A Motivational Framework for Psychopathy: Toward a Reconceptualization of the Disorder

Abstract

The link between psychopathy and violence has been well documented. Estimates have psychopathic offenders responsible for as much as 40% of violence-related crime (e.g., Hare, 1999; extrapolated from Serin, 1991), and show rates of violent recidivism up to five times higher than non-psychopathic offenders (Hemphill, Hare, & Wong, 1998). Existing theories of the disorder argue that this violence stems from core insensitivity to emotional/aversive information, or from core inability to optimally allocate processing resources in complex environments. However, some newer findings have been difficult for existing theories to assimilate; moreover, successful treatment programs based off current conceptualizations have been slow to develop With this in mind, the current paper proposes a new motivational framework for considering psychopathy, within which the disorder is conceptualized as stemming from more strategic, motivated processes. The paper begins by reviewing traditional theories of psychopathy and highlighting their explanatory strengths and limitations. The proposed motivational framework is then outlined, and a supportive rationale for the framework provided. Next, the paper undertakes a selective review of some of the most empirically-supported features of the disorder, in order to highlight how these features may be productively reformulated within a motivational framework. Finally, the paper suggests several methods through which an empirical evaluation of the proposed ideas may be undertaken, and explores potential implications of a motivational framework for next-generation rehabilitation and treatment opportunities.

A multi-method investigation of motive dispositions: affiliative and antagonistic dispositions in psychopathy

“…Future research can elucidate these if-then contingencies in psychopathy even further, as well as in other personality constructs and pathologies. Finally, our findings are in line with recent advances in the psychopathy literature that move from a deficit perspective to a motivational perspective (Garofalo and Neumann, 2018; Glenn et al , 2017; Groat and Shane, 2019; Jonason and Ferrell, 2016; Jonason and Zeigler-Hill, 2018; Shane and Groat, 2018; Spantidaki Kyriazi et al , 2020). According to the latter perspective, abnormalities in emotional [5] or cognitive functioning, as well as other maladaptive behavior typically ascribed to psychopathy, may stem not only from limited ability but also from limited motivation .…”

The Societal Response to Psychopathy in the Community

“…Given these open empirical possibilities, we do not have sufficient reason to consider psychopathic aberrations in learning as manifestations of disabilities caused by the impairments in the internal resources. In contrast to typical cases of impairments that are associated with different forms of disability, the empirical evidence does not unequivocally indicate that the learning and emotion processing abnormalities seen in relation to elevated levels of psychopathy concern issues that are beyond their control (Groat & Shane, 2020; see also Godman, 2018). In fact, if learning difficulties appear and disappear depending on the type of rewards, attention, or the motivations of the individuals with psychopathy, then they seem to be able to control their behaviors and the outcomes of those behaviors.…”

“…The notion of impairment relevant for the adopted hybrid account requires minimally an enduring bodily, emotional, or psychological damage that explains the inability to perform important life activities. However, currently available studies on psychopathy do not support such a strong conclusion (Groat & Shane, 2020). The studies supporting the information processing accounts indicate that psychopathic individuals do not suffer from incapacities, in the sense of irrevocable and pervasive damage to the abilities to learn from punishment or recognizing emotional stimuli (Jurjako & Malatesti, 2018b; Koenigs & Newman, 2013).…”

“…Moreover, the variability in results might be explained by motivation-based approaches to psychopathy. According to these approaches, psychopathy is associated with aberrant emotional and cognitive processing that can be explained by their lack of motivation to process distinct types of information (Groat & Shane, 2020). Thus, the motivations, desires, or even the value judgments that psychopathic individuals attach to experiencing different stimuli might have downstream effects on how those stimuli will be processed in their cognitive and emotional systems.…”