Editor’s note: Third in a series of three articles appearing in other publications on what scientists are learning about the brain and behavior through MRI imaging.
A new study finds that psychopaths have abnormalities in the parts of their brains related to learning from punishment.
MRI studies were conducted on violent offenders 12 with psychopathy and 20 with antisocial personality disorder but not psychopathy along with 18 healthy non-offenders. Those with psychopathy showed differences in the brain regions associated with empathy, processing of pro-social emotions such as guilt and embarrassment, and moral reasoning.
The research showed that the psychopathic offenders failed to learn from punishment cues.
Psychopathic violent offenders’ brains can’t understand punishment, on ScienceDaily.com.
Brain Science Part 2: Brains of homicidal juveniles appear to be different
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These research findings, though interesting, have no practical use in pinpointing society’s potential sociopaths BEFORE they commit their crimes. It is only AFTER they’ve committed crimes that they are forced to be tested. Since psychopaths as a whole believe that they are superior human beings, none of them will submit to such tests, unless mandated by the courts. By this time, their dastardly deeds will have been done.