Many
films such as American Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre have painted
an image that a psychopath is an extraordinarily violent person who is scarily
skilled in manipulating people. However, what makes someone a psychopath has
proven to be a very difficult and complex task. According to James Fallon in
his book The Psychopath Inside, he
states that the most accurate definition for what psychopathy is would be
Antisocial Personality Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM). Fallon stated that the DSM explains this disorder as a
person who cannot mold to social norms and demonstrating irresponsibility,
deceitfulness, recklessness, disregard for others, and aggression. Not all
diagnosed psychopaths or sociopaths are serial killers or murders of any kind,
as proven by James Fallon himself. Fallon’s brain scan matches the patterns of
a stereotypical psychopath that include decreased activity around the amygdala
and in the orbital cortex. The decrease in activity of these areas result in
reduced empathy and increases compulsive behavior. Fallon is an example of
someone who proves that a psychopath is not always a rabid killer. He describes
himself as someone who can easily manipulate/charm people and is always looking
for new adventures and social situations. There is a genetic underlying cause
for how someone’s character develops which could determine whether or not
someone with psychopathic brain patterns might be more or less aggressive.
In
the article “Can You Make a Sociopath—Either Through Brain Injury or Other
Types of Trauma?” by Scientific American discusses
that environmental factors can also play a role in the development of
psychopathy and whether or not a person would be on the violent or manic (as in
Fallon’s case) side of the spectrum. A person with a genetic predisposition to
psychopathy who was raised in a home where they were abused or some sort of
negative environment is more likely to develop the traits of a psychopath
compared to someone raised in a loving and caring home. Also, damage to the
brain can cause someone to develop the same characteristics. In the article it
states that if the amygdala or frontal lobe is harmed during an accident that
the person can develop the same brain patterns of a psychopath. As Fallon
mentions in his book, so many factors can play a role in the development and
form of psychotic disorders. The Scientific
American article supports this and demonstrates why it is difficult to
define psychotic disorders such as psychopathy. Since Fallon was raised in a
supportive and caring home, it could be the reason why he is not on the violent
side of the psychopathic spectrum.
References:
Fallon,
J. (2013). The psychopath inside: a
neuroscientist's personal journey into the dark side of the brain. New York, NY: The
Penguin Book.
Daly,
C. (2012). Can You Make a Sociopath—Either Through Brain Injury or Other Types
of Trauma?. In Scientific American. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-you-make-sociopath-through-brain-injury-trauma/
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