Reduced sensitivity to others' fearful expressions in psychopathic individuals

R. J.R. Blair; D. G.V. Mitchell; K. S. Peschardt; E. Colledge; R. A. Leonard; J. H. Shine; L. K. Murray; D. I. Perrett

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2003.10.008

Reduced sensitivity to others' fearful expressions in psychopathic individuals

R. J.R. Blair, D. G.V. Mitchell, K. S. Peschardt, E. Colledge, R. A. Leonard, J. H. Shine, L. K. Murray, D. I. Perrett

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

247 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigates the ability of psychopathic individuals to process facial emotional expressions. Psychopathic and comparison individuals, as defined by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R), were presented with a standardized set of facial expressions depicting six emotions: happy, surprised, disgusted, angry, sad and fearful. Participants observed as these facial expressions slowly evolved through 20 successive frames of increasing intensity. The dependent variables were latency in responding as measured by frame and number of errors. The psychopathic individuals showed selective impairment for the recognition of fearful expressions. The results are interpreted with reference to the Violence Inhibition Mechanism model of psychopathy and the suggestion that psychopathic individuals present with amygdala dysfunction.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1111-1122
Number of pages	12
Journal	Personality and Individual Differences
Volume	37
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2003.10.008
State	Published - Oct 2004
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Amygdala
Facial expressions
Fear
Orbital frontal cortex
Violence inhibition mechanism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Psychology

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10.1016/j.paid.2003.10.008

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title = "Reduced sensitivity to others' fearful expressions in psychopathic individuals",

abstract = "This study investigates the ability of psychopathic individuals to process facial emotional expressions. Psychopathic and comparison individuals, as defined by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R), were presented with a standardized set of facial expressions depicting six emotions: happy, surprised, disgusted, angry, sad and fearful. Participants observed as these facial expressions slowly evolved through 20 successive frames of increasing intensity. The dependent variables were latency in responding as measured by frame and number of errors. The psychopathic individuals showed selective impairment for the recognition of fearful expressions. The results are interpreted with reference to the Violence Inhibition Mechanism model of psychopathy and the suggestion that psychopathic individuals present with amygdala dysfunction.",

keywords = "Amygdala, Facial expressions, Fear, Orbital frontal cortex, Violence inhibition mechanism",

author = "Blair, {R. J.R.} and Mitchell, {D. G.V.} and Peschardt, {K. S.} and E. Colledge and Leonard, {R. A.} and Shine, {J. H.} and Murray, {L. K.} and Perrett, {D. I.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by a Medical Research Council grant [ref. G9716841], the Department of Health (VISPED initiative) and the Danish Research Council (KSP).",

year = "2004",

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doi = "10.1016/j.paid.2003.10.008",

language = "English (US)",

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journal = "Personality and Individual Differences",

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AU - Blair, R. J.R.

AU - Mitchell, D. G.V.

AU - Peschardt, K. S.

AU - Colledge, E.

AU - Leonard, R. A.

AU - Shine, J. H.

AU - Murray, L. K.

AU - Perrett, D. I.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a Medical Research Council grant [ref. G9716841], the Department of Health (VISPED initiative) and the Danish Research Council (KSP).

PY - 2004/10

Y1 - 2004/10

N2 - This study investigates the ability of psychopathic individuals to process facial emotional expressions. Psychopathic and comparison individuals, as defined by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R), were presented with a standardized set of facial expressions depicting six emotions: happy, surprised, disgusted, angry, sad and fearful. Participants observed as these facial expressions slowly evolved through 20 successive frames of increasing intensity. The dependent variables were latency in responding as measured by frame and number of errors. The psychopathic individuals showed selective impairment for the recognition of fearful expressions. The results are interpreted with reference to the Violence Inhibition Mechanism model of psychopathy and the suggestion that psychopathic individuals present with amygdala dysfunction.

AB - This study investigates the ability of psychopathic individuals to process facial emotional expressions. Psychopathic and comparison individuals, as defined by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R), were presented with a standardized set of facial expressions depicting six emotions: happy, surprised, disgusted, angry, sad and fearful. Participants observed as these facial expressions slowly evolved through 20 successive frames of increasing intensity. The dependent variables were latency in responding as measured by frame and number of errors. The psychopathic individuals showed selective impairment for the recognition of fearful expressions. The results are interpreted with reference to the Violence Inhibition Mechanism model of psychopathy and the suggestion that psychopathic individuals present with amygdala dysfunction.

KW - Amygdala

KW - Facial expressions

KW - Fear

KW - Orbital frontal cortex

KW - Violence inhibition mechanism

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IS - 6

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Reduced sensitivity to others' fearful expressions in psychopathic individuals

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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