Early Views of antisocial behavior

Those behaviors offended normative cultural standards and subgroup ethics yet lacked symptomatology easily classified as psychotically deranged or frankly delusinal.

Question

What are some other early views of antisocial behaviors?

Other early views

Characteristics by aberrant affect Proneness to impulsive rage Constitutionally deficient in moral

faculties Psychopathic inferiorities But no deficit in reasoning abilities

Other Labels Used

Psychopathic inferiority Psychopathic personality Sociopathic personality Psychopathy

Each label has had criticism and argument, but all refer to an antisocial behavior and social deviance.

DSM-IV

Since the DSM-III, all these labels have been classified under the Cluster B Personality Disorders 301.7 Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)

Includes Psychopath and Sociopath

Which spur criticism in the loss of a clear diagnosis of Psychopathy or Sociopath.

Traditionally, affective and interpersonal traits such as egocentricity, deceit, shallow affect, manipulativeness, selfishness, and lack of empathy, guilt or remorse, have played a central role in the conceptualization and diagnosis of psychopathy (Cleckley; Hare 1993; in press); Widiger and Corbitt). In 1980 the DSM-III renamed Psychopathy-antisocial personality disorder- and defined it by persistent violations of social norms, including lying, stealing, truancy, inconsistent work behavior and traffic arrests (Hare, 1996).

Question

Are all psychopaths ASPD? Are all ASPD psychopaths?

Answer?

It seems that the DSM-IV have broadened its range on classification of ASPD which includes individuals with more psychopathic tendencies, which over diagnosis ASPD within the system.

Most psychopaths (with the exception of those who somehow manage to plow their way through life without coming into formal or prolonged contact with the criminal justice system) meet the criteria for ASPD, but most individuals with ASPD are not psychopaths. Further, ASPD is very common in criminal populations, and those with the disorder are heterogeneous with respect to personality, attitudes and motivations for engaging in criminal behavior.

Characteristics

What are some characteristics of ASPD?

Characteristics

Deceit & Manipulation Are central features

Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behavior.

Pattern of impulsivity Irritable and aggressive, physical fights Disregard for safety Show little remorse

Age criterion for ASPD

Cannot be given to persons under 18 Must have a history of some

symptoms of Conduct Disorder prior to 15

Prevalence

ASPD have reported being elevated among opiate addicts and alcoholics

National Institute of Mental Health reports 3 to 5% of the community have ASPD

ASPD is more common among men than women (men seen more deviant?)

Question

Is ASPD caused by genetic or environmental conditions?

Possible answer

Results of twin studies of antisocial behavior have been consistent with those of adoption studies in demonstrating a genetic effect for antisocial behavior but not to the exclusion of environmental influences.

Research supports the significance of dysfunctional family characteristics and poor parenting techniques as contributing

Learning and Performance Deficits

Theories of psychopathy incorporate the notion that antisocial individuals are inherently deficient in acquiring learning responses.

What do you think?

Learning and Performance Deficits

The findings have not been uniform, but psychopaths have shown lower in verbal conditioning, verbal learning, semantic processing and others.

How do rewards effect their learning? Punishment Monetary losses

Behavior extremes and Impulsiveness

Research fails to support the hypothesis that psychopaths cannot postpone gratification or inhibit impulsive errors across situations.

There is evidence that impulsiveness, eagerness for reward, and antisocial behaviors cluster in association and that the combination may predispose certain individuals to greater impulsivity than might be expected among normal controls.

Interpersonal Interactions

Psychopaths are apathetic to the suffering of others, despite superficial displays of concern

Sociopaths are skillful in interpersonal manipulations

Psychopaths disregard the sufferings or hardships which may accrue to themselves or others as a result of their behaviors. They adhere to no moral code.

Interpersonal Interactions

Sociopaths over respond to exciting social stimulus

Sociopaths were sensitive to social cues and emotionally provocative stimuli

Psychopathic youths used more hand gestures, leaned toward the interviewer more often, maintained greater eye contact, and tended to smile less frequently

Interpersonal Interactions

Psychopaths have difficulty in regard to assessing interpersonal threat and the resulting perception of anger

Psychopaths find difficulty in understanding what others are thinking and feeling because of their own peculiar constructs and assumptions that others perceive circumstances in the same way as themselves

Responsivity

Psychopaths are slow to condition fear to warning signals, are less influenced by threats of punishment, are capable of anticipating negative consequences at least on some level, and are inclined to over respond to unusual or exciting stimuli

Assessment of Antisocial Personality

There are structured, semi-structured interviews, and self-report inventories

Unstructured approaches to clinical diagnosis have declined in popularity and usefulness, and behavior rating and symptom checklists are being superseded by more sophisticated techniques

Question

What are some of these assessments? Pg. 475-478

Conclusions

ASPD frequently lack empathy, tend to be callous, cynical, and contemptuous of the feelings, rights, and sufferings of others, opinionated, superficial charm, inflated self-appraisal, irresponsible, and exploitative in their sexual relationships.

They may have had less attention when children.

Conclusions

Higher chance of death at a younger age due to violent means

They may have associated anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, substance-related disorders, Somatization disorder, pathological gambling, and other disorders of impulse control.

Conclusions

ASPD appears to be associated with low socioeconomic status and urban settings

Cannot be diagnosed prior to age 18 Overall prevalence is about 3% male 1%

female ASPD has a chronic course but may

become less evident or remit as individuals grow older especially in the 40’s.

Both biological and environmental conditions can effect ASPD

Conclusions

As noted, ASPD cannot be diagnosed prior to age 18, therefore it would be valuable to note in cases where continuation of observed pattern of antisocial behavior (conduct disorders), to aid in justification of a clinical diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder when the individual reaches age18.