Psychopathy

A new study shows that individuals with higher psychopathic traits are less likely to punish unfair behavior, especially when it costs them personally. The research suggests self-interest, not a lack of moral understanding, drives their reluctance to enforce social norms.

A new study suggests that people who are more resilient are less likely to develop psychopathic traits after experiencing childhood trauma. The findings highlight the protective role of resilience and its potential for reducing harmful personality patterns later in life.

Researchers found that voters’ authoritarian tendencies influenced how they judged the psychopathic traits of 2016 presidential candidates. Those high in authoritarianism were more likely to view Trump favorably and Clinton as psychologically disordered—and vice versa.

A new study sheds light on the brain processes behind learning deficits in people with psychopathic traits. Researchers found that antisocial, interpersonal, and affective traits each relate differently to how individuals respond to rewards, punishments, and environmental changes

A new study in Psychological Medicine found no evidence that violent offenders have impaired fear processing, but showed they are more likely to perceive ambiguous faces as angry.

A new study finds that early life experiences can influence whether people high in psychopathy engage in criminal behavior.

New research shows that head injuries in justice-involved youth are linked to more severe psychopathic traits, with substance use and cognitive problems playing a key role in the connection.

Neuroscientists have identified a link between psychopathic meanness and reduced brain activity during face perception.

New research finds that some men become more sexually aggressive after winning a competition—especially those with cold, dominant personality traits.

Reduced sensitivity to pain could be the key to understanding empathy deficits in individuals with psychopathic traits, a recent study suggests.

A study found no significant association between psychopathic traits and recall or recognition of emotional or neutral stimuli, suggesting that psychopathy does not impair general memory or preferential emotional memory processing in male inmates.

Researchers found that individuals with higher levels of antisociality are quicker to expand their attentional focus, a sign of reduced control over attention. This sheds light on the cognitive mechanisms behind psychopathy’s behavioral patterns.

Individuals with higher psychopathic traits show reduced pain sensitivity and struggle to learn from painful consequences, often reverting to initial beliefs rather than adapting behavior, which may explain their tendency to repeat harmful actions.

Psychopathy and sociopathy are both personality traits related to antisocial behaviors, but they differ in origin and emphasis.