Cognitive models of criminal violence based upon intelligence and psychopathy levels.

Abstract

An earlier study identified a high risk for violent crime in psychopathic prisoners when intelligence was considered as a moderator. The present investigation of 168 male prisoners sought to identify more specific models of violence relating to psychopathic status by considering additional cognitive factors that might relate to intelligence and to the expression of physical aggression. Three cognitive psychopathic models were suggested by the data. An impaired-processing psychopathic model of violent crime, involving low-IQ psychopaths, would explain the highest risk factor for violence by a combination of poor impulse control and low empathy and the lack of inhibitions against physical aggression associated with poor socialization. A sadistic, effective-processing, psychopathic model of violence was suggested by the higher empathy and better impulse control of the high-IQ psychopath. It was proposed that empathy promotes sadistic reinforcement by enhancing the psychopath's awareness of the victim's pain and distress. A defensive, impaired-processing, nonpsychopathic model of violence was proposed for the low-IQ nonpsychopaths: Effective self-reinforcement coupled with poor impulse control and low empathy place them in hazardous situations that exceed their cognitive skills.

Psychopathy and violence: increasing specificity

“…IQ has been proposed to moderate the effect of psychopathy on violence such that low IQ psychopaths present greater risk for violence than do high IQ psychopaths and high and low IQ nonpsychopaths (Heilbrun 1979(Heilbrun , 1982(Heilbrun , 1990. Conversely, there is also evidence that IQ and psychopathy combine to predict violence in an additive, rather than a multiplicative manner (Holland, Beckett, and Levi, 1981).…”

Assessment of cognitive control in psychopathic and normal prisoners

“…Gorenstein (1982) did not control for level of intelligence in his study, although he indicated that education was relatively homogeneous between comparison groups. It is possible, then, as Heilbrun (1982) suggested, that intelligence is an important moderator variable which influences behavior among psychopaths.…”

Emotional processing in Colombian ex-combatants and its relationship with empathy and executive functions

“…These features have been associated with a violent environment and sociocultural deprivation (Silva, Derecho, Leong, Weinstock, & Ferrari, 2001). Empathy deficits are related to inadequate identification of emotional expressions (Marsh et al, 2008;Petroni et al, 2011), reward-oriented behaviour without concern for the consequences (Brazil et al, 2011) and deficits in executive functions such as inhibitory control and working memory (Heilbrun, 1982;Nelson & Trainor, 2007;Paschall & Fishbein, 2002). Furthermore, theory of mind, an empathy-related process (Ibanez et al, 2013), has effects on behavioural, emotional and moral judgement control in violent individuals (Ragsdale, Foley, & Lauwereyns, 2011).…”

“…In addition, impairments in executive functions are another important factor in individuals with deficiencies in social interactions (Brazil et al, 2011;Heilbrun, 1982;Nelson & Trainor, 2007;Paschall & Fishbein, 2002). Moreover, in populations with antisocial personality disorder and psychopathic behaviour, impairments in executive function have often been observed (Brazil et al, 2011;Salnaitis, Baker, Holland, & Welsh, 2011).…”