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Abnormal selective attention in psychopathic female offenders
Jennifer E Vitale1, Chad A Brinkley1, Kristina D Hiatt1
1Department of Psychology.
Neuropsychology
|May 9, 2007
Summary
Psychopathic women show similar selective attention deficits as men, performing differently on cognitive tasks. These findings support the response modulation hypothesis in both genders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
Background:
- Research on psychopathy in women has yielded inconsistent laboratory results.
- Selective attention and response modulation deficits are key features of psychopathy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate selective attention abnormalities in psychopathic women using laboratory tasks.
- To compare the performance of psychopathic women to psychopathic men on cognitive assessments.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a computerized picture-word (PW) task and a picture-word Stroop (PW Stroop) task.
- Assessed participants using the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (PCL-R).
Main Results:
- Women scoring high on the PCL-R exhibited reduced Stroop interference on both tasks.
- This pattern of reduced interference aligns with findings in psychopathic men.
Conclusions:
- Psychopathic women demonstrate selective attention deficits consistent with the response modulation hypothesis.
- Despite potential gender differences in psychopathy expression, core cognitive abnormalities appear similar across genders.
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