One of the issues that occupy the minds of modern psychologists is the forms of psychopathy, the primary anomalies that explain them, the diversity of the phenomenon, and the features of its progress. One of the tasks of specialists is the grouping of signs for the clinical division of all cases into categories. The classifications of the present are not always quite harmonious; different authors adhere to somewhat different positions. Let's consider the basic ones.
What is it about?
If you turn to the theory of Kraepelin, you can find out that people are prone to impulsive actions and very excitable, loving to argue, prone to lie. This psychologist identified unstable, fraudulent individuals, public enemies and eccentrics. In fact, there was a mixture of biological inclinations and characters formed under the influence of social conditions.
Schneider's classification of psychopathies involves the identification of depressive types, hyperthymic, as well as those seeking recognition. The latter is not associated with features and deviations of temperament. In the works of Gannushkin one can see constitutionally stupid as a category of psychopathy. The name implies an assessment of intelligence, which is unacceptable in the analysis of psychopathy. Insufficiency of intelligence is possible with a wide range of hysteria, paranoia, impulsive psychopathy. Moreover, the intellect does not in any way determine the psychopathic structure of a person.
Basic approach
From the point of view of methodology, maximum reactionism is observed in theories requiring the correction of normal and mental illnesses and removing the boundaries between them. In fact, this calls for eliminating the separation of social and biological phenomena. In modern works, the desire for a one-sided assessment of pathology and normal phenomenon in Kretschmer, who wrote about the characteristics and body structure of a person, is particularly pronounced. This author applied the laws discovered regarding psychic deviations to psychology, combining normal characters and psychoses. Psychopathic forms were considered as an intermediate stage. Kretschmer offers to regard psychology, philosophy, sociological trends and artistry, creative activity in one way, and the basis for this is the idea of the abnormality of the psyche.
Pseudologists
Speaking of personality psychopathy, this phenomenon should be considered. A group of active pseudologists are people who are very talented in presenting a lie to society in order to become the center of attention. Lies are formed in such a way as to increase the assessment of the person in the environment. So invent stories about various adventures and exploits. Often a lie is not an end in itself, but is only created as a means of obtaining benefits and circumventing difficulties in life. People of this type can sincerely lie, behave resourcefully and directly, act enthusiastically. They are well versed in the conditions and take into account the peculiarities of the psyche of their victims, and without difficulty become objects of unlimited trust.
Kraepelin paid particular attention to pseudologists in his works on the etiology of psychopathies, their classification. As revealed, pseudologists are a heterogeneous group of individuals. Most are erratic psychopaths. Dodgers, crooks, liars - these are features of the characters of people, but this specificity does not allow to rank a person as psychopaths. Falsehood is not a biological quality, nor is honesty, but the antisocial personality aspect of a person.
Unstable psychopaths
Turning to the criteria of psychopathy, one can learn that it is customary to define people in this class who are inherent in mental instability. Their ability to regulate their behavior by will is reduced, and the activity of the nervous system is too mobile, the dominants are unstable. Among people of this plan, there are often lively and smart people who are very impressed with what is happening. They are prone to superficial experiences and do not linger on one object for a long time. They can easily switch between moods, change decisions without thinking too much about it. Psychopaths of such a plan are strongly affected by what is happening, are passionate about external circumstances. They tend to fall under the influence of other people, quickly go headlong into new plans and just as easily get rid of the situation. Often these people have excellent abilities, but the problem is the inability to take a long interest in the chosen activity.
When observing the dynamics of this type of psychopathy, malignancy and good naturedness of unstable individuals, prone to agitation, are noted: unpleasant moments quickly disappear from their memory. People of this type quickly restore normal relations, easily seem trustworthy to others. They easily deceive others, at the same time deceive themselves, since they themselves believe in the moment when they indicate intentions.
Impulsive Psychopaths
Turning to the classification of psychopathies according to Kerbikov, one can see the allocation of an excitable type of personality, whose main feature is impulsivity. Impulsive-type psychopaths are prone to undifferentiated impulses, have difficulty delaying, and are too excitable. Affective influence can cause aggressive behavior and destructive activity. People of this type can remain excited for a long time. Anger can be combined with a feeling of one’s own impotence, which provokes a hysterical, harsh response to the situation with possible self-harm. For such people, primitive drives are important. They practically can not cope with dietary restrictions, intimate and motor activity.
Impulsive psychopaths, most often young, are prone to unformed motives, tense states that force them to seek a way out. According to the descriptions and classification of psychopathies, people of this type need to be discharged and behave unjustly, they can get relief by doing something aggressive or destroying some object. Sometimes impulsive drives are determined by mood disorders, which can provoke vagrancy. Such persons are imbued with hatred of others, they are drawn to other places, and conveniences and interests, attachments are assessed as insignificant.
Hypertensive psychopaths
In Gannushkin’s classification, psychopathies of this plan are called cycloid. Such people are more often excited or in a state of affect, tend to do something, quickly respond to what is happening. They are characterized by expansive expressions of feelings, the same nature of facial expressions and motor activity. Some mistakenly confuse hypertimity and the sanguine temperamental type. Pavlov described sanguine people as people with strong nerves - they withstand excitement and inhibition equally. Sanguine people are normal people with balanced activity; hyperthymic type psychopaths spend energy unproductively, react too much to what is happening, are often fussy and tire other people with their anxiety and plenty of speeches.
The hyperthymic type of psychopathy described as cycloid according to Gannushkin’s classification is often accompanied by sociable behavior and affability, responsiveness. People of this type work enthusiastically and spend their energy, activity on useful tasks. Their interests are often real. Many are distinguished by their directness, immediacy in the expression of thoughts. They are unrestrained, they don’t have a sense of proportion, they lack tact. Increased drives subordinate such a person, which leads to affective excitement. Not everyone feels well, but their mood is cheerful. An affective background often accompanies a reassessment of the qualities inherent in a personality, and creates the foundation for hypomanic deviation. Psychosis in itself is not hypomanic, but for some individuals it is not realistic to distinguish between these conditions.
Depressive psychopaths
In the current classification of psychopathies, this type of people are called people who, for no reason at times or are constantly depressed, are not satisfied with their situation or situation. Such people tend to regard themselves as a burden to others, they say that they are not suitable for existence in society. People of such a plan are characterized by slowness and weakness of will and body. It is difficult for them to perform ordinary work. A depressed state does not prevent a person from being impressionable. Many people in this group are characterized by responsiveness and affection for others. As is known from forensic practice, psychopaths of this type are often prone to longing, dissatisfaction, easily irritated and explain the mood by external factors and the behavior of other people. They are rarely satisfied with the world and regard themselves as an ideal judge, considering their opinion valuable and important regardless of the occasion. Many individuals of this type do not know how to trust others, are bile in their statements, tend to suspect others and are unkind to them.
Depressive psychopathy in the classification currently accepted suggests that some active psychopaths are assigned to this category. These people have a tendency to interfere in the affairs of others, to conflict with them, to teach others. Psychopaths of this class are worried about their health and are afraid of getting sick. Hypochondria is often explained by internal sensations and too high susceptibility to the characteristics of the work of the organs of the body. The feeling of such a plan is one of the aspects that form a general negative background.
Paranoid psychopaths
In the classification of psychopathies, this type is considered to be inert persons whose emotions and mind do not have sufficient flexibility. These people can hardly switch between tasks, they think in schemes. If an idea comes to the mind of such a person, it runs there for a long time, sometimes all his life, dominates the personality and manages its actions, controls emotions and subjugates interests. The idea is called overvalued. Psychopaths of this type tend to exaggerate their own abilities. Often they regard themselves as innovators and warriors, associate with the fighters, who were able to defeat enemies by the results of long battles. If people do not agree with them, they perceive it as personal hostility. Such psychopaths are suspicious, like to expose to other personal enemies and try to defend their inventions at all costs.
As you can see from Lichko’s classification, this type of psychopathy is often combined with an epileptoid accentuation of the personality. People of this type are sure that they are right. They are characterized by excitability and exactingness. Many people of this type try to maximize the benefits of any plan and action. Others prefer to adhere to some broad reformist idea, which they spend their whole lives translating into reality. Psychopaths of this type persistently implement their plans and interests, while activities are intertwined with reality, so at first their actions seem reasonable and inspire confidence. Plans usually fit into the urgent tasks of science and technology, politics. People strive to realize the idea at any cost, but only with time do others discern the absurdity of the content of the idea itself. The psychopath, who received initial support, gains additional strength, strives even more persistently to achieve the goal.
Paranoia
A rather interesting type of accentuation is schizoid, described in the Lichko classification. Psychopathy, somewhat similar to him, is paranoid. A relatively close topic is paranoia. This term refers to a disease that has not yet been determined in aspects of etiology, the nuances of the course. Paranoia is rare, more often paranoid reactions or such development, due to the nature of the character, defects associated with organic disorders or procedural diseases. A negative environment can provoke active paranoia.
In forensic practice, paranoia is a situation with which experts have to work infrequently. The existing classification of psychopathy according to severity suggests that this condition is considered quite complex. Studies have made it possible to say with confidence that spontaneous delirium of such a plan is usually schizophrenic. Amorous nonsense, which is often recorded with paranoia, occurs in forensic practice, but indicates a schizophrenic course that occurs latently. Zealous delirium is mainly due to schizophrenia, a tendency to alcohol.
Theory of Sukhareva
The classification of psychopathies according to Sukhareva is somewhat different from that described above and involves the allocation of three groups: due to disharmonious infantilism, pathological constitution and organic disorders of the National Assembly.
The first option is formed after puberty. A person preserves children's psychic traits, his qualities of will are not formed, a tendency to pleasures and an orientation to current desires are observed. The intelligence of a person is usually normal. This kind of psychopathy with an adequate social environment is adjusted.
About the reasons
In the case of a pathological constitution as the root cause of psychopathy, signs can be seen even before puberty. The statics of psychopathy is associated with a delay in a number of functions against the background of excessively rapid development of others. Man is formed distorted. Some have a pathologically pointed type of nervous system with a sharp change in emotional status and a tendency to anger. The weak type is accompanied by autistic psychopathy. The man is closed, his will is weak. Psychasthenia is possible as a form of psychopathy. The person is indecisive, timid, has a normal or high intelligence. Obsessive states are inherent in her.
Psychopathy is considered the most difficult option due to organic disorders due to organic causes. The first symptoms can be seen until adolescence. Infection, poisoning or injury can provoke a violation. Manifestations of the violation - instability of emotional status, a tendency to aggression, euphoria. In people of this type, intelligence is below normal, the body is inharmonious and disproportionate, facial expressions are weak, and movements are awkward.
At the moment, scientists do not have accurate and verified information that allows us to talk about the importance of various factors in the formation of psychopathy. To some extent, this is connected with the problems of studying the circumstances due to which a mental disorder has formed. There is no doubt dependence on genetics. Among those whose relatives included persons with psychopathy, there is a higher risk of such a condition. Psychopathies are often inherent in two generations or have an even longer hereditary chain. Vicious relationships, according to experts, can also be explained by behavioral patterns that a child learns from childhood.
As professionals say, the formation of psychopathy can be explained by pregnancy problems, complex births and diseases transferred at an early age. There is a connection with physical violence, sexual, affecting psychological aspects. Poor conditions during early childhood exacerbate genetic prerequisites and increase the risk of psychopathy.