The Psychopaths of Everyday Life: An Integrative Study of Neuropsychological and Neurobiological Factors in a Sample of Undergraduate Males

While considerable research suggests that incarcerated psychopaths have neurobiological and neuropsychological impairments that influence their social-emotional processing and behavior, there is little research on non-incarcerated young adults with high levels of psychopathic traits (i.e., subclinical psychopaths).

(…) Statistical analyses revealed that subclinical psychopaths had a diminished physiological response to negative affective pictures relative to controls. Additionally, subclinical psychopaths were significantly more impulsive and disinhibited on a motoric response-inhibition task, yet made better decisions than controls on a risky decision-making task. The two groups did not differ in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex cerebral oxygenation levels during a risky decision-making task or motoric response inhibition task. Overall, consistent with previous findings among samples of incarcerated psychopaths, subclinical psychopaths exhibit diminished responses to aversive stimuli, as well as behavioral disinhibition. However, spared decision-making capacities may protect subclinical psychopaths from developing more acute socially deviant behavior. Findings provide some support for Gao and Raine’s (2010) model of the neurobiological underpinnings of subclinical psychopathy, and provide evidence that subclinical psychopaths have both adaptive and non-adaptive traits.

An interesting read of the ones that hold the line.  

[img: The cover of co-author, Dr. Hare’s Snakes in a Suit, When Psychopaths Go to Work. Yeh, that Dr. Hare.]