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Related Concept Videos

Antisocial Personality Disorder01:24

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial personality disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterized by persistent patterns of disregard for the rights and well-being of others. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder exhibit behaviors that include deceitfulness, impulsivity, irresponsibility, aggression, and a profound lack of empathy. These traits often manifest early in life and persist into adulthood, leading to significant personal, social, and legal consequences.
Behavioral Characteristics and...
Fundamental Attribution Error01:14

Fundamental Attribution Error

According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution...
Attribution Theory00:56

Attribution Theory

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Aggression01:47

Aggression

Humans engage in aggression when they seek to cause harm or pain to another person. Aggression takes two forms depending on one’s motives: hostile or instrumental. Hostile aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain; a fight in a bar with a stranger is an example of hostile aggression. In contrast, instrumental aggression is motivated by achieving a goal and does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain (Berkowitz, 1993); a contract killer who murders for hire...
Conduct Disorder01:28

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires
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Published on: November 14, 2017

Backgrounds and characteristics of arsonists.

Wim Labree1, Henk Nijman, Hjalmar van Marle

  • 1Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. labree@bmg.eur.nl <labree@bmg.eur.nl>

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
|May 4, 2010
PubMed
Summary

This study compared arsonists to other forensic patients, finding arsonists had more prior psychiatric treatment and alcohol abuse. Arsonists were less likely to have major psychotic disorders but sometimes used delusional thinking.

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Published on: May 16, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Criminology

Background:

  • Understanding the characteristics of individuals who commit arson is crucial for developing effective forensic treatment strategies.
  • Arson is a severe crime often linked to complex psychological and personal histories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the psychiatric, psychological, personal, and criminal backgrounds of arsonists.
  • To compare arsonists undergoing forced treatment with a control group of forensic patients incarcerated for other severe crimes.
  • To explore apparent motives for arson offenses.

Main Methods:

  • Comparison of arsonists (n=25) and a control group (n=50) at a maximum security forensic hospital.
  • Inclusion of DSM-IV Axis I and II disorders, family history, education, treatment history, intelligence (WAIS), and PCL-R scores.
  • Exploration of motives for arson and analysis of specific PCL-R items.

Main Results:

  • Arsonists reported more prior psychiatric treatment and severe alcohol abuse compared to controls.
  • Arsonists were less likely to have a major psychotic disorder, though delusional thinking was present in about half of arson cases.
  • No significant differences were found in PCL-R total or factor scores, but exploratory analyses suggested differences in impulsivity, superficial charm, and juvenile delinquency.

Conclusions:

  • Arsonists exhibit distinct patterns of prior treatment and substance abuse compared to other forensic patients.
  • While major psychosis is less common, delusional thinking can contribute to arson.
  • Specific PCL-R items may help differentiate arsonists, highlighting potential targets for intervention.