I was recently reading a 2003 paper in the journal Nature called Forensic psychology: Violence viewed by psychopathic murderers which is both interesting and frustrating. Interesting because it demonstrates that, even amongst murderers, psychopathic murderers are different. Frustrating because the authors extrapolate their finding in a way that is ultimately misleading being so narrow as to completely miss the point.
I pick this particular study only because it is rather typical of scientific studies in the field: 1. it neglects to consider what the psychopath gets out of behaving the way he does, and 2. it let’s the psychopath off the hook.
The study
13 psychopathic murderers, 17 non-psychopathic murderers, 39 psychopathic other offenders and 52 non-psychopathic other offenders were given the Implicit Association Test (IAT) .
Briefly, uppercase words (for example, ‘UGLY’) are classified as being ‘pleasant’ or ‘unpleasant’, and lowercase words (for example, ‘kill’) are classified as ‘violent’ or ‘peaceful’, by pressing corresponding buttons. When the same response key is assigned for both the unpleasant and violent words (this is termed the congruent condition), most people find the task easy. But when pleasant and violent words share the same response key (the incongruent condition), most people find this confusing. The association between ‘pleasant—unpleasant’ and ‘violent—peaceful’ is indexed by means of the IAT effect (reaction time for the incongruent condition minus reaction time for the congruent condition).
Result
The psychopathic murderers showed a much lower IAT effect than the non-psychopathic murderers or the other psychopaths in the study.
The researchers’ conclusion
They conclude that there are two groups of psychopaths, one of which has an increased disposition towards extreme violence. So far so good. They also claim the following:
Our results indicate that the reduced violent-IAT effect seen in psychopathic murderers is likely to be due to their abnormal beliefs about violence, rather than to some other nonspecific effect such as poor impulse control and/or deficits in decision-making. Psychopathic murderers have diminished negative reactions to violence compared with non-psychopathic murderers and other offenders.
The fallacy
The great sociologist C. Wright Mills once said: “Every cobbler thinks leather is the only thing,” by which he meant ‘read what I write critically; I’m a sociologist and so I tend to have a sociological explanation for everything.’ Well, our researchers have done something similar. Because their test has found abnormal cognitive associations regarding violence among psychopathic murderers, they take it that this accounts for the psychopathic murderers’ predisposition to extreme violence. The authors’ speak of psychopaths having “deficient social beliefs” and “negative beliefs”, and it is these “abnormal beliefs about violence” (and not poor impulse control and/or deficits in decesion-making) that make them disposed towards extreme violence.
But this factor just happens to be what the researcher’s have been testing; just because they found it doesn’t mean that it is THE predisposing factor. Presumably if they had been testing, say, cholesterol-levels and found a difference they’d say that’s they key.
But it’s worse that that. Something in they way they phrase the matter concerns me. They say (with my reworkings in bold):
- “…due to their abnormal beliefs about violence”.
…due to their pleasure in violence (which is, of course accompanied by abnormal beliefs). - “Psychopathic murderers have diminished negative reactions to violence compared with non-psychopathic murderers and other offenders.”
They have increased positive reactions to violence.
In the British TV show Cracker, the main character, Dr. Fitzgerald is asked why he drinks and smokes so much. “Because I like it!”, he says defiantly. This precisely the point. Maybe Fitz could be shown to have abonormal beliefs about drinking and smoking (he’s a gambler too), but he’s insightful enough to know that it’s not the beliefs that cause the behaviour – he does them because he wants to.
Psychopaths enjoy doing evil; they do it not despite the pain it cause others but because that pain increases their enjoyment.
Leave pleasure out of the picture and we missed an awful lot. Or am I wrong?
I wanted to find out if my S was the only one who was an outrageous flirt. My S flirted with about any woman that he came in contact with. He was always touching and complimenting the women in our office. When I made comments about his behavior, he said that I was insecure.
hummingbird,
That flirting is SOP for a P (standard operating procedure). Because they have trouble bonding with another person for a “pair bonding” they are continually seeking additional sources of sex and adoration in case the one (or two or three) that they have on the string currently drops out.
His saying that YOU were insecure was just his way of projecting back to you, what he felt about his relationships, or just a nasty remark to make you feel bad. They are pretty good at turning things around and making them “OUR” fault.
This is a good thread though, isn’t it!
Dr. Steve:
I am currently reading a book “Violence Risk and Threat Assessment, A Practical Guide for Mental Health and Criminal Justice Professionals” written by J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., who specializes is threat and risk of violence assessment.
One of the critical things that he mentions in his book is the “Joyful glee” in getting away with crimes that psychopaths feel. Even if they are “caught” (and are therefore being evaluated for future risk) they still have the glee about accomplishing their previous crimes, even if that crime led to a conviction.
He also talks about and explains very clearly the difference in the kinds of violence, the affective violence, which is accomplished in either a state of rage or fear, and is highly emotional, vs the predatory violence which is cold, calculating and well planned in advance.
Another concept that he talked about in this book is something I had never thought about, but I think he is right. Is that we assume that the psychopath is psychologically complex, but in his view, this is not so. He states that we tend to assume that they are more mature and have more developed emotions that we want to see, but don’t, but we presume is there. That the psychopath’s personality is less complex and is more dangerous than he appears, especially if he is of a brighter IQ. He says “remember there is less there than meets the eye.”
Very interesting book on the prediction of future violence with the psychopath. But the bottom line still seems to be that “past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.”
Dear Free,
In reading the letters my P-son wrote to the Trojan-Horse-P, I saw the glee with which he was plotting the entire plan of getting rid of me and controlling tings. The arrogance of it all, that HE, sitting in a prison cell for the lat 17 years, should be the “leader” of the family, telling US how to run our business. Like he was such a “success” that we would automatically seek his “wise” advice. LOL ROTHLMBO
We established the family trust before either my husband or my step father died JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTECTING the family assets from my son C’s wife (the DIL that tried to kill him!) and from the P-son. Little did I ever DREAM that in an effort to thwart the intentions of the trust that either of them would actually try to MURDER for the money! Now, I would put NOTHING PAST A P. They will do whatever is necessary to get what they think is THEIRS, to have CONTROL.
The frustration with me retaining control was what actually pushed my P-son to “drop the mask” and let me really SEE behind his eyes, the REAL MONSTER that lurked there with sweet words of caring which were fake. It eventually brought down the house of cards he had built because his TH-P wasn’t able to control his own desires long enough to successfully pull off the ruse without giving me a clue. THANK YOU GOD!
Even though P-son and the others “lost this battle” they do not perceive that they have ‘LOST THE WAR” and they very well may be prepared to regroup and fight another day, but this time, I will definitely be PREPARED and will not under estimate them again. I don’t live in terror, but I am prepared and cautious.
I guess my biggest “message” to others is that you MUST not under estimate then, or trust that you know what is going on in their evil minds. There is nothing too low for them to stoop to, or too evil to comprehend for them. If they “go away” and chortle about “getting to you” and never bother you again, YOU ARE VERY FORTUNATE, and if they go away “mad” they may come back for revenge–whether it is burning your house down, hacking your computer, stealing your financial identity, vandalizing your house, poisoning your cat or dog, breaking your windshield, taking the lug nuts loose on your car, cutting the brake lines, or any other form of potential harm…be prepared and keep your eyes open. Don’t go into denial or terror either, hit a middle road of “good sense caution.”
Oxdrover,
I think you are right on. If they think they’ve won (even if they are rotting in jail thinking it lol) that is a very good thing. Then they are likely to leave you alone. The thing is, I think that just like they CAN’T be the one to blame, they CAN’T lose. They always think they’ve won because they are delusional. So no matter how many times they got caught or left by victims who’ve had enough, they revel in the fact that they did something like not give you your mail. Tee hee you never found out about that!
But what is the definition of winning? If you recover from their abuse and manipulation and live a good life full of love and happiness and they are left sneaking around like rats, lying and loosening lug nuts in the middle of the night, then who is the winner?
So we felt some pain because of them, so what? That means WE ARE HUMAN. We have the ability to love another person and be generous and kind. And the sooner we begin seeking people who deserve our love and loving them, and loving ourselves, the sooner we win the war. Because yes, they might move on to a more beautiful/wealthier/younger partner. But does that mean they will ever be happy in the truest sense of the word? Their constant drive to put others down, to cause pain and suffering, and to control others is just a way to try to win a war that they can never win. We win simply because we can love, because we are real humans with real feelings. Because we have things that no matter how much they abuse us and try to steal those things from us, they can never ever possess. So we come away perhaps a little sadder, but wiser. And they come away with their black hole of a heart and still no ability to feel the most wonderful emotion on the face of the planet: love. If that’s not winning, I don’t know what is.
An old friend sent me this, it is funny, but it isn’t…I thought it kinda went hand and hand with this topic “Pshycopaths beliefs are awry”……
Psychopath test
Read this question, come up with an answer, and then scroll to the bottom for the result. This is not a trick question. It is as it reads.
No one I know has gotten it right.
A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing. She believed him to be her dream guy so much, that she fell in love with him right there but never asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister.
Question: What is her motive for killing her sister?
(Give this some thought before you answer)
Then see below
Answer:
She was hoping the guy would appear at the funeral again. If you answered this correctly, you think like a psychopath. This was a test by a famous American Psychologist used to test if one has the same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the question correctly. If you didn’t answer the question correctly, good for you. If you got the answer correct, please let me know so I can take you off my email list, unless that will tick you off, then I’ll just be extra nice to you.
rperk… how funny! Thanks for sharing that.
:o)
Rperk—I DID get the answer right, but in my own defense let me say this, I have gotten to where I can almost ANTICIPATE how my P-son, my P-X-DIL, and the Trojan-Horse P will act/react in almost any situation. My son C who was married to the X-DIL says “Mom, you’re a PROPHET, how can you figure these things out?” Well, if you have enough experience dealing with them, seeing that if A then they do B, or if C they do D, it doesn’t take you long before you can anticipate how they will behave.
LUS
That “anticipatory” idea of how they were going to act next I think SAVED MY LIFE—and possibly the lives of other members of my family. Some people thought I was crazy when I told them what was GOING TO HAPPEN, and that I was some kind of paranoid delusional nut case, but you know what, it was ALMOST LIKE I SAID, PLUS EVEN WORSE—but I don’t think I can ALWAYS out thinkk them, or out guess them, and I am NOT a prophet, regardless of what my son thinks, but I do kind of know how they think and am getting better and better—I am FINALLY learning what kind of creature I am dealing with.
In retrospect I can examine the evidence that was involved with the “chaos” this past year and see how it all played together, what their goal was and how it was all put together. I can see clues I missed at the time, and errors I made, but I am a LOT WISER and more cunning too now. By anticipating their moves I am able to take PROACTIVE action to insure that they are not successful in any future attacks.
Yes, they do think they have “won” even when they are arrested and sent to prison because they did get away with some things and not get caught, like someone mentioned, they didn’t give you your mail, and you didn’t find out, Tee Hee Tee Hee.
I am a pretty resourceful old bat, and I knew that my P-son was hoping that I would be dead before he came up for parole again so that I could not be there to speak to the parole board about him getting out. Threfore I made a DVD of me speaking to the parole board, and left enough money in my will that attorneys could be hired to present this to the parole board EVERY time he came up for parole until he was 75 years old. I realized that VERY few (if any) parents of inmates speak to the parole baord and beg them NOT to let their son out. This in itself would make them listen. I am also a very effective public speaker, so my DVD is quite compelling. My other sons also made DVDs as well.
My son may still try to have me killed simply for “revenge” purposes and I know this, but without monetary resources (which I have made sure he will NEVER have) he will be severely limited in his ability to find another inmate/friend to carry out his plot with him still in prison.
If you are forced to walk in an area where there is wild life and snakes, you better learn what kind of wild life there is in that area, how they hunt, what the chances of encountering one is, and how to avoid being bitten/attacked. I have no choice about having my son hate me, and he has the obvious potential to mount an attack—but thank God’s grace, that this one failed. I won’t be caught off guard again. “Know your enemy” is good advice.
My X-BF P burned another X-GF’s house, but he won’t burn mine because he knows I know he did the other one, and he has been “warned up front” that if my house burns for ANY reason he will have consequences. He did a bit of smear campagin verbally, but that too back fired on him. I know I will never be able to truly under stand how they think, any more than I can tell you how a cougar or bear thinks, but I do know how to be proactive about not being attacked, so I can anticipate how they hunt and what their intentions are, what will provoke them, and what will scare them off—at least with THESE particular Ps.
I won’t live in terror like I did for a while before I fled, but neither will I become complacent and open myself to being vulnerable. Their schemes may be somewhat complex, but their goals aren’t.
OxDrover-I sincerely apologize, I meant no disrepect to anyone.