Sociopathic Experiments

Statistics gathered by the National Institute of Mental Health report as many as 9 percent of the adults in the U.S. population were diagnosed with a sociopathic disorder in 2007. Several experimental studies have attempted to identity the physical and psychological mechanisms that play a part in this disorder.

Identification

• The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMIV) classifies sociopathic behavior under antisocial personality disorder. Sociopaths, also known as psychopaths, are described as incapable of empathy toward others, are cruel and insensitive, and show little or no remorse for their actions. In the early 1990s, Dr. Robert Hare, a Canadian researcher with the University of British Columbia, developed a 22-item checklist that identifies characteristics of the sociopathic personality. This checklist is a standard assessment tool used by practitioners to diagnose antisocial personality.

Case Study Experiment

• Hare conducted a case study involving a man named Al who had 46 criminal convictions. This study appeared as a PBS documentary in 2007. The experiment used a language test that involved a listening device. The study sought to determine whether abnormalities in brain processing are present in individuals with antisocial personality disorder. Results from the experiment revealed language to be processed in both of Al's brain hemispheres, as opposed to the left-brain processing inherent in individuals who don't have this condition. A second experiment with Al sought to explain the robotic emotional expression that appear in individuals with sociopathic characteristics. Emotional response recording showed no change in response when Al was shown emotional words versus being shown neutral words. Hare associates the sociopath's apparent lack of fear with his tendency toward insensitivity, as well as with an inability to learn from experience.

Inmate Study Experiment

• According to a September 1995 article in the Harvard Mental Health Letter titled "Psychopaths: New Trends in Research," sociopathic traits appear in 15 percent to 25 percent of the U.S. inmate population. As a result, this population is one of the primary sources used when conducting experiments. An article written by Christopher J. Patrick titled "Emotion and Psychopathy: Startling New Insights" reports on an experiment in which emotional response was measured using a group of criminal offenders. The group was shown slides that depicted violent and pleasant scenes. While viewing the slides, unexpected loud noises were made. Emotional responses when viewing violent slides showed a calm, unaffected demeanor as opposed to a startled response observed in non-criminal offenders. The lack of emotional response characteristic of sociopathic personality is considered the reason for the lack of emotional reaction in the subjects. This article appeared in the 1994 "Psychophysiology" journal, volume 31.

Game Experiment

• One sociopathic experiment conducted in 1970 involves the use of games. The experiment was based on the principles that underlie Machiavellian Intelligence. The purpose for the study was to determine whether individuals capable of shrewdness, manipulation and cunning were strong opponents within a game setting. The experiment was conducted by two sociologists. Individuals with high and low Machiavellian tendencies were given a questionnaire that asked how other Machiavellian types would respond to the questions on the questionnaire. Results from the study showed individuals with high Machiavellian tendencies were more prone to underestimate the scores received by other participants, and also assumed everyone else was at an average level. Researchers concluded that errors in judgment made by these types are a result of being less attentive to the social and emotional cues of others.

Brain Lesion Experiment

• Experiments examining the effects of damage or injury caused to the frontal lobe region of the brain were conducted by a neurologist named Antonio Damasio. The Somatic Marker Hypothesis is the result of this research in which the Iowa Gambling Task--an assessment tool created by Damasio--was used to measure emotion-based learning abilities in subjects who'd undergone brain injury and in sociopaths. Results obtained from the experiment were linked to somatic markers within the brain that determine learning ability within decision-making tasks that can result in adverse consequences. Areas of the brain that regulate fear arousal and cognition were defined as the active somatic markers. Damasio views physiological differences as a primary cause for the sociopathic behaviors exhibited by antisocial personality-types.