This period marked the infancy of our understanding of abnormal psychology, such that practitioners were only beginning to understand the organic relationship between the brain and individual differences in thoughts and behavior. However, notions that such behavior may constitute a mental deficiency rather than an evil nature gained traction only relatively recently, around the early 19 th century. In doing so, this will help to clarify the pathophysiology underlying discrete patterns of aggressive behavior among psychopaths, a population that may indeed be particularly susceptible to violent behavior.Įssential Background: Conceptualization of Psychopathyĭescriptions of particularly unscrupulous individuals, who fail to learn from punishment and who habitually violate the rights of others for personal gain, have been well documented throughout history and across cultures( Murphy 1976). In order to achieve a more sophisticated understanding of the relationships between psychopathy and aggression, it will be necessary to review some essential background which has contributed to our contemporary understanding of both constructs. Furthermore, aggression comes in many forms ranging from drunken bar brawls to calculated homicide, and in some conceptualizations even includes non-violent actions. Psychopaths are often mischaracterized in the popular media, promulgating misconceptions about this psychiatric disorder, which has been well-defined in clinical circles for decades. This chapter describes how neural abnormalities associated with psychopaths’ emotional dysfunction and personality traits may also be linked to aggressive tendencies in some contexts however, several important qualifications must be made with regard to this relationship, particularly with respect to how psychopathy and aggression are defined. Among these, psychopathy deserves special attention as this condition is strongly associated with persistent aggressive traits and violent behavior throughout the lifespan. Many psychiatric disorders and neuropsychological conditions may be linked to aggressive behavior and violent acts.
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