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Psychopathy and aggression: when paralimbic dysfunction leads to violence.
Nathaniel E Anderson1, Kent A Kiehl
1The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA, nanderson@mrn.org.
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
|December 6, 2013
Summary
Psychopathy is linked to frequent and extreme violence, particularly in offenders. Understanding the cognitive and neurobiological factors behind psychopathy is key to predicting and addressing aggressive behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Criminology
Background:
- Psychopathy is a clinical construct associated with high rates of violence.
- Predicting violent behavior in offenders is a key application of the psychopathy construct.
- Aggression is a complex behavior intricately linked with psychopathy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical construct of psychopathy.
- To explore prominent cognitive and neurobiological models of psychopathy.
- To examine the link between brain abnormalities in psychopathy and aggressive outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of psychopathy.
- Analysis of cognitive models.
- Examination of neurobiological models.
- Discussion of brain abnormalities and behavioral outcomes.
Main Results:
- Psychopathy is characterized by distinct cognitive and neurobiological underpinnings.
- Brain abnormalities associated with psychopathy can manifest in various forms of aggression.
- The construct of psychopathy is valuable for predicting future violent behavior.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive and neurobiological factors are central to understanding psychopathy.
- Brain dysfunction in psychopathy contributes to diverse aggressive behaviors.
- Psychopathy serves as a critical predictor of violence in criminal populations.
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