The biological basis of psychopathy and the effects of psychological interventions

Abstract

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterised by traits and behaviours typically clustered into an affective and interpersonal domain (Factor 1) as well as an impulsive and antisocial domain (Factor 2). As such, psychopaths are emotionally shallow, showing deficiencies in guilt, remorse and empathy and are also, deceitful, manipulative, and egocentric in their social interactions. Psychopaths also regularly engage in poorly motivated violent antisocial behaviour due to their impulsive and erratic nature. Although the environment has been linked to the development of psychopathy, neuroimaging and behavioural-genetic research have suggested an established biological basis to the disorder, highlighting specific gene types and brain structures such as the paralimbic system. Although the treatability of psychopathy is undermined by a significant biological aetiology, compliance issues demonstrated by psychopaths in treatment settings can further undermine the treatability of the disorder. As such, psychological interventions that attempt to socially adjust psychopaths and reduce their risk of criminal recidivism typically produce minimal and inconsistent treatment results. However, due to the inconsistencies and flaws of treatment outcome research with psychopaths, a definitive conclusion as to the treatability of psychopathy cannot yet be ascertained.