NCJ Number
243871
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 41 Issue: 5 Dated: September - October 2013 Pages: 342-349
Date Published
October 2013
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the association between psychopathic personality traits and moral judgment in a non-clinical, non-forensic sample (n = 302, 73 percent females).
Abstract
The study findings indicate that externalizing psychopathic traits (no personal emotional reactions to the harms caused by a behavior) contribute to utilitarian moral decisionmaking (doing harm as a means of achieving a perceived moral benefit). This association becomes stronger when negative emotional responses to harmful acts are weaker or nonexistent. This suggests that rehabilitation techniques for psychopathic offenders should not attempt to foster feelings of regret, shame, guilt, or remorse for the harmful acts (They are incapable of such feelings), but rather on the benefits they will receive from commitment to personal growth. The study sample, which was composed of individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, was tested in small groups (one to five individuals per session). Each individual responded to 15 dilemmas and a series of self-report questionnaires that measured their psychopathic personality traits, trait anxiety, aggression, and demographic information. 3 tables, 1 figure, 46 references, and appended descriptions of the 15 scenarios used in the testing