Hancock et al (2011) Language of psycopaths

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What was the aim of the study?
To examine specific qualities of psychopathic language with sophisticated text analysis tools and to see if their language reflected an instrumental/predatory world view, unique socio-emotional need and a poverty of effect
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What 3 major language characteristics did they examine?
1. Their instrumental nature 2. Their unique material and socioemotional needs 3. Their emotional deficit
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What research method was used?
Semi-structured/open-ended interviews using the Step-Wise interview technique
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What was the sample?
52 male murderers-14 psychopaths. Canadian correctional facilities and volunteered for the study
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Other sample details?
Mean age: 28.9 yrs. No sig. diff. in type of murder, age or time since homicide between the 2 groups
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How was psychopathy measured?
Using the PCL-R (Hare 1991,2003). Max score 40. Clinical cut off:30, Cut-off for study:25
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What happened in the study?
Purpose was explained beforehand, audio taped, aksed to describe thier homocide in as much detail as possible, approx 25 min
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Who carried out the interviews?
2 senior psychologists and a research assistant who were blind to PCL-R scores
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What text-analysis tools were used?
W Matrix: Used to compare parts of speech and to analyse semantic concepts. DAL: examine the affective tone of words
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What difference was found with the average word number for each group
No sig. diff. Psychopaths:2,201.5, Controls: 2,554.3
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What was found with the instrumental language analysis?
Psychopaths produced more subordinating conjunctions (because,since,as,so that)
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What was found with Maslow's heircahy of needs analyis?
Psychopaths used approx. twice as many words related to basic physiological needs (eating,drinking) when describing their murders and used sig. less language related to social needs (family,religion)
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What were the frequencies for language about food and family?
Food: Psychopaths-0.3%, Controls:-0.12% Family: Psychopaths-0.28%, Controls-0.57%
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What was found with the emotional expression of language?
Psychopaths had phsiologically distanced themselves and were detached form their homicde as they used more past tense verbs and fewer present tense verbs
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What else was found about their language?
They produced a higher rate of articles so they used more concrete nouns, their language was sig. less fluent and further analysis showed that they used less positively valenced and less emotionally intense language
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What is the key theme of the study?
Measuring differences
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What debates relate to this study?
Free will (manipulative)/determinism(biological,drives), usefulness and ethics
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What areas does this study fall into?
Individual differences, psycho-dynamic concepts (unconscious control,drives) and humanistic (Maslow)
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What 3 major language characteristics did they examine?

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1. Their instrumental nature 2. Their unique material and socioemotional needs 3. Their emotional deficit

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What research method was used?

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Card 4

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What was the sample?

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Other sample details?

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