Psychopathic Traits and Perceptions of Crime

• In Event: Roundtable: Individual-Level Explanations of Crime

Abstract

Evidence suggests that psychopathy and its constituent traits are strongly related to criminal behavior. Mounting evidence from psychology research also suggests that psychopathic individuals are less responsive to stimuli that normally elicit responses such as fear or sorrow. This inhibited reactivity can lead to lowered fear responsivity and skewed perceptions of the personal and social costs and rewards of crime. Accordingly, individuals high in psychopathic traits may have reduced fear of punishment and increased perceptions of the rewards of crime. The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between psychopathic traits, perceptions of consequences, and crime in a sample of offenders from the Pathways to Desistance data. Understanding the relationship between psychopathy, perceptions of consequences, and crime can provide new avenues for intervention for individuals high in psychopathic traits.

Author

• Sultan Altikriti, University of Cincinnati