One researcher has found that psychopaths may be more aggressive than the average population because they do not assign meaning to the fearful faces of their victims:
In her groundbreaking work funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, [Abigail] Marsh and her colleagues have been exploring how “callous and unemotional” individuals tend to show a very specific cognitive deficit: namely, they are especially poor at recognizing, processing and responding normally to the facial expression of fear on other people’s faces (a “normal” response being ceasing an assault on the frightened person or offering aid). Curiously, their trouble in this area is not due to a problem with facial expressions in general—they do perfectly well deciphering the look of disgust, anger, happiness and so on on other people’s faces. In contrast, autistics have trouble with pretty much all facial expressions of emotion, suggesting that, for them, this generalized difficulty is meaningfully linked to their broad social disfunction. Rather, it’s only the look of fear that puzzles diagnosably antisocial people (and to a somewhat lesser extent, sadness). Thus, in a converted boathouse on Squam Lake in early July, Marsh discussed several key studies, all indicating a fear-specific facial processing deficiency in children and adults with persistent antisocial behavioral tendencies. That is to say, “behavior that violates the rights and welfare of others or breaks important normative rules.”Interestingly, another study found that the people who can recognize fearful faces recognize them faster than any other "emotion" face. I guess that makes psychopaths literally "slow."
. . .
Marsh relayed a chilling anecdote about a colleague of hers, University College London psychologist Essi Viding, who was going through a task with a psychopathic murderer in which a series of faces with different emotional expressions were laid out before the woman. When the murderer saw the picture of the fearful face, she scratched her head and said: “I don’t know what that expression is called, but I know it’s what people look like right before I stab them.”
"When the murderer saw the picture of the fearful face, she scratched her head and said: 'I don’t know what that expression is called, but I know it’s what people look like right before I stab them.'"
ReplyDeleteOk, here I am about to live up to the stereotype, but for some reason I found this comment funny. I chuckled.
Yep, you all are fuck ups in more ways than one.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, was that the same look you gave your boyfriend before he smashed in your face?
ReplyDeleteUk- what is your problem you douche bag? Say something worthy on occasion, it might help your ratings.
ReplyDeleteAlso...You have a lot of hostility toward women. Did your mom abandon you as a child you retard?
ReplyDeleteNo I just no what to say to open old wounds you knob. Don't come on here if you can't handle it. Go back to LOVE FRAUD and live your life under their shelter of REPORT ABUSIVE COMMENTS.
ReplyDeleteThere's another study out there which found that sociopath's recognize anger more aptly and other left-hemispheric mechanisms/emotions implying it's not about emotion recognition universally, but hemispheric functioning. The study builds on the cognitive research here:brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/123/6/1122. I couldn't find a copy of the American research on a non-subscription site. Basically it presents as brain damage, rather than just simple ol' retardation.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet there is another that I've sited here before that distinguishes brain activity response with ability to communicate recognition...meaning that the brain showed activity of recognition, but the subject was unable to communicate anything meaningful about the response. The conjecture is that- like those with Asperger's who don't pay attention to facial expressions and therefor express recognition with less accuracy- it's a matter of just not CARING enough to bother with it- to the point where sociopaths don't even internalize the words that match each emotion. No emotional vocabulary, To put it plainly.
It reminds me of an episode of Arrested Development when Michael is telling a confused Gob, "the feeling that you're feeling right now is called a feeling. Maybe it's love."
to which Gob replies, "I know what an erection feels like, Michael!"
That was a really good show.
"Tt's a matter of just not CARING enough to bother with it.."
ReplyDeleteFinally we agree. I agree entirely with what Sarah says so i won't add anything else....Unless someone says something dumb.
***crickets***
ReplyDeleteI am waiting for the dumb comment....................
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of something I learned a long time ago. Sociopaths, once you hang with them long enough for the superficial magnificence to run dry, are boring, dull, dim-witted repetitious wankstains.
ReplyDeleteUKan, I hope you don't mind, but I made a compilation of all your contributions on sociopathworld and put it up on youtube...here it is.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KANukZsWD9Q
ReplyDeleteI'm getting rather tired of being responsible for my own free will and the will of the random commenters who pop by, who are apparently just at the mercy of all sociopaths.
ReplyDeleteSociopath, wankstain, dog, cat...if someone's boring you - move on. You don't have to entertain anyone, you don't have to read this blog, you don't have to listen to someone just because they're talking to you. Not in life and not online. You're not at the mercy of anyone but yourself.
I hate to break it to you, but you're not going to find the emotional charge you clearly want from besting a sociopath here. Reading this blog and replying about how much you hate sociopaths is not going to get much more of a reaction beyond the "So why are you here?" front. The whole self-indulgent aspect pretty much excludes the suffering of fools. If you want to indulge wankstains, that's your business. But don't come crying over here about it.
Scarface has nothing on me. So fuck you cockroach.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteNice long thoughtful response...but I don't understand if you think you are a sociopath or you are a kind of hanger on or what?
my kinda neural diversity
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX9GTUMh490
I went back and read the article at Scientific American. It was interesting. I have little problem recognizing facial expressions and attaching the correct emotional words with them. Just the other week I was at a funeral with some friends. One of our mutual friends lost his young son. Naturally, I understood that people were sad, why they were crying, etc. Just as naturally, I felt no sadness myself. Do I have an emotional vocabulary? I think I do, yeah. But I suppose in a sense, it’s like learning the periodic table back in chem. 101 or something. It was something that I had to read extensively about rather than something that came natural. I know the words and I know the definitions, yet they have no corresponding emotional resonance within me. I actually have a hard time differentiating between my own emotions in fact. Sometimes, it all feels the same to me.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet. If I use some of the techniques I learned in an acting class I took once, I can generate all sorts of emotions that I normally do not feel.
Sarah said, “It reminds me of an episode of Arrested Development when Michael is telling a confused Gob, ‘the feeling that you're feeling right now is called a feeling. Maybe it's love.’
to which Gob replies, ‘I know what an erection feels like, Michael!’
That was a really good show.”
LOL! Awesome.
this is for the grumpy old man
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eja-popojUo
Anonymous said, "this is for the grumpy old man..."
ReplyDeleteNice.
I think we should organize a torture test. Screw measuring reactions to fear and sadness. Let's see how they experience those emotions, if at all.
ReplyDeleteRun brain scans while taking a power sander to one of their legs. Hold a lighter to their dick and get some EEG readings. Repeatedly smash their the bones in their hands and feet with a sledge hammer, and see how it affects their attitude during an interview.
I think we could learn a lot if we just skipped the pleasantries and put some real effort into researching the disorder.
Sometimes, it all feels the same to me.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever tried to identify something you were feeling only later to find out it wasn't a feeling, just a physical experience/reaction/illness.
My first year in college I thought I'd caught "the depression". I couldn't figure out if I were sad, angry, fearful- and ...about what?
For a week I thought I was having some emotional crisis. But it was just mono. And thank god. I was freaking my friends out by asking them "what's the emotion where you're so tired you want to cry or hit someone? Is that depression? What is that called...? Because I think I have that."
And because I don't LEARN I still do this to a lesser extent every time I catch a nasty bug.
First of all Sarah, LOL on “For a week I thought I was having some emotional crisis. But it was just mono.” That was priceless.
ReplyDeleteSecond, that happened to me today as a matter of fact. A friend and I were meeting for lunch. As we were walking towards his car, I told him about my decision to make lying the primary language I use with another one of our mutual friends since that’s all that “relationship” was worth. As we were walking and talking, a tear fell down my cheek. I wiped it away and thought excitedly, is this it? Am I crying because of the lies I told so and so? Then I felt another gust of chilly wind slam into me and I realized the tear was the result of my eyes watering as the cold air hit my face. I did a quick check to see if I was feeling some kind of emotion and nope, nothing was actually there. I chuckled to myself, got in the car and forgot all about it until now.
Good job whoever struck at Love Fraud last night. The admin was furious, because you got all those pathetic people into a frenzy. She said she spent two hours deleting posts and yelled at the other Love Fraud users for responding.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said, "Good job whoever struck at Love Fraud last night."
ReplyDeleteMarvelous!
I haven't been to love fraud but I don't understand why someone would want to attack or vex them or get any enjoyment hearing others had done so. Aren't they just people in pain? Why not attack holocaust survivor groups as well? Or bereavement groups, or maybe alcohol anonymous groups?
ReplyDeletewhy does it please you daniel to see those people attacked? Is it because in your opinion they don't deserve to have a place where they can go and share and get help from eachother?
love #anon2
I never thought of that. Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteSomeone send the direct link.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel like sifting through LOVE FRAUD's blogs.
Anon#2 said, “why does it please you daniel to see those people attacked?”
ReplyDeleteI normally don’t care one way or the other about victim groups. But in my research on the subject of sociopathy, psychopathy and so on, I came across the ‘love fraid’ site. I found the self pity and pseudo moralizing disgusting. Some of the actual blog posts were informative. But the comments… UGH. Holocaust survivors and bereavement groups and Al-Anon folk have something to truly talk about. Dudes whose ex-wives were bitches and sluts and women who were too dumb to notice when they were being robbed blind by a two bit con artist, not so much. They need to get over themselves. Instead of talking about how their would be socio did them wrong, they need to spend that time and energy examining themselves with a view of figuring out why they allowed their ex to treat them that way in the first place, learn whatever lessons there are to learn, change their ways and MOVE ON. They’ve made a fetish out being a victim, so it’s only natural that yet another victimizer comes along and gives them what they really want.
I chuckled to myself, got in the car and forgot all about it until now.
ReplyDeleteAnd so the next time you get dust in your eye you'll have another "this is it" moment and mistake it for a complex emotion for about two seconds.
That's me every flu season.
I don't know, Daniel.
ReplyDeleteThose Holocaust survivors can be some whiny little bitches sometimes. They deserve a little contempt too. Also, little old ladies, pound puppies and fat lunch ladies.
Don't forget the innocent bystanders. They are the worse ones when it comes to whining.
ReplyDelete"When the murderer saw the picture of the fearful face, she scratched her head and said: 'I don’t know what that expression is called, but I know it’s what people look like right before I stab them.'"
ReplyDeleteDaniel said: "Ok, here I am about to live up to the stereotype, but for some reason I found this comment funny. I chuckled."
Me too. But is it not just black humour? - I mean, wouldn't anyone laugh? (Not picking a fight, I'm genuinely curious.)
that face is funny! Is that supposed to be fear? I think not.
ReplyDeleteWith fear the eyebrows go up, the nostrils flare and the mouth opens a bit more.
"Go back to LOVE FRAUD and live your life under their shelter of REPORT ABUSIVE COMMENTS. "
ReplyDeleteHaha...only here.
And that actually made me laugh out loud, because I started out as a devoted Love Fraud reader.
I like this much better.