Date of Award
6-29-2015
Document Type
Undergraduate Capstone Project
Degree Name
Psy.D.
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Lavita Nadkarni
Second Advisor
Ragnar Storaasli
Third Advisor
Rebecca Baker
Abstract
When one thinks of the psychopath, an image of one of the notorious serial killers of the 1980s generally pops in their head- Ted Bundy, J effrey Dahmer, or the Green Rive r Killer. While still rare, psychopaths encompass much more than just serial killers, and they have a unique presentation that lies outside the confines of any current diagnosis. Characteristics such as lack of empathy, impulsivity, grandiosity, and poor behavioral controls are included in various personality disorders. The Narcissist will show lack of empathy and grandiosity while the Borderline will have poor behavioral controls and impulsivity, for example. However, the construct of psychopathy is more complex, including the above traits but also callousness, malipulativeness, superficial charm, and lack of guilt. These unique characteristics, when appropriately identified, are detrimental to society, resulting in extreme financial loss, overwhelming hurt, and even death, which is why labeling as such is important.
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Extent
30 pages
Recommended Citation
McMann, Katherine K., "Apples and Oranges: An Argument for Psychopathy as a Formal Diagnosis" (2015). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 15.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/15