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Brief Communications
Nature 423, 497-498 (29 May 2003) |
Forensic psychology: Violence viewed by psychopathic murderers
Nicola S. Gray1,2, Malcolm J. MacCulloch1,2,3, Jennifer Smith1, Mark Morris4 & Robert J. Snowden1
Abstract
Adapting a revealing test may expose those psychopaths who are most likely to kill.
Abstract
Psychopathic murderers are often portrayed as cold-blooded, emotionless and lacking in remorse1, but they are also adept at lying and at feigning the emotions in which they are deficient. Here we adapt a test known as the Implicit Association Test (IAT)2, which was previously used to assess concealed prejudices, to show that psychopathic murderers have abnormal cognitive associations regarding violence, which may underpin their actions. Such implicit measures may provide us with an important insight into the criminal mind.
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