Hi just a man

A very interesting article. I agree with your conclusion. I am sure some Ps will start using the catch phrase adaptation - it sort of implies a sideways change, even a positive step. As opposed to the negative connotations of a disorder and implied regressive step. Its amazing how the changing of one word can change how we view a description.

regards

Recovery

Hi Recovery,

I am very interested in reading the articles that JustAMan submitted, but cannot access the articles by clicking on the links. I keep getting: 'This page cannot be found'.

Did you have any problems accessing the articles?

Regards,

Nan

its the bug in the Forum software - if you edit a post, Quotes in URLs (i.e. " ) get converted to an HTML entity. THen the link stops working! no idee why this happens.

I'll go back in and re-edit the links... should fix it.

------------------


OK...that fixed it. Sorry about that. Have known about this problem for some time. If you edit any posts containing links you have to double check them.Forgot to. No idea if this is a general problem or platform specific - another Mac only hiccup...

Hi,

"I'll go back in and re-edit the links... should fix it"

It's fixed! Great!

Thank you.

Nan

Hi,

Excerpt from: Psychopathy May Be An Adaptation, Not A Disorder by Dr. Grant Harris

"We also tested our theory with another measure of developmental stability -- fluctuating bilateral asymmetry. That is a polysyllabic way of saying, the degree to which the left side of the body is exactly the same size as the right side. In all species, the two sides of the body are genetically programmed to be the same size -- symmetrical. The amount of difference between the two sides, asymmetry, is a measure of the instability in a person's development. Again, violent individuals have been reported to be asymmetrical as have persons with schizophrenia. What about psychopaths? Our research showed that violent offenders who were also psychopaths were more symmetrical than those who were not psychopaths."

Playing the devil's advocate while using the qualifier that all I've ever read of Grant Harris' material is the above article, I take strong exception to the notion than one can determine anything useful based upon alleged a/symmetry.

It is well known that most if not all women have different sized breasts, i.e., one breast is bigger or rounder than the other. It is also well known that the rare people most of us would label very beautiful are so because their features are extremely symmetrical. These people are therefore more photogenic than the average person.

Anyway, measuring the size of skulls, foreheads, noses and chins and comparing symmetry was used extensively in Nazi Germany and tooted as a medically valid means to determine genetic prophensity for antisocial behaviour and insanity.

Nazi doctors used the medically accepted measuring and symmetry yardstick as a valid means and a good reason to kill millions of people.

Let's be careful out there!

Nan

Excerpt from Chapter 8, 'Words from an overcoat pocket', of Without Conscience by Dr. Robert Hare


Who’s in Charge?

In most people the two sides of the brain have different, specialized functions. The left cerebral hemisphere is skilled at processing information analytically and sequentially, and it plays a crucial role in the understanding and use of language. The right hemisphere processes information simultaneously, as a whole; it plays an important role in the perception of spatial relations, imagery, emotional experience, and the processing of music.

Nature probably "arranged" for each side of the brain to have different functions for the sake of efficiency.(4) For example, it is clearly more effective for all the complex mental operations required to use and understand language to take place in one side of the brain than if they were distributed over both sides. In the latter case, information would have to be sent back and forth between the two hemispheres, which would slow down the processing rate and increase the chances of error.

Further, some part of the brain has to have primary control over the task; if the two sides of the brain were competing for this control, the conflict would reduce the efficiency of processing. Some forms of dyslexia and stuttering, for example, are associated with just such a condition: Language centers are bilateral--located in both hemispheres. Competition between the two hemispheres makes for a variety of difficulties in the understanding and production of language.

New experimental evidence suggests that bilateral language processes are also characteristic of psychopathy.(5) This leads me to speculate that part of the tendency for psychopaths to make contradictory statements is related to an inefficient “line of authority”-- each hemisphere tries to run the show, with the result that speech is poorly integrated and monitored.

Of course, others with bilateral language--some stutterers, dyslexics, and left-handers--do not lie and contradict themselves the way psychopaths do.

Clearly, something else must be involved.

ok... So I cheated.

I knew what I was looking for from Without Conscience, but I didnt type it out. Thankfully somebody had already done the donkey work...
http://www.forumsforjustice.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4477

Thank goodness for Google... without it I'd never get away with being so lazy... (minor psychopathic trait!)

Hi

I found this link which is very informative about the use of terms
which explains quite clearly the use of ASPD and psychopathy. It also touches on the nature/nurture debate too.

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/147917-Neurobiological-basis-of-psychopathy

I hope you find it useful.

Regards
Jan