

1. Sharon Sternberg
Psychopathy

2. What is Psychopathy?
A personality disorder in which an individual manifests
immoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or
establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme
egocentricity (self-centeredness), failure to learn from
experience, etc.

3. A Brief History
It has been anecdotally recognized for centuries.
Evidence for psychopathy has been found in literary,
historical, political, and religious texts.
It has also been found cross-culturally.
Philippe Pinel is thought to have created the first
written record for psychopathy in the mid 1800’s.
In 1941 Hervey Cleckley became the first to
catalogue psychopathy's specific traits.

4. Hare’s Psychopathy
Psychopaths are:
-Personality Wise (Primary Psychopathy): callous,
manipulative, glib, lack anxiety and remorse…
-Behavior Wise (Secondary Psychopathy): impulsive, antisocial,
poor behavioral controls.

5. Psychopathy differs from other
personality disorders in 3 distinct ways:
1) Arrogant interpersonal style
2) Deficient affective experience
3) Impulsive behavioral style

6. Snakes in Suits
Not neurotic or psychotic; they are calm, cool, and
collected.
Excessive users of Instrumental Aggression.
Cyclical behavior patterns.
Under-aroused nervous systems.

7. Psychopathic Characteristics
Psychopaths lie A LOT.
However, although they lie easily, they openly contradict
themselves from one sentence to the next.
They blame others for their own downfalls.
They look out for “numero uno”.

8. Impulsivity
“One of our subjects, who scored high on the Psychopathy
Checklist, said that while walking to a party he decided to buy a
case of beer, but realized that he had left his wallet at home six
or seven blocks away. Not wanting to walk back, he picked up
a heavy piece of wood and robbed the nearest gas station,
seriously injuring the attendant” (Hare, 1995, pg. 58-59)

9. Criminal activities
The typical criminal psychopaths begin criminal behavior at a
young age and continue until around 40 years of age, where
the number of crimes decreases.

10. Psychopathy, Recidivism, and Drug
Abuse
Within a year of release, psychopaths are 3 times more likely
than non-psychopathic inmates to recidivate and 3 to 5 times
more likely to recidivate violently.
Smith and Newman found those with psychopathy were
significantly more likely than non-psychopathic offenders to
meet diagnoses of alcoholism, drug disorders, and
polysubstance abuse.

11. Psychopathy and Therapy
• Psychopaths have self-inflated images and are generally happy
with themselves.
• This results in low motivation to do well in therapy and early
drop out rates.
• They can also pick up on a variety of reasons to justify their
behavior.
“These programs are like a finishing school. They teach you
how to put the squeeze on people”

12. Snakes in Skirts?
Female Psychopathy
- More rare than male psychopathy.
- Make up an estimated 15% of incarcerated female
population.
- Less violent than male psychopaths.
- Lower rate of recidivism than male psychopaths.

13. “Successful” Psychopaths
Never indulge in serious criminal behavior (or never are
caught).
Excel in business.
CEO’s, politicians, etc.

14. Prevalence
1 in every 100 people in the U.S.
2 in every 100 people in Britain
Mostly males
Make up an estimated 20% of the incarcerated male
population

15. Theories of Psychopathy
Psychopathy has been attributed to:
Genes, Society (such as an abusive home-life), Environmental
Insult (as in birth complications, brain damage, or physical
anomalies), Molecular Neuroscience (like abnormal
serotonin levels in the brain), Amygdale Dysfunction,
Frontal Lobe Dysfunction, Cognitive Dysfunction, and other
causes…

16. Restrictions to Psychopathy
Child psychopaths

17. Measures of Psychopathy
The Golden Standard: The Psychopathy Check List (PCL-R)
by Hare
- Two factor structure of psychopathy: Personality and
Behavior.
- 20 item clinical interview, accompanied with review of
criminal and health records.
- Score of 30 or higher indicates psychopathy

18. A divide in the community
Psychopathy ASPD
1) Arrogant interpersonal
style
2) Deficient affective
experience
3) Impulsive behavioral
style
A pervasive pattern of disregard for and
violation of the rights of others
occurring since age 15 years, as
indicated by three (or more) of the
following:
- Failure to conform to social norms;
- Deceitfulness;
- Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;
- Irritability and aggressiveness;
- Reckless disregard for safety of self or
others;
- Consistent irresponsibility; and
- Lack of remorse

19. But….
80% of the United States prison population meets the
diagnostic criteria for ASPD, while only 15 to 25% meet the
criteria for psychopathy as designated by the Psychopathy
Checklist Revised (PCL-R)

20. Conclusions
Although psychopathy has been around for many years, little
is empirically known around it.
Even though it deals with a tiny portion of the population,
knowing more about psychopathy is crucial for their safety
and ours.