THE PSYCHOPATHIC INDIVIDUAL - A LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS TO DISTRESS CUES

In this study, we investigated the psychophysiological responsiveness of psychopathic individuals to distress cues and to threatening and ne utral stimuli. Eighteen psychopathic individuals and 18 incarcerated c ontrol individuals, identified using the Revised Psychopathy Checklist (Hare, 1991, The Hare Pscyhopathy Checklist-Revised, Toronto: Multi-H ealth Systems), were shown slides of these three types of stimuli, and their electrodermal responses were recorded. The psychopathic individ uals showed (relative to the controls) reduced electrodermal responses to the distress cues. In contrast, the two groups did not differ in t heir electrodermal responses to the threatening stimuli and to the neu tral stimuli. The results are interpreted within the Violence Inhibiti on Mechanism model (Blair, 1995, Cognition, 57, 1-29) of the psychopat hic individual.