BIO-SOCIAL CORRELATES OF TWO TYPES OF ANTI-SOCIAL SOCIOPATHS

• NCJ Number: 56963
• Author(s): H E ALLEN
• Date Published: 1970
• Length: 232 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SPECIAL PRICES AVAILABLE FOR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

FORTY-THREE INMATES OF THE OHIO PENITENTIARY WERE STUDIED TO CONFIRM THAT ANTISOCIAL SOCIOPATHS SHOW HYPERACTIVITY TO EPINEPHRINE AND THAT THE DRUG FACILITATES LEARNING AS MEASURED BY THEIR ABILITY TO SOLVE A MAZE.

Abstract

DURING THE COURSE OF THE STUDY, 1,375 INMATES WERE SCREENED TO FIND A POPULATION OF AGE 35, INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT UNDER 100, SCORING BETWEEN 5 AND 12 ON THE 16 ITEMS OF THE CLECKLEY CHECKLIST, AND SHOWING CERTAIN MEDICAL CRITERIA. THE RESULTING 43 INMATES WERE SUBJECTED TO A DOUBLE-BLIND EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE CONSISTING OF TWO RANDOMLY ASSIGNED CONDITIONS, DRUG AND PLACEBO, UNDER WHICH THEY WERE ASKED TO PERFORM A LEARNING TASK INVOLVING MASTERING A MAZE SO AS TO MINIMIZE ELECTRICAL SHOCKS. WITH CONSTANT MONITORING FOR HEART RATE AND SKIN RESISTANCE, THE SUBJECTS SUBMITTED TO THE PROCEDURE ON TWO OCCASIONS, ONE WEEK APART. ON ONE, THEY WERE INJECTED WITH EPINEPHRINE AND ON THE OTHER WITH A SALINE SOLUTION. IN ADDITION TO THE PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA, ALL 43 SUBJECTS WERE ADMINISTERED A BATTERY OF TESTS, INCLUDING THE LYKKEN SCALE, SROLE'S ANOMIE SCALE, THE TAYLOR MANIFEST ANXIETY TEST, AND THE CRIMINALITY LEVEL INDEX. PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT STAFF EVALUATIONS AND CASE HISTORY MATERIALS WERE ALSO TAPPED. THE SUBJECTS WERE INITIALLY DIVIDED INTO THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES: SOCIOPATH, MIXED, AND NONSOCIOPATH. TWO PRINCIPAL FINDINGS EMERGED: (1) SOCIOPATHS DIFFERED FROM NONSOCIOPATHS IN CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY TO EPINEPHRINE, AND (2) WITHIN THE SOCIOPATH GROUP, TWO VERY DISTINCT SUBTYPES EMERGED--HOSTILE SOCIOPATHS AND SIMPLE SOCIOPATHS. INCREASED CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITY WAS CHARACTERISTIC ONLY OF THE SIMPLE SOCIOPATHS. FURTHER, WHILE THE TWO GROUPS OF SOCIOPATHS WERE MUCH ALIKE IN THE AREA OF PREVIOUS ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, THEY DIFFERED FROM EACH OTHER IN NUMBER OF ARRESTS, COUNTS ON CONVICTION, CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, PROPORTION OF LIFE INCARCERATED, NUMBER OF PAROLE VIOLATIONS, AND NUMBER OF ESCAPES. AS SUCH, THE STUDY DEMONSTRATES THE INADEQUACY OF TRYING TO USE A SUBSTANCE SUCH AS EPINEPHRINE ALONE IN CLASSIFYING PERSONALITY TYPES. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)