Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
94834 Aggression and Violent Behavior 2011 10 Pages PDF
Abstract

Psychopathy represents a unique set of personality traits including deceitfulness, lack of empathy and guilt, impulsiveness, and antisocial behavior. Most often in the literature, psychopathy is described as pathology — a disorder that has been linked to a variety of biological deficits and environmental risk factors. However, from an evolutionary perspective, psychopathy, while it could be a disorder, has been construed in the context of an adaptive strategy. In this article we will examine the strengths and weaknesses of two models suggesting that psychopathy is an adaptive strategy, and one model suggesting that it is a form of pathology resulting from accumulated mutations. Overall, we do not find that there is strong enough evidence to draw firm conclusions about one theory over another, but we highlight some areas where future research may be able to shed light on the issue.

Research highlights► We review evolutionary models that may apply to psychopathy. ► Psychopathy might be an adaptive strategy or a result of accumulated mutations. ► We do not find strong enough evidence to support one hypothesis over another.

Related Topics
Health Sciences Medicine and Dentistry Forensic Medicine
Authors
, , ,