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Psychopathic Behavior: An Information Processing Perspective

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Psychopathy: Theory, Research and Implications for Society

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASID,volume 88))

Abstract

In contrast to syndromes such as schizophrenia, depression, and the various anxiety disorders in which the contribution of some disordered psychological process is taken for granted, there is considerable skepticism regarding the existence of psychopathology in psychopaths. When a person has difficulty regulating thoughts or feelings we find it natural to attribute the problem to psychopathology but, when it is a person’s behavior that is poorly regulated, we are more inclined to attribute the problem to inadequate motivation or maliciousness. In other words, we find it plausible that thoughts and feelings may escape voluntary control, but we seem to have trouble thinking about behavior in the same way.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA

    Joseph P. Newman

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  1. Joseph P. Newman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Douglas Inch Centre, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK

    David J. Cooke

  2. Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

    Adelle E. Forth

  3. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Robert D. Hare

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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Newman, J.P. (1998). Psychopathic Behavior: An Information Processing Perspective. In: Cooke, D.J., Forth, A.E., Hare, R.D. (eds) Psychopathy: Theory, Research and Implications for Society. NATO ASI Series, vol 88. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3965-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3965-6_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-4920-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3965-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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