Actually, they do experience frustration, but they don't view it the way others would. That is, most people see frustration as a form of negative reinforcement--something to be eliminated through action. But psychopaths don't view a cause-and-effect relationship in the same way, and thus they don't perceive a need to act to reduce frustration (to them, negative reinforcement isn't that different from punishment--neither has a high level of success in changing behavior). Instead, they simply respond to the frustration itself, normally (but not always) in a negative manner.
Hare has written a bit about this--and to be sure about it I asked a couple legitimately diagnosed psychopaths what their reaction to your question was as well. They agreed completely with the assessment above. Hope it helps, Rick -- Rick Adams. Capella University Grand Canyon University Jackson Community College [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] "... and the only measure of your worth and your deeds will be the love you leave behind when you're gone." -Fred Small, J.D., "Everything Possible" -----Original Message----- From: Jean-Marc Perreault [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2005 4:33 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences Subject: Psychopathy and frustration As I mentioned in my last post, I've been studying psychopathy lately for one of my courses. A question came up that neither my criminologist colleague nor I could answer. Do psychopaths experience frustration, and if so, could we infer that that frustration increases their odds of committing an aggression? Cheers! JM --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
