Antisocial Personality Disorder Outline

 Mass murderers – do they meet the criteria for APD?  Can we predict dangerousness?  Early warnings in children include unhappiness, narcissism, self- centeredness, uncertainty, & an inability to form relationships.  Common signals in childhood: prolonged bed-wetting, cruelty to animals, setting fires, strange, shy, sad, no friends, a loner, a boy.  Incapable of remorse.  Pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begs in childhood or early adolescence & continues into adulthood.  Experts are divided on the causes of the disorder.  R. D. Hare – brainwaives of psychopaths different – little to no activity at all in the front parts of the brain.  Mcnaghten rules have existed in some form or another since 1843.  McNaughten rule does not apply to APD.  Historically called moral imbecility with the high grade feeblemindedness.  Moral imbeciles were often cunning, manipulative, & highly intelligent.  Correlational data: two types of familial risks – parental psychopathology & several aspects of parenting behavior.  The role of depression?  Frick et al – high rates of substance abuse in the parents of children with conduct disorders.  Research supports the association is stronger between father & child.  Behavioral manifestations of sociopathy seem to be different for men and women.