Viewing Negative Pictures, Valence Ratings While Viewing Negative Pictures, Or Aggression During a Laboratory Aggression Task
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Examining the Neuroendocrine, Autonomic, and Neuropsychological Markers of Subclinical Psychopathy A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Elizabeth M. Bolinger August 2017 © 2017 Elizabeth M. Bolinger. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Examining the Neuroendocrine, Autonomic, and Neuropsychological Markers of Subclinical Psychopathy by ELIZABETH M. BOLINGER has been approved for the Department of Psychology and the College of Arts and Sciences by Julie A. Suhr Professor of Psychology Robert Frank Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 Abstract BOLINGER, ELIZABETH M., Ph.D. August 2017, Psychology Examining the Neuroendocrine, Autonomic, and Neuropsychological Markers of Subclinical Psychopathy Director of Dissertation: Julie A. Suhr While there is considerable evidence for neurobiological and neuropsychological impairments in clinical or incarcerated psychopaths, there is less research examining these domains among nonincarcerated adults with high levels of psychopathic traits (i.e., subclinical psychopaths). The present study examined differences in neuroendocrine and autonomic functioning, affective processing, and self-reported and behavioral aggression in young adult males with high levels of subclinical psychopathy, compared to young adult males with low levels of psychopathic characteristics. Participants completed self- report questionnaires assessing psychopathic traits, aggression, drug and alcohol use, and other demographic information. They provided salivary cortisol samples before and 25 minutes after participating in a social stressor. Participants completed an affective processing task, during which their skin conductance reactivity was measured. They also engaged in a behavioral aggression task. Contrary to hypotheses, no differences between psychopathic groups were found in basal cortisol levels or cortisol reactivity following a social stressor, skin conductance reactivity while viewing negative pictures, valence ratings while viewing negative pictures, or aggression during a laboratory aggression task. Consistent with hypotheses, males with higher levels of psychopathic traits reported engaging in more physical and verbal aggression compared to the group with lower levels 4 of psychopathic traits. Exploratory analyses suggested differential relationships between psychopathy subtype factors and outcome variables, with the factor associated with the secondary psychopathy subtype positively and consistently related to all self-reported aggression. The results suggest there is a need to control for and examine the characteristics associated with the two subtypes of psychopathy in studies of the psychopathy construct, particularly as they relate to various forms of aggression. 5 Dedication I dedicate this project to my mother, the strongest person I know. She taught me to never give up. I also dedicate this to my late father, as he always shared my fascination with aberrant human behavior. 6 Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. Julie Suhr for her continued commitment to this project and the many hours spent in collaboration with me. Her willingness to jump off the cliff alongside me will never be forgotten. I would also like to thank Dr. Peggy Zoccola for her valuable help and patience, Dr. Bryan Wymbs for his recommendations and interest in my project, and Dr. Ursala Castellano and Dr. Chantel Weisenmuller for their willingness to be a part of this journey. I would also like to thank the research assistants and student participants who dedicated many hours for this study. I could not have completed this project without them. I am so grateful for you all. 7 Table of Contents Page Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication ........................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................... 6 List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 11 Characterization of Psychopathy Construct .................................................................. 12 Neuroimaging Findings in Psychopathy ....................................................................... 14 Hormonal Findings in Psychopathy .............................................................................. 15 Physiological Findings in Psychopathy ........................................................................ 18 Aggression Findings in Psychopathy ............................................................................ 20 The Current Study ......................................................................................................... 21 Method .............................................................................................................................. 23 Participants ................................................................................................................... 23 Experimental Procedures ............................................................................................. 24 Measures ................................................................................................................... 24 Self-report measures of psychopathic traits .......................................................... 24 General intellectual functioning ……………………………………………….. 25 Demographic and adherence to study protocol questionnaires ………………… 25 Self-report measures of substance use and criminality ………………………… 26 Self-report measure of mood ………………………………………………….. 26 Physiological arousal ………………………………………………………….. 27 Affective tasks …………………………………………………………………. 28 Aggression tasks ……………………………………………………………….. 28 Neuroendocrine functioning …………………………………………………… 30 Experimental procedure …………………………………………………………... 31 Initial screening ………………………………………………………………….31 Testing session ………………………………………………………………..... 33 Results ………………………………………………………………………………….. 36 Data Analysis ………………………………………………………………………. 36 8 Hypothesis 1: Tests for Differences in Cortisol …………………………………….. 38 Hypothesis 2: Physiological Responding to Emotional Pictures …………………… 40 Hypothesis 3: Affective Responding to Emotional Pictures ………………………... 42 Hypothesis 4: Aggression …………………………………………………………. 42 Relation of Primary and Secondary Psychopathy to Outcome Variables ………….. 44 Relation of 2D:4D Ratios to outcome Variables …………………………………… 45 Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………… 48 Future Directions ………………………………………………………………….... 58 References …………………………………………………………………………….... 61 Appendix A: Review of Previous Subclinical Psychopathy Literature ……………….. 96 Appendix B: Testing Procedures and Psychometric Review of Measures …………….107 Appendix C: Supplemental Tables …………………………………………………….145 9 List of Tables Page Table 1: Psychopathy and Demographic Variables in Low and High Psychopathic Traits Groups .............................................................................................................................38 Table 2: Demographic and Lifestyle Variables in Groups High and Low in Psychopathic Traits ...............................................................................................................................39 Table 3: Cortisol Levels at Baseline, Peak Reactivity to the TSST and Change Scores, Skin Conductance Reactivity, and Valence Ratings to Negative Pictures in Low and High Psychopathy Groups .......................................................................................................41 Table 4: Differences in Aggression Measures between Low and High Psychopathy Groups …………………………………………………………………………………43 Table 5: Correlations between Psychopathy Factors and Study Variables in the High Psychopathy Traits Group ……………………………………………………………. 46 Table 6: Correlations between Left and Right Hand 2D:4D Ratios and Study Variables Both Psychopathic Traits Groups …………………………………………………….. 47 Table A1: A Review of Imaging Studies of Frontal and Temporal Lobe Functioning in Subclinical Psychopathic Studies ……………………………………………………. 96 Table A2: A Review of Studies Examining EEGs and ERPs in Subclinical Psychopaths …………………………………………………………………………………………98 Table A3: Skin Conductance Findings in Subclinical Psychopaths and Juveniles with Psychopathic Traits ………………………………………………………………… 100 10 Table A4: Affective/Emotional Processing and Recognition in Subclinical Psychopathy ………………………………………………………………………………………..102 Table A5: Recent Studies of Aggression in Subclinical Psychopathic Samples …... 105 Table B1: Procedure for the Testing Session ……………………………………… 107 Table C1: Demographic Variables by Prescreen Group in Low and High Psychopathic Traits Groups ……………………………………………………………………….. 145 Table C2: Correlations between PPI-SF and LSRP Total and Subtype Factor Scores………………………………………………………………………………. 146 11 Introduction Psychopathy is a clinical construct characterized by pathological personality and behavioral traits. Interpersonally, psychopathic individuals may be characterized as self- centered, grandiose, shallow, superficially charming, manipulative, and blaming of others. Emotionally,