ExEcutivE functions in psychopathy. thE nEuropsychological analysis of aggrEssivE offEndErs
Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: the chief aim of the study was to show the relationship between psychopathy and executive functions in prisoners who had been imprisoned for aggressive crimes.62 adult men aged between 20 and 63 took part in the study.the research was conducted at two prisons: in nowy wiśnicz and in kraków.the pcL-r scale by robert Hare was used to assess the psychopathy profile, while the wisconsin card sorting test (wcst), the trail Making test (tMt), the stroop color and word test (scwt) and the polish version of the Digit span from the wechsler adult intelligence scale (wais-r (pL)) were employed to assess the executive functions.the results indicated significant differences in executive functioning among the aggressive prisoners according to the specific profiles of their psychopathic personality.the highly impulsive-antisocial component of psychopathy correlates with significant impairments in executive functions in contrast with the high interpersonal component of psychopathy which does not correlate with dysexecutive syndrome.the study reached the conclusion that aggressive psychopaths fall into two groups with regard to executive functioning: psychopaths with the highly impulsive-antisocial profile whose behaviour is impulsive, disorganised and does not follow a plan (dysexecutive syndrome), and psychopaths with a high interpersonal component whose behaviour is planned, goal-oriented and highly adaptive to new situations.this latter group, which is free of problems with the executive function, poses a greater threat.
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2188023600