NCJ Number
55858
Journal
Journal of Psychology Volume: 59 Dated: (1965) Pages: 367-370
Date Published
1965
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY TESTS THE HYPOTHESIS THAT NOT ONLY DO PSYCHOPATHS DEVELOP CONDITIONED-FEAR RESPONSES SLOWLY, BUT THAT SUCH RESPONSES, ONCE ACQUIRED, ARE GENERALIZED LESS BY PSYCHOPATHIC THAN BY NONPSYCHOPATHIC PERSONS.
Abstract
THE SUBJECTS WERE 12 PSYCHOPATHIC AND 12 NONPSYCHOPATHIC MALE INMATES OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA PENITENTIARY, ROUGHLY COMPARABLE IN AGE, EDUCATION, AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND. THE CONDITIONED STIMULUS CONSISTED OF A 1000CPS TONE PRODUCED BY AN AUDIO OSCILLATOR AND PRESENTED THROUGH PADDED EARPHONES. THE UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS WAS A 200-MILLISECOND SHOCK DELIVERED BY FINGER ELECTRODES. THE BLINDFOLDED SUBJECTS RECEIVED SEVERAL SHOCKS IN INCREASING INTENSITY, RESTED FOR 30 MINUTES, AND THEN HEARD A SERIES OF TONES AND RECEIVED OCCASIONAL SHOCKS. A DELAYED-CONDITIONING PROCEDURE, WITH STIMULUS BEING ON FOR 7 SECONDS AND UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS BEING DELIVERED COINCIDENT WITH THE OFFSET OF THE CONDITIONED STIMULUS, WAS THEN USED. GENERALIZATION STIMULI CONSISTED OF TONES OF 468 AND 153CPS EQUATED WITH CONDITIONED STIMULUS FOR LOUDNESS. AFTER THE LAST CONDITIONING TRIAL, EACH SUBJECT RECEIVED ONE PRESENTATION OF THE CONDITIONED STIMULUS AND BOTH GENERALIZATION STIMULI. RESULTS INDICATE THAT, WHEN GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE IS COMPUTED TO EACH OF THE GENERALIZATION STIMULI, THE MAGNITUDE OF RESPONSE DECREMENT FROM THE STIMULUS TO GS2 IS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER FOR THE PSYCHOPATHIC GROUP THAN FOR THE NONPSYCHOPATHIC GROUP. THEREFORE, THE HYPOTHESIS IS SUPPORTED. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)