SECTION A
Features of Psychopathy
Psychopathy is recognized as a personality disorder whose characteristics are a combination of interpersonal, affective and behavioral traits (Beaver, et al., 2011). The main features of psychopathic traits include; the inability to empathize, remorselessness, short-temperedness and guiltlessness (Hare, 2006). Psychopathic conditions are thus observed to be directly related to a person’s ability to commit crimes persons in this condition lack humane considerations in their activities.
Evidence of Genetic Inheritance
The main findings that stipulate the portray the inheritance of psychopathic traits are the exhibits from monozygotic (MZ) twins who exhibit more striking similarities as compared to the dizygotic (DZ) twins due to the higher percentage of DNA they share (Beaver, et al., 2011). The phenotypic variance in shared and non-shared environments additionally provides an important focus on the description of genetic inheritance of the psychopathic traits.
Study Designs that Outline Inheritance
The Adoption-Based research design method is the most commonly used measure of genetic inheritance in persons with psychopathic traits. The genetic effects are measured by analyzing the genetic link between parents and their off-springs (Beaver, et al., 2011). In adoption techniques, off-springs who share little contact with their biological parents but portray similar characteristics are regarded to be able to do so due to genetic links. Through the adoption based research design, the genetic make-up of organisms is tested and compared with the behaviors of other organisms in that genetic line to help ascertain any genetic link in their similar behaviors especially when in different environments (Beaver, et al., 2011).
The twin-based research design is another important research design through which the measurement of human traits and environmental effects are easily measured. Through the twin-based research design, it is evident that the psychopathic personality traits are largely influenced by a person’s genetic composition and any other resultant variance is attributed to the surrounding environmental effects (Beaver, et al., 2011).
Importance of Environmental Factors
In the development of psychopathic traits, it is observed that genetic compositions play a major role in explaining the variances in various traits. The remaining portion of the personality trait variances is attributed to the non-shared environmental factors among the persons under consideration (Beaver, et al., 2011). Similar environmental set-ups are attributed with the ability to foster similar psychopathic personality traits whereas non shared environments account for the resulting variances, to help account for the proportions not accounted for under genetic influence.
A non-shared environment is one which two or more characters under considerations don’t get to interact with concurrently (Beaver, et al., 2011). This means that, if a person is in the company of criminal gangs dealing with drug peddling and another in the company of church choir youths, then the two environments of living are non-shared and could account for any evident variances in the psychopathic personality traits of the persons in the two environments. The characteristics of one environment of operation and stay need to be very different from those of another environment to help classify them as non-shared among persons under study (Beaver, et al., 2011). A shared environment on the other hand is one which persons under consideration live and interact together without change. The encounters of one individual on a daily basis are the ones another individual under consideration goes through, hence, unlikely to contribute to any variance in their personality traits as the environmental characteristics under consideration are strikingly the same (Beaver, et al., 2011).
The non-shared environment is largely thought to be responsible for the variances in the psychopathic personality traits of people, for psychologists seeking to mitigate the development of psychopathy, and the consideration of non-shared environments forms a basis for policy formulation (Beaver, et al., 2011). Psychologists have to consider the percentage of influence on psychopathic personality traits attributed to non-shared environments to help develop efficient mechanisms to control the development of psychopathy among people.
SECTION B: Psychopathy in the Family Video
In the video, psychopathic conditions are perceived to run in the family through genes. Kids with such conditions are attributed to inheriting them from a family lineage and sometimes even the mother who isn’t a victim of callous unemotional traits may not understand why her kids are suffering from the condition.
The callous unemotional condition can be considered a trait because it influences the behavior of kids and other affected persons in a similar manner. The condition manifested in the ability of people to understand the pain and suffering other people go through but lacks the feelings for their pain. Thus, it can easily be classified as a trait.
SECTION C: Iceman Story
In the Iceman story, his inability to develop feelings for his victims from a tender age when he used to kill cats and eventually when he began committing murders without remorse can be traced back to the trait theory. Iceman’s personality may have been modified by the cruel home environment created by his father, who used to be very harsh and remorseless in severely punishing his children. Iceman saw his father beat without feelings for others’ pain and even killed his son who was Iceman’s eldest brother and got away with it through lying.
Iceman’s personality disorder may have been influenced by inherited gene x environment, which originated from his father who boldly exhibited an antisocial behavior and extreme violence without remorse. Iceman grew in an environment of remorse and violence in his family as his father used to seriously abuse his mother and the family at large, making him get used to violence as a normal lifestyle.
SECTION D: Applying the Theory (Question 1)
In the process of sentencing a person suffering from psychopathic disorder who has committed crimes, the courts should consider the factors that propelled them to committing that crime. The very first step to be taken before sentencing people guilty of committing various crimes should the subjection to medical examinations to help ascertaining their mental and health conditions. This helps ascertain any factors that may have prompted a person to commit a given crime. An advice to the court is that persons suffering from psychopathic disorders are sick and require special therapies to help them regain their humane consciousness. Additionally, the courts should consider the ultimate and proximate causes that influence people to commit crimes.
The court should then re-visit its guidelines with regard to the provisions of sentencing individuals suffering from psychopathy. The pleads made by the accused with regard to the realization of the crime they have committed should also be factored in addition to the consideration of the main aggravating factors that may have led to the accused committing the stipulated crime. The court should then analyze and evaluate whether the accused was in a position to mitigate his/her actions so as to be able to make sound judgments
SECTION E: Reflective Question
The solutions presented to the court with regard to how best to handle persons suffering from psychopathy are very crucial to the process of ensuring justice is done in addition to helping the accused not to repeat such crimes through treatment to help cure the condition. The main strengths of our solutions are that; the accused is able to access justice depending on his ability to mitigate his condition and the court sentencing factors the impact of the disorder on his actions that may have led to committing of the said crime. Additionally, our contribution will also help the court draw guidelines on how the accused can be helped to regain from their conditions. Our presentation did not portray any limitation with regard to the information delivered to the court to assist in the sentencing of the persons suffering from psychopathy. In my opinion, the main strength of my study design was the strong literature and evidence back-up availed to help illustrate the psychopathy condition.
References
Beaver, K.M., Rowland, M.W., Schwartz, J.A. & Nedelec, J.L. (2011). The genetic origins of
psychopathic personality traits in adult males and females: Results from an adoption-based study. Journal of Criminal Justice, 39(2011), 426-432.
Hare, R. D. (2006). Psychopathy: A clinical and forensic overview. The Psychiatric Clinics
of North America, 29(2006), 709–724.
