The Science Behind Psychopathy
- maanarha2024
- Mar 16
- 4 min read
London, ON
If you have interacted with at least a hundred people, then you have probably come across at least one psychopath. But did you notice it? The truth is, psychopaths are all around us: they are among our politicians, bureaucrats, and the everyday people we see. It raises the question: how are they so common, yet many of us never notice their condition? In this blog, you will read about exactly what a psychopath is and how they act, as well as the causes of this condition.
Psychopath is a term that originated in the 1800s to describe a mentally ill person. The term comes from the Greek words: “psukhe” and “pathos” combined to mean “suffering soul”. Although it is not recognized as an official mental disorder, it is most widely used to describe a person who is antisocial, lacks empathy, and is egocentric. It is most closely linked with antisocial personality disorder, which many psychopaths have overlapping characteristics with.
The behavior of a psychopath varies heavily from person to person, so it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how they act. That being said, there are a few key characteristics that every psychopath displays: low empathy, lack of remorse, antisocial behavior, no sense of morality, and constant manipulation of others. Despite this, many psychopaths manage to be avid members of society. These people are very good at manipulation and hiding traits that are deemed undesirable, which is why many times psychopaths are very charismatic and tend to be good with regulating their internal emotions.
If you look at the actual brain of a psychopath, there are many aspects that set them apart from others. There are three main parts of their brains that are different: the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the extended paralimbic structures.
The amygdala plays a crucial role in learning, emotional regulation, memory, social judgment, and moral decision making. It also helps with the recognition of emotionally important information, such as the presence of threats or danger. It releases adrenaline and cortisol, essentially activating our flight or fight response. A very common way for us to detect danger is by looking at those around us, and noticing if they are scared. The amygdala uses our sight to detect the emotions of those around us, using this information to evaluate if there is any danger. In various studies, it was shown that there is less activation of the amygdala of a psychopath's brain when being shown pictures featuring moral violations. It was also revealed that the higher the level of psychopathy, the less activation in the amygdala. This might suggest that psychopaths struggle with sensing the emotions of the people around them and making moral judgement due to the lack of activation of this part of their brains.
As it is commonly known, the prefrontal cortex is a part of the brain responsible for decision making, measuring consequences, and reasoning, among other things. If this area of the brain is deficient, it means that one may underestimate the consequences of their actions and may fail to look at the long term effects of their choices. Depending on the situation, there are varying levels of activation of this part of the brain. When psychopaths are asked to visualize a tragic scenario, there is little activation of this area of the brain, meaning they display little to no empathy when thinking or experiencing these situations.
Lastly, extended paralimbic structures behave very differently in the average person's brain than in that of a psychopath. Researchers found that there is a reduction of volume in this area responsible for episodic memory, or self referential experiences. This is directly responsible for the way psychopaths can further justify their behavior. Their brains switch the narrative of any story to make themselves seem like the person in the right. When they retell stories, they often do not match up to exactly what happened: their brain switches the story due to the impairments in this area. This is commonly known as the grandiose brain.
While we do know the causes for this condition, there is no cure. However, even though there are mixed opinions, there is treatment that can make this disorder more manageable. Psychopaths often struggle with other mental health conditions which are treatable. With talk therapy and medication, some symptoms may be relieved, making their lives more manageable.
Additionally, it was found that early intervention in youth could also help reduce these symptoms or prevent them from worsening. One experiment tested the application of positive reinforcement in teenagers with high psychopathic features at a juvenile treatment center. The treatment involved rewarding good behavior with simple items like candy or video games, utilizing the brain's reward system, which psychopaths are driven by. The results showed that those who were given positive reinforcement were less violent in their offenses than those who had not been given the intervention. The results suggest that rewards might be more effective than punishment at encouraging socially acceptable behavior in psychopaths.
Psychopaths are more prevalent in society than many could have thought, hiding behind charm and manipulation. We can gain insight into the complexity of this disorder by recognizing the neurological differences that cause their absence of empathy, moral judgment, and antisociality. While there is no actual cure for the condition, therapy and medicine may help manage the symptoms, and interventions like positive reinforcement early in life can significantly reduce violent aggression. This provides evidence of how the use of specialized approaches to treatment centered around positive reinforcement as compared to punishment is more effective in instigating a change in behavior.
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