Last night Larry King Live of CNN hosted a discussion about whether criminals can be rehabilitated. I think it will be re-aired this weekend so try to watch. One of the guests drew a distinction between “learned” criminal behavior and psychopathy. She stated she believed that criminals who have learned to be that way can unlearn but psychopaths cannot be rehabilitated. I know many of you also hold this belief so I would like to tell you why I strongly disagree.
First I will tell you my position:
ALL criminality stems from an interaction between a person and a situation. A person is a product of his/her genetics and experiences. So in a sense what makes up personality (the “person”) is learned for everyone including the psychopathic. We are preprogrammed by our genetics to learn certain things better than others.
In terms of situational variables solid research has demonstrated that antisocial associates, poor work and educational performance, substance abuse, poor family ties and poor recreational achievement are all associated with criminality. These variables operate independently from personality variables and are important for even the most psychopathic individuals.
The more psychopathic a person is, the more deeply ingrained is the lifestyle of parasitism and predation BUT even those with lower levels of psychopathy can be very resistant to change and very dangerous to society. The definition of response to treatment depends on what you are looking for. If a person cheats 8 people a week, then goes into a program and cheats 1 person a week, that is a change. Everyone has a different definition of “rehabilitation”.
Coincidentally, I just read a great book, Persons in Context: Building a science of the individual. It is a tribute to Walter Mischel, Ph.D. one of the great thinkers of modern psychology. In his chapter “Intelligence as a Person-Situation Interaction”, Robert Sternberg lists five fallacies of thinking. He says, “There is another dimension to person-situation interaction: the extent to which particular situations elicit ‘stupid’ thinking in intelligent people.” All of his 5 fallacies occur in the context of perceived power or dominance. They are:
- The unrealistic optimism fallacy. This occurs when one believes that one is so smart and so powerful that it is pointless to worry about the outcome of what one does.
- The egocentrism fallacy. This occurs when one comes to think that one’s own interests are the only ones that are important.
- The Omniscience Fallacy. This occurs when people think they know more than they do.
- The Omnipotence Fallacy. This results from the power one wield or believes one wields.
- The invulnerability Fallacy. This derives for the illusion of complete protection.
Dr. Sternberg is one of many scientists who have discovered that the experience of power changes the mind/brain. Some people are more prone than others to these effects of power. Since psychopathic individuals seek out power constantly like a heroin addict seeking a fix, they are never free from all of the above fallacies of thinking. Life is a situation of constant power or perceived power.
In the absence of a loving nature all power pursuit becomes antisocial. Now power pursuit and attainment can also stomp out a person’s loving nature, if it was ever present in the first place.
To rehab the psychopathic we have to strip them of any power and teach them to love and care for others. To my knowledge there is no program that has yet succeeded in doing this even for those “sociopaths” who score at the lower end of the psychopathy scale.
onestep-yes it’s workmans comp. Everyone in the room felt bad that I hit my head-including the doc. He is my favorite doc that I work with. I am watching SVU on DVD. I hope that tomorrow I can read. Today is the ex spath’s birthday. It is officially a year since I spoke with him. He called me on his birthday last year to get closure!
This post reminded me of my sister who is extremely narcissistic always looking for ways to increase her power. She Was extremely spoiled as a child and my parents cateedr to her every whim Because she was the youngest. But even as a baby my mother remembers she was flirtatious with everyone. She smiled at strangers. When she learned to talk she learned to accuse Her siblings of picking on her so that they would get punished by my parents.
The baby is not powerless this is the power they have: To manipulate and coerce others with lies and deception as well as charm.
The sociopath simply never stops doing exactly that. I think any of those here could do it but we find it distasteful and disgusting and juvenile
the sociopath become addicted to that power early on and like a gambling addiction, even if they win 1 time out of 50 tries the addiction is fed.
Leanne perhaps the key is aversion therapy . Every time they manipulate or attempt to manipulate they receive some kind of nausea drugs. Furthermore everytime they are selfless We give them some kind of reward.
Witsend
Hi i miss you.
I had missed finding out what happened to your son Since i was gone from the. board. I understand how sad you must feel. I try to believe that everything happens for a reason which God will reveal to us in his time. I recently read a story about two south american boys switched at birth. Rather than being angry the 2 families got to know each other and are now living together on 1 family farm. it’s a beautiful story and it reminded me of the difference between us and the sociopath. Sociopaths always feels cheated, like he didn’t get enough. Normal people feel grateful and take what they were given and make more. This is what jesus spoke of in the parable of the talents.
erin – one year! congrats erin.
( he called to get closure….yah, right. isn’t that just checking on the freshness of supply?)
peace out.
Dear Erin72,
Gosh sweetie, sorry you really did hurt yourself! I thought you were just joshing! BE CAREFUL and don’t ignore symptoms. Have someone call or check on you q 2 hrs. Let us know how you are! (((Hugs))))
e72 – OUCH~! I bet that hurt..take it easy..congrats on the one year – guess I will never forget my x’s BD it is 6-6-66 – yeah his momma told me he was a booger…lmao
Erin 72, sounds like you have delayed concussion. My Mum fell heavily on her face many years ago, she seemed not tooo bad that day, but the next day she was giddy, vomiting, v. bad headache, couldnt focus her eyes,etc.The brain is shaken, and it takes a few days to stabilize. Rest, panadol, more rest, lots of water,get checked out at the Hospital if it persists.take care of yourself! love, mama gem.xx
Jut an FYI a new study:
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/law/16/2/158/
Abstract
Psychopathy in children and adolescents has received increased attention over the past decade. Researchers have been particularly interested in identifying who tomorrow’s chronic and serious offenders might be. In addition, researchers have been increasingly interested in determining the etiology of the disorder so as to inform treatment programs. Despite this interest, few studies to date have investigated the protective factors for psychopathy in youth. The current study investigated 140 adolescent boys and girls and the potential protective mechanisms of intelligence and motivation to change. Findings indicated that motivation to change served as a protective factor for general and violent offending at varying levels of psychopathy. Motivation to change also served as a compensatory factor for psychopathy when examining high rates of violent offending. These findings suggest that the cognitive factor of motivation to change may very well be critical in examining developmental pathways to offending in youth and a key consideration for those youth scoring high on psychopathy scales and considering violence as a means of gain.
skylar,
I have thought about you many times after you were gone from LF for a long while. I certainly missed your inquisitve mind/nature. It reminded me of myself in many ways. I did feel a special bond with you because of this.
I no longer post very often anymore here myself. And I miss so many of the people that I felt that I bonded with when I was a regular poster on LF. I really do miss that “caring” connection with so many of the people here.
However there came a time when I was experiencing many PTSD symptoms and I needed to do something about it.
I took some time away from here but came back often enough to try and read and catch up with some of my peeps. to see if they are doing ok.
I did read about your situation recently. And of course my natural reaction to this is worry….(for you)
And I know it is difficult to hear. But Skylar….”what in the world are you thinking?” Why, why & why?
Why risk anything for this “experiment”. What are you hoping the outcome to be? And why be a willing participant in this….
I really don’t understand? But I am willing to LISTEN. Because I think I know you well enough to know that you do have a reason. And I would like to try and understand your reason.
My son has been gone from the house for almost 7 1/2 months. I am still on the emotional roller coaster ride. I suspect I will always be. He is currently not speaking to me.
Hello Blogger, hope your kidney stone has passed and you are feeling better! Could anyone feel any worse than with a kidney stone! ????
The motivation to change, of course is ALWAYS I think the factor in any behavioral changes in any situation. Who can be forced to change if they have NO MOTIVATION to do so? Even in situations where there is FORCE used, the “change” doesn’t continue unless the force is used continually or the threat of it is there unless the individual whose behavior is “changed” does it willingly.
I like the sweet way the abstract is worded, too….so professional “…considering violence as a means of gain….” LOL Yea, armed robbers, rapists and others who “consider violence” to get their way.
Except for the above poster, “Sarahhann,” I have never heard a psychopath (diagnosed or otherwise) express a desire to change or an understanding of their “symptoms” except when trying to run a pity-play con job on someone. I am giving the above poster the benefit of the doubt as I cannot see a way that they could benefit in any way from running a con job on a blog. I do hope they will contact Dr. Leedom and/or Dr. Hare as I think a person whose symptoms of BPD and/or psychopathy serious enough to be clinically diagnosed who really wants to change would give researchers a rare opportunity for research.
I don’t see, however, that intelligence as a protective mechanism for psychopathy. At least in the ones I have observed who are average to very bright, it seems only to make them more manipulative and more able to socially climb into a corner office….or oval office.