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

This record has been viewed 520 times.