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Hancock et al. (2011) - Language of psychopaths (Procedure (individuals…
Hancock et al. (2011) - Language of psychopaths
Background
Computer analysis by Santner of language produced by psychiatric patients revealed fewer words pertaining to optimism, basic cognitive functions and references to the future
Little examination of the speech associated with psychopaths who comprise about 1% of the population
Aim
to test how crime narratives differ between psychopaths and non-psychopathic murderers
Research method
Psychopathy measured using Psychopathy Checklist Revised
Study used semi-structured interviews which employed the Step-Wise Interview technique to gather data in relation to the language of psychopaths and non-psychopaths who had committed murder
Narratives were transcribed and analysed through content analysis using Wmatrix ad DAL
Sample
52 male murderers imprisoned in Canada who volunteered for the study
8 convictions for first degree murder, 32 second degree murder and 10 for manslaughter
two groups didn't differ on average age or time since homicide was committed
Procedure
individuals underwent a psychopathy assessment, the PCL-R characterised by 20 criteria scored from 0-2 for a maximum score of 40, cut off for psychopathy are scores of 30 or above
Participants were then interviewed, whilst being audio-taped they were asked to describe their homicide offences in as much detail as possible - prompted to do this using procedure known as Step-Wise Interview
interviewers were two graduate psychology students and one research assistant who did not know the result of the PCL-R
Interviews were 25 minutes and were transcribed after
Were analysed using the Wmatrix (looks at context- what meaning by use of word?) and Dictionary of Affect in Language, DAL (assigns score for pleasantness and intensity of language)
Conclusions
Psychopaths focus more on physiological needs than higher social needs than non-psychopaths
Psychopaths frame their homicide more in the past
Psychopathic language is more dis-fluent than non-psychopaths
Psychopaths gives less emotionally intense descriptions and use less emotionally pleasant language than non-psychopaths
Key findings
psychopaths produced more subordinating conjunctions than controls - trying to explain themselves
Psychopaths included twice as many words related to basic physiological needs (eating, sleeping) when describing murders e.g. 30% food vs 12%
Controls used more language relating to social needs (family, religion) than psychopaths e.g. psychopaths 28% family vs 57%
Psychopaths used more past tense verbs, fewer present tense verbs, more articles meaning more concrete nouns and their language was a lot less fluent