GENETIC CORRELATES OF ANTISOCIAL SYNDROMES (FROM PSYCHOPATH - A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF ANTISOCIAL DISORDERS AND BEHAVIORS, 1978, BY WILLIAM H REID - SEE NCJ-57510)

• NCJ Number: 57516
• Author(s): W H REID
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Brunner/Mazel, Inc.
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE VARIOUS APPROACHES AND RESULTS OF STUDIES ON GENETIC CORRELATES OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR ARE DISCUSSED, WITH SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO TWIN, ADOPTION, SEX, AND CHROMOSOME RESEARCH.

Abstract

AS IN RESEARCH ON OTHER MEDICAL GENETIC PROBLEMS, TWIN AND ADOPTION STUDIES HAVE BEEN THE MOST POPULAR WAYS AROUND SAMPLING AND CONTROL ISSUES AFFECTING GENETIC RESEARCH ON SOCIOPATHY. EARLY TWIN STUDIES WERE OF A SIMPLE CONCORDANCE TYPE, CONCENTRATING ON CRIMINALS WITH MONO- AND DIZYGOTIC TWINS; MONOZYGOTIC CONCORDANCE FOR CRIMINAL ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED ACROSS SEVERAL STUDIES AT ABOUT 55 PERCENT, WHILE CONCORDANCE FOR DIZYGOTIC PAIRS RUNS AT ABOUT 13 PERCENT. WHEN CAREFULLY CONTROLLED, STUDIES OF ADOPTIVE AND BIOLOGICAL FAMILIES OFFER PERHAPS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO SEPARATE NATURE AND NURTURE. ADOPTION STUDIES HAVE FOUND INCREASED PREVALENCE OF PSYCHOPATHY AMONG BIOLOGICAL RELATIVES OF SCHIZOPHRENICS, A GREATER INCIDENCE OF CRIMINALITY AMONG THE BIOLOGICAL FATHERS OF CRIMINAL ADOPTEES THAN AMONG THE FATHERS OF NONCRIMINAL ADOPTEES, AND OTHER EVIDENCE TENDING TO SUPPORT HEREDITARY FACTORS IN THE TRANSMISSION OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY. THE INFLUENCE OF SEX IN SOCIOPATHY IS DIFFICULT TO EVALUATE, AND, ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF STUDIES PURPORT TO SHOW RATIOS OF FOUR TO EIGHT MALES PER ONE FEMALE SOCIOPATH, THE SEX DIFFERENCES BECOME FAR LESS CERTAIN IF ONE TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE POSSIBILITY OF DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS OF SOCIOPATHIC BEHAVIOR IN WOMEN, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THESE BEHAVIORS MAY NOT BE RECOGNIZED AS PATHOLOGIC, AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT HYSTERICAL AND SOCIOPATHIC CHARACTERISTICS MAY BE CLOSELY RELATED. FINALLY, THE OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE USE OF MODERN GENETIC TECHNIQUES IS THE LARGE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH ADDRESSING SEX CHROMOSOME ABNORMALITIES (I.E., XXY AND XYY). SEVERAL STUDIES, AND PARTICULARLY A 1976 EFFORT FOCUSING ON A DANISH POPULATION, INDICATE AN INCREASED CONVICTION RATE AMONG XYY'S, AND A POSSIBLE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE XYY AND TALLNESS AND MENTAL SUBNORMALITY. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (KBL)