Papers > Science > Relationship between Ethical Beliefs and Levels of Psychopathy
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Relationship between Ethical Beliefs and Levels of Psychopathy
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ABSTRACT
Psychopathy is often associated with ideas of the mentally ill or diseased, perhaps inhuman characters without moral fibre. This experiment investigates the relationship between the levels of psychopathy, (both primary and secondary) and the endorsement of particular ethical positions, idealism and relativism. The 120 participants completed a questionnaire based on Forsyth’s (1980) EPQ model to determine an ethical stance, and measures of psychopathy. It was expected that a negative correlation would surface in relation to idealism and psychopathy, based on previous research into the psychopathic mind. The reverse correlation was expected between relativism and psychopathy. These hypotheses were supported in the results; a high idealist score was negatively associated with levels of psychopathy while there was a significant positive correlation between relativism and psychopathy. Those more concerned with morals (idealists) were less likely to be characterised by the qualities associated with psychopathy.
Psychopathy generates a great deal of interest and subsequently there is a range of research surrounding the field. Psychopathy is characterised by numerous ‘antisocial behaviours and exploitative interpersonal relationships,’ (Brinkley, Schmitt, Smith and Newman 2001) and is usually a term used in the reference to a disorder beginning early in life. There are two levels of psychopathy involved in this experiment, primary and secondary. Archetypal traits of primary psychopathy include a lack or remorse or guilt, callousness, manipulativeness, failure to accept responsibility and superficial charm to name a few. (McHoskey, Worzel and Szyarto 1998) Secondary psychopathy is characterised by poor behavioural controls, parasitic lifestyles, impulsivity, and quick temperedness. ... It is from this that a low ideological commitment is assumed of psychopaths, which leads to the aim of this experiment – to investigate the nature of relationships between ethical ideologies and psychopathy.
Ethical beliefs play a large part in how one interacts with its social world. ... (Rim 1982) A measure of ethical values is the EPQ (or Ethics Position Questionnaire) scale, which was developed by Forsyth (1980), which assesses the two aspects, relativism and idealism in relation to morality. ... (Forsyth, Nye, Kelley 1987) The results of this stated that there was a relationship between the ethic of caring and universal principles of morality. ... It is implied by this research that the antithesis for the ethic of caring would be psychopathy – clearly characterised by callousness and the like.
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Paper Information
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Title: Relationship between Ethical Beliefs and Levels of Psychopathy
Words: 1805
Rating: None
Pages: 7.2
submitted by: chipsygirl
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