Antisocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy
The Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a book describing the criteria of all mental disorders, says that “the essential feature of antisocial personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.” More often than not, someone diagnosed with this disorder is often referred to as a Psychopath or a Sociopath. DSM-5 does not actually give a diagnosis for psychopathy as it is referred to as a more extreme subtype as Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Symptoms of Psychopaths
The majority of all those who suffer from APD show signs of the following: able to act witty and charming; find it easy to manipulate others emotions; often lie and deceive people; show a lack of remorse or guilt; break the law repeatedly; disregard the safety of others and feel a sensation when seeking recklessness.
Facts about Psychopaths
- Most psychopaths in society are not serial killers
- Most serial killers are all psychopaths
- Around 1% of the male population are psychopathic
- Even fewer women suffer from the disorder
- Studies estimate that 20% of the prison population are psychopaths
- It is estimated that they commit around 50% of all crime
Psychopathy and Morality
Consider the following two examples to do with morality.
Denise is a passenger on a train whose driver has fainted. On the main track ahead are 5 people. The main track has a side track leading off to the left, and Denise can turn the train onto it. There is 1 person on the left hand track. Denise can turn the train, killing the 1; or she can refrain from turning the train, letting the 5 die.
Is it morally permissible for Denise to turn the train?
Frank is on a footbridge over the train tracks. He sees a train approaching the bridge out of control. There are 5 people on the track. Frank knows that the only way to stop the train is to drop a heavy weight into its path. But the only available, sufficiently heavy weight is 1 large man, also watching the train from the footbridge. Frank can shove the 1 man onto the track in the path of the train, killing him; or he can refrain from doing this, letting the 5 die.
Is it morally permissible for Frank to shove the man?
Most people believe that it is permissible for Denise to turn the train, killing one person to save five, but believe that it is not okay for Frank to push the large man off the bridge, even though they are both in the same position of being able to sacrifice one person, to save five. Psychopaths think that both of these situations are equally permissible.
So what causes Psychopathy?
Studies have concluded that Amygdalae (part of the brain responsible for fear, anxiety and stress) of psychopaths, respond poorly to emotional stimuli, such as being scared or feeling sad. Connections between the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (vmPFC, responsible for guilt and empathy) and Amygdalae are also proven to be weaker in the brains of those who suffer from psychopathy.
Genes account for around 60% of the variation in psychopathy, meaning that the disorder is not entirely genetic and that the environment also plays a role. The majority of psychopaths today suffer from a “conduct disorder” as a child, meaning those at risk of suffering later in life can be identified early.
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