British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Why Do Some People Become Psychopaths?

Synopsis
Professor Essi Viding, winner of the 2017 Rosalind Franklin Award Lecture, explains why some people develop psychopathy and whether it can it be prevented.
Psychopathy has long captured the public imagination. Newspaper column inches and Hollywood films alike mirror our curiosity and capture our natural fear of characters who seem to lack basic humanity. Psychopathy is a developmental disorder characterised by lack of empathy and guilt, manipulation of other people and premeditated violence.
Research has demonstrated that some individuals are genetically vulnerable to developing psychopathy and display atypical brain responses to other people’s distress and social affiliative cues. These insights suggest why the typical socialisation processes can derail in those at risk for psychopathy, but also indicate what might be helpful in preventing the condition. [57 minutes]
Series
Rosalind Franklin Lecture 2017
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Year of production
2017
Subjects
Psychiatry; Psychology
Keywords
child development; emotional development; empathy

Online availability

URI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i04ky-Aat2E
Delivery
Streamed

Credits

Contributor
Professor Essi Viding

Sponsor

Name

Royal Society

Distributor

Name

YouTube

Web
http://www.youtube.com External site opens in new window

Record Stats

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