Perhaps there is a clear demarcation between those who are psychopathic and those who are not. Research has revealed differences in the brain anatomy and physiology of psychopaths, as well as finding traits predictive of psychopathy in children at a very young age. Are these studies evidence of a biological basis for psychopathy?
Psychopaths’ Absence of Deep Emotion
From the biological perspective, psychopaths can almost be thought of as emotionally disabled in that they appear to experience a very limited range of emotion. They know the difference between what society considers “right” and “wrong,” but do not experience, and cannot empathize with, the feelings of suffering, remorse, elation and love that are normally part of the human experience.
Without that “little internal voice” we call conscience, psychopaths feel free to do whatever their needs and wants dictate, and their transgressions do not result in feelings of guilt (Hare 1999).
Is this absence of emotion a tangible biological deficit that exists in the brain of a psychopathic individual?
Anatomy of a Psychopath
Not only do psychopaths appear to lack emotions of conscience and empathy, but research has shown that individuals with APD lack the physiological responses normally associated with fear.
Psychopaths do not experience the physical clues that signal how to behave in dangerous or threatening situations. Without fear of punishment, there is little to deter the psychopath from committing criminal acts, if those acts represent the fastest route to gratification (Hare 1999).
Additional studies have shown a connection between the brain and violence. Raine (2000) found that individuals with APD have 11% less prefrontal gray matter than do healthy comparison subjects, and Naryan (2007) discovered that the brains of violent criminals diagnosed with APD show both anatomical and physiological anomalies.
Early Signs of Psychopathy
As early as the age of three, temperamental and physiological difference exist between those who show psychopathic tendencies as adults and those who don’t (Glenn 2007).
A recent study of twins revealed that anti-social behavior is strongly inherited in children with psychopathic tendencies such as callousness and reduced emotional capacity (Viding 2005).
The Problem of Defining Antisocial Behavior
These studies certainly seem to point to biological roots to psychopathy. However, the various studies of antisocial personality aren’t always measuring the same type of subject.
Sometimes researchers are studying individuals who are considered psychopathic, sometimes subjects who have been diagnosed with APD. Since noncriminal psychopaths and narcissists don’t typically come knocking on the door of researchers, most of the antisocial individuals who have been studied are criminals with a diagnosis of APD. The mental pathology of psychopaths, violent criminals diagnosed with APD and nonviolent criminals diagnosed with APD is not necessarily equivalent.
So before we are able to draw broad conclusions regarding antisocial individuals, we must be sure that the studies we are comparing are actually based on the same disorder.
This discussion of personality disorders as category or continuum is further explored in two more Suite101 articles, Narcissism and Psychopathy and the Spectrum of Personality.
More Information on Psychopathy & Narcissism
Additional resources on psychopathy, narcissism and personality disorders in general include: Psychology Prof Online, PsychCentral and the Suite101 articles Psychopathy, Sociopathy or APD and Malignant Narcissism.
This article is a summary of some existing research on psychopathy and APD. The contents of this article are not meant to be a substitute for professional help and counseling.
Sources
Glenn, A. L. et al (2007) Early Temperamental and Psychophysiological Precursors of Adult Psychopathic Personality. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 116.
Hare, Robert (1999) Without Concience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us. Guilford Press.
Narayan, V.M., Narr, K.L., Kamuri, V., Woods, R.P. et al. (2007) Regional Cortical Thinning in Subjects With Violent Antisocial Personality Disorder or Schizophrenia. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 9.
Raine A. et al (2000) Reduced prefrontal gray matter volume and reduced autonomic activity in antisocial personality disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 57.
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