The Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy met in New Orleans, LA April 16-18, 2009. There were several hot topics discussed at the meeting including how psychopathy might be different in men and women. The general consensus seemed to be that psychopathy is under-diagnosed in women because in women the symptoms are different.
Dr. Edelyn Verona is a, leader in the Society. Her group presented, “An Examination of Borderline Personality Disorder and Secondary Psychopathy Across Genders.” To understand these research findings look at the list of traits below:
Factor 1 Traits (Primary Psychopathy)
• Glib and superficial
• Egocentric and grandiose
• Lack of remorse or guilt
• Lack of empathy
• Deceitful and manipulative
• Shallow emotions
Factor 2 Traits (Secondary Psychopathy)
• Impulsive
• Poor behavior controls
• Need for excitement
• Lack of responsibility
• Early behavior problems
• Adult antisocial behavior
Dr. Verona’s group looked at the relationship between borderline personality (BPD) traits Factor 1 and Factor 2 in women. They stated, “We hypothesized that gender would moderate the relationship between secondary psychopathic characteristics and features, such that Factor 2 would correlate more strongly with BPD in women than in men. We further expected that primary psychopathic characteristics would be negatively related to BPD.”
The first part of their hypothesis turned out to be supported, that is Factor 2 was associated with BPD in both men and women but more so women.
More important though, is that the second part of their hypothesis was not supported. Primary psychopathic features were positively related to BPD and “F2 was significantly more predictive of BPD in high F1 women relative to low F1 women.”
The authors concluded, “In particular, the combination of F1 and F2 seems predictive of BPD in women, but not men. This suggests that psychopathy (which is typically defined as being high on both F1 and F2) is manifested as BPD in women.”
Their conclusions are supported by other studies showing a positive correlation between psychopathy and BPD scores.
I spoke with Dr. Verona about their findings, commenting that many psychiatrists consider BPD to be a mood or anxiety disorder. She answered that the criteria for BPD are not precise enough. A woman with PTSD and/or mood symptoms can be diagnosed with BPD if she is also impulsive. It does not seem fitting to group these women together with psychopathic women, especially since the treatment may be different for those who have mood/anxiety disorders.
What does this all mean for you who have family members or co-workers with BPD? My advice is consider the degree of harm done by the person in the context of Factor 1 and Factor 2 traits. The more a woman or man has BOTH sets of traits, the more dangerous she/he is likely to be.
Dear Slapster, welcome to the club! I can so relate to what you are experiencing now. I also work in a hospital, and a head nurse (P) there is a pure evil dragon. She tried to mob me although I am not dependent on her (I am a MD).
I learned not to take it personally, be strictly polite but not too friendly with everybody and to not reveal ANYTHING personal about myself. I do not trust ANYBODY and concentrate on my work and on the patients. No gossip, and as much NC as possible (I loved gossip, but I learned to hate it when it is used as a weapon! I leave it to the tabloids at the hairdresser’s).
Good luck! You seem to do a great job, much more difficult under such stress, and I wish you a relaxing weekend!
thank you libelle, I learned the hard way about gossip. I did get into the gossip thing back when I didn’t know who I was dealing with..It always leads to bad. No gossip for me any longer. Its sooo easy to get caught up into it..Even Some of our MD’s get caught into the gossip game a very small amount of MD’s that is. Yes now that I really think about it I do NOT trust Most of the people there..except I do trust My aunt who works there I know my main Manager is trustworthy as in not telling other coworkers what another said about them. And then one other girl there who has been a victim of the sociopath longer than anyone. I talked her out of quitting a while ago because I didn’t want that sociopath to win her..this other victim is such a good person and a great employee. She has been through so much and nobody helped her until I called her and told her I know whats going on. The sociopath tried to get me against her by telling me that this other victim was talking bad about me..I know the sociopath was lying..she’s good at lying..but not good enough to full me.. the other victim cried and I told her Im not going to let that sociopath get to her any longer..but WOW Now Im the victim haha. I knew someday The sociopath and I would have it out but not this soon. Monday I go back to work and I wonder how it will be..Its a bit scary but Iwill be strong and stay professional as best I can.
excuse my typo lol..I said full me when I meant Fool me ..im tired ..its been a stressfull week..
have a great relaxing weekend yourself 🙂
Is there any mothers out there that have a daughter that is a sociopath. My 37 year old daughter is one. She has been in the Air Force for 18 years. I never saw her mask slip until she was stationed in the U.S. She had been overseas for 16 years.
She has tried to have her Dad put in jail accusing him of molestation of our granddaughter. Proved to be false and just another lie she made up. I have seen in her eyes the empty soul. It is like an alien has taken over her body.
When I was in the hospital she turned off my pain medicine after my colon surgery. All the time playing like she did not do anything. She has turned my son, my sister-in-law and nephew against me.
I have not been around her in two years. How does a mother go through life feeling she will never see her daughter again.
I have reacurring dreams that she has taken my baby girl away from me and will not return her.
How does a mother go on with life in this situation?
Dear HurtMoM, I feel so sad for you. My adult children have sunned me due to the smear campaign (and lies) of their narcissiopath father and I have survived. I know the pain (actually grief) of not having contact with my children.
However, none of them are socios, meanng they are not mean or vindictive., just trainwashed. I had to decide to give up my grief and turn it into acceptance and try to live my new life alone. A year ago, after about 6 years of silence, one daughter started to contact me. Now, recently, so have the other three. I have to add I don’t really trust any of them yet but at least it is a start.
However, there are other moms on this site who will surely see your plight and respond to you from their experiences.
In the meantime, welcome to LoveFraud. There is a lot of information for you to read — and learn.
Dear HurtMom,
I can relate to you, I have a P-son who is 38 and who has been in prison nearly 21 years, he is in for murder now, and even from his prison cell tried to ahve me murdered a couple of years ago. I literally had to flee my home to save my lfie.
Yes, they are EVIL, that is the only word I can think of to describe them, they ENJOY hurting us because they know we love(d) them. I have been NC with my son for over 2 years, and at first the pain was totally awful, but as I realized it, finally, I had “lost him” completely many years before. I grieved as if he was dead when he murdered the young woman he killed in 1991, yet, I still tried to believe he could be rehabilitated—if anything, he is more evil not less. He is actually PROUD of the pain and chaos he has caused, proud of killing that woman.
How do you cope? It isn’t easy, but I literally held a memorial service for my son as if he was dead, I “buried” him, grieved for him, and have come to acceptance that he is LOST to me, just as if he were physically dead. I miss that wonderful little boy, but the man is not the little boy, the man is a stranger, an evil stranger.
come here and read and read about the psychopaths, and realize that this is NOT CAUSED because you abused the daughter, it is more genetic than anything else, just as my P son is like my P-sperm donor, he was not abused…but he DID have a choice, it isn’t like they don’t know right from wrong, they DO, they just enjoy the evil.
God bless you HurtMom, stay round here and read and learn. There is much good support here. (((hugs)))) and God bless you.
so guess what?? its been a while since I posted here been going through alot at work. Manager doesn’t listen to us when we have a complaint. she instead tells us to handle a problem on our own instead of helping us out…well I was working last night and out of the blue..the sociopath calls me at work while its her day off..to tell me a bill collector called for me at work. She then says they wanted her to transfer them to HR! I told her to just hang up on them. She then says Well I just wanted to give you an FYI. I said thanks. She then says OH YOURE ARE VERY WELCOME! in a very excited way. Weird..so then My manager calls me the next day to tell me that I need to come into work and to have a union rep with. She says I have a harrassement case against me..I know its her. I have no enemies other than her and her friend who both use to be my friend. So said I can’t go to the meeting until Tues because my union rep won’t be back from vacation til TUes..so now Im on suspension until tues..Im like What the hell? I did nothing to this person..She called me! while I was working..and on her day off. I never called her. The only thing I can think of is that she’s saying im talking about her on the floor which is not true. But one time. With another coworker but I did appologize to this sociopath for talking about her. And basically It was the coworker who was doing all the talking. I just agreed. I am going to turn this around on her. She is harrassing me
and when I did appologize for talking with another coworker, she accepted the appology but that was a while ago..like months ago. She is dangerous..this is the millionth time she’s filed complaints against coworkers..I would hope they will see the huge stack. Anyways my union rep is very good. And I hope he will make sure she doesn’t get away with it. I am just so curious on what grounds is she able to file such a complaint against me. Im going to make sure I get payed for these days off..when I turn this around.
The grounds she will use are LIES, half truths and made up facts…it is what they always use.
Im just wondering if I will lose my job over her lies. when i told my union rep who was the one I think is complaining. He said “oh wow..yes I do want to represent you” He knows what she’s like. He’s a good union rep..the managers don’t like him because he doesn’t take their crap.