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Emotion and psychopathy: Startling new insights

Emotion and psychopathy: Startling new insights Abnormal affective response in psychopaths is conceptualized within a broad theory of emotion that emphasizes reciprocal appetitive and defensive motivational systems. The startle response is proposed as a specific measure of the directional component of emotional activation. I review the literature that indicates that criminal psycho‐paths do not show the expected potentiation of the startle reflex that normally occurs during processing of aversive stimuli such as unpleasant photgraphs or punishment cues. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that this deviant response pattern is specific to individuals who display the classic affective symptoms of psychopathy. The core emotional deviation in psychopathy could be a deficit in fear response, which is defined as a failure of aversive cues to prime normal defensive actions. This emotional deficit may represent an extreme variant of normal temperament. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Psychophysiology Wiley

Emotion and psychopathy: Startling new insights

Psychophysiology , Volume 31 (4) – Jan 1, 1994

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References (78)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 Wiley Subscription Services
ISSN
0048-5772
eISSN
1469-8986
DOI
10.1111/j.1469-8986.1994.tb02440.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abnormal affective response in psychopaths is conceptualized within a broad theory of emotion that emphasizes reciprocal appetitive and defensive motivational systems. The startle response is proposed as a specific measure of the directional component of emotional activation. I review the literature that indicates that criminal psycho‐paths do not show the expected potentiation of the startle reflex that normally occurs during processing of aversive stimuli such as unpleasant photgraphs or punishment cues. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that this deviant response pattern is specific to individuals who display the classic affective symptoms of psychopathy. The core emotional deviation in psychopathy could be a deficit in fear response, which is defined as a failure of aversive cues to prime normal defensive actions. This emotional deficit may represent an extreme variant of normal temperament.

Journal

PsychophysiologyWiley

Published: Jan 1, 1994

Keywords: ; ; ; ; ;

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