Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Cognitive Science

Study finds psychopaths may not remember emotionally negative events accurately

by Laura Staloch
December 27, 2022
in Cognitive Science, Psychopathy
(Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay)

(Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay)

[Subscribe to PsyPost on YouTube to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

New research suggests that those with psychopathic personality traits are less susceptible to creating false memories of negative events. The findings indicate that individuals high in the psychopathic trait of fearless dominance were less likely to produce false memories when exposed to negative stimuli. Likewise, individuals high in the psychopathic trait of cold-heartedness tended to have fewer true memories of neutral and negative events. These findings may be relevant to law enforcement, mainly when gathering witness or suspect testimony from individuals high in psychopathic traits.

The new study has been published in the British Journal of Psychology.

A significant amount of memory research in the last few decades has focused on memory construction and retrieval. Of particular interest has been the formation of false memories. False memories can have consequences in the justice system, as eyewitness reports are often crucial to investigations and convictions. In addition, individuals with psychopathic personality traits often intersect with law enforcement, making research on how they process memories relevant to determining the reliability of remembered events.

One hundred and twenty participants were recruited from undergraduate programs at the University of Bari, Italy. The participants were between 18 and 65 years old, with slightly more than half being female. Participants took the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, with the research team using data from three scales: self-centered impulsivity, fearless dominance, and cold-heartedness. Subjects were also asked to take measures of working memory, anxiety, and depression.

After these assessments were completed, subjects began the memory testing. In order to induce false memories, the researchers used the Emotional False Memory paradigm. This process exposed participants to photos depicting nine scenarios, including things like a birthday party, rock climbing, or playing a slot machine.

The scenarios progress in photo representations and end in either a positive or negative way. Participants viewed all nine scenarios in a sequence without interruption. When this phase is completed, participants are surprised with a recognition memory test where they are to identify photos they saw in phase one.

This series of photos contains images they initially saw and some that depict different outcomes. As they were exposed to each photo, subjects were asked to report if they remembered the photo or if it looked familiar.

The researchers found differences in how those with psychopathic traits process negative events versus those without those traits. Those with high fearless dominance scores were much less likely to falsely remember negative events. Chiara Mirandola and colleagues hypothesized that this outcome is because those “individuals high in psychopathic traits do not encode the episodes with negative content to the same extent as individuals with low psychopathic traits.”

These findings align with previous research that found psychopathic individuals had distinct differences in autobiographical memory for emotional life experiences. In particular, emotional events are remembered with less detail than those who lack psychopathic traits.

Participants who scored high in the psychopathic trait of cold-heartedness were less likely to accurately remember the negative events they were exposed to but demonstrated no differences from the control group in their memory of the positive events. The research team suggests that individuals high in cold-heartedness may struggle to process strong emotions and consequently fail to encode relevant information in negative situations.

Some limitations of the study include the demographics of the sample. For example, undergraduate students may not reflect the experiences of those clinically diagnosed with psychopathology. Additionally, the memory test asked individuals to remember photographs that were not personal and may not reflect lived experiences.

Despite the limitations, Mirandola and colleagues explained that their work is important in the quest to find the truth in criminal investigations. As those with psychopathic traits may be at greater risk of interacting with law enforcement, understanding their capacity for accurate memory recall is crucial. The research team concludes, “By shedding light on the conditions of their emotion-processing difficulty, future research should be directed to the understanding of the specific mechanisms that impair memory (in particular, the encoding of the event) in individuals high in psychopathy.”

The study, “Psychopathic personality traits are linked to reduced false memories for negative events“, was authored by Chiara Mirandola, Tiziana Lanciano, Fabiana Battista, Henry Otgarr, and Antonietta Curci.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePin19Send

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

When skin becomes smoother, the face is seen as prettier, even if it isn’t detectable

One in four people may experience estrangement from a sibling in adulthood, study finds

Study uncovers a “particularly alarming” link between men’s feelings of personal deprivation and hostile sexism

Virtual reality can inoculate people against the allure of alternative romantic partners, study finds

Exposure to social media can increase adolescent materialism but can be tempered with high self-esteem and mindfulness

Study links deviations in circadian rhythm patterns to psychiatric problems in adolescents

RECENT

Massive study sheds light on the psychological consequences of COVID-19 distress among workers

New study links psychedelic drug experience to certain positive health behaviors

Electrical brain stimulation techniques can enhance hypnotizability, study finds

Exposure to social media can increase adolescent materialism but can be tempered with high self-esteem and mindfulness

An individual’s personality traits may influence their desire to make environmentally friendly food choices

Nipple erection influences perceptions of women’s intelligence, morality, and sexuality

When skin becomes smoother, the face is seen as prettier, even if it isn’t detectable

Study uncovers a “particularly alarming” link between men’s feelings of personal deprivation and hostile sexism

Currently Playing

Individuals with dark personality traits are less oriented towards long-term mating strategies

Disclosing victim status reduces online dating matches regardless of race or sex

Individuals with dark personality traits are less oriented towards long-term mating strategies

Dark Triad
Longitudinal study examines the effects of adversity on wise reasoning

New study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying Solomon’s paradox

Social Psychology
Engaging in religious practice, even if you don’t believe, may increase your capacity to delay gratification

Engaging in religious practice, even if you don’t believe, may increase your capacity to delay gratification

Cognitive Science
New study sheds light on how three distinct types of first impressions predict subsequent dating outcomes

New study sheds light on how three distinct types of first impressions predict subsequent dating outcomes

Relationships and Sexual Health
A single, moderate dose of psilocybin reduces depressive symptoms for at least two weeks, controlled study finds

A single, moderate dose of psilocybin reduces depressive symptoms for at least two weeks, controlled study finds

Depression
Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Mental Health
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • About PsyPost
    • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.