How is sociopathy caused?

Question

and exactly what genetic defect is in the brain?

Answer 1

Good question. Answerer 1 is right about Hare - he is the #1 scientist in the field. However.... I do not believe science can uncover answers to this question, because there is evidence that sociopaths come from all walks of life, all economic and cultural conditions, and all kinds of parenting (good, bad and indifferent). My hypothesis (which must remain one becasue i can't prove it) is that sociopathy is caused by war and trauma, plus reincarnation. Some people learn through their experience in some wars, and some other equally awful traumas, that everyone else is their enemy, everyone is out to get them, it's a kill-or-be-killed world and all the other mindsets characteristic of sociopaths which, in that particular context of being (e.g.) a soldier or spy in wartime is actually true. Empathy really is either useless or dangerous in battle. Take note of your shot comrade's feelings when you are in combat and you will get scared, run from the battle, or help him instead of fighting. Take interest in your enemy's feelings and you won't kill him.

Then this person in this war gets killed and/or cruelly treated, tortured etc. Then they come back and start a new life in "civilization" and some relatively small triggers such as being bullied at school bring to them latent past war-experience thought/feeling grooves in their "very subtle minds" (a part normally inaccessible to awareness, but not always -- and especially more accessible in pre-school children). The psychopathic "script" begins to be "written". The person then interprets experience through that script selectively, e.g. by dismissing kindness with 'the other person is really selfish, it just suited them to help me' and taking in meanness as 'that's how other people really are'. This selective interpretation then creates thoughts and expectations which attract what they imaginitively project. (This is the inverse of the now-popular "power of positive thinking". The power of negative thinking a.k.a. self-fulfilling prophecy. Whatever we fear most we thereby energize to happen.) The person thereby comes to experience "verification" of their negative beliefs about others and is well on the way to what mental health professionals call sociopathic personality disorder.

Answer 2

This is up for debate. There can be many causes depending on your viewpoint and related matters. They range anywhere from improper potty training to biological or hormonal defects. What is interesting is that a person with fetal alcohol or drug affect often times mimics this disorder. Those with this symptom have an incapacity to recognize the difference between right and wrong. It goes a bit further than a lack of feelings of guilt or shame. Sociopathy is also known as psychopathy-the DSM IV doesn't distinguish between the two personality disorders and for the most part considers them to be the same disorder, but with different names. The proper name would be Psychopathic Personality Disorder. Most psychopaths lack empathy toward another person, lack feelings of guilt or shame regarding actions, tend to act solely for their own gain or self interest and so forth. Basically, the motivation here is I am right and if it feels good and it doesn't look like I would get caught, then I will do it. This is why polygraphs (lie detectors) don't work on persons with this disorder-a psychopath sees nothing wrong in their actions and so the relevent physiological responses don't occur. This is primarily why a polygraph is unreliable, inaccurate and non admissable in a court of law. Some of the theories concerning this disorder is that the defect lies in the Thymic region of the brain-this governs emotional responses and social control. Others believe that it is a response of a maladaptive childhood and thus the defect would be in the cognitive regions of the brain. However, with most genetic defects-it takes not only the predisposition (it would have to exist in the person) genetically, but would also have to be triggered by an environmental factor. This tends to confuse the issue and adds to the arguement as to which is more important-genetics or environment. I leave that debate for you to decide

Answer 3

We are not sure, but the prefrontal cortex, the executive brain, is either severely reduced, or injured at some time in life. There are environmental factors, but they seem rather small, as psychopathic behavior seems to emerge " out of context ". The best parents, the most kind, good people, seem to produce these psychopaths, just as well as abusive parents. Goggle " Robert Hare ", for informed information.