Between psychopathy and deviant socialization: A close look at the mafia men

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Forensic Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Italian mafia organizations exhibit distinct subcultural values.
• The psychology of mafia members is an emerging area of scientific study.
• Previous research has inconsistently defined mafia mentality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate psychopathy differences between mafia bosses and soldiers.
• To compare psychopathy traits in mafia associates based on conviction type (mafia association vs. violent crimes).
• To contribute to the limited scientific understanding of mafia psychology.

Main Methods:

• Administered the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) to 48 male inmates convicted of mafia association.
• Compared psychopathy scores between Group A (bosses, mafia association conviction only) and Group B (soldiers, convicted of violent crimes).
• Utilized Mann-Whitney U test to analyze differences in PCL-R scores.

Main Results:

• Most participants (73%) did not meet the criteria for psychopathy (PCL-R ≥ 25).
• No significant differences were found in total PCL-R scores between Group A and Group B.
• Group B (soldiers convicted of violent crimes) exhibited significantly higher scores on PCL-R Factor 1 (interpersonal/affective).

Conclusions:

• Affective psychopathy may be a distinguishing trait in mafia members with a history of violent conduct.
• These findings suggest a specific psychopathic component in violent mafia subgroups.
• Adds to the limited literature on psychopathy within organized crime structures.