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Empathische Resonanzfähigkeit bei Straftätern mit psychopathischen Persönlichkeitszügen

Impaired resonance in offenders with psychopathic traits

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Summary

Background

Resonance is the phenomenon of unconsciously mirroring the motor actions of another person. Beside autism and schizophrenia psychopathic personality traits are associated with empathy dysfunction.

Methods

We explore empathic resonance in terms of contagion by laughing and yawning in a group of offenders with psychopathic traits. Offenders with psychopathic traits (n = 12) and matched controls (n = 10) were video-taped while watching short video sequences of yawning, laughing or neutral faces. They were rated regarding contagion. Further, we assessed a self-report on psychopathy and on empathic tendencies.

Results

Compared to the control group, the offenders showed significantly less contagion and less self-reported empathic tendencies. Individuals who rated themselves as more empathic showed more contagion.

Conclusions

The observed reduced resonance in terms of contagion may illuminate the cold-heartedness, with which some psychopathic offenders treat their victims: When embodied experiencing of other’s physical and emotional situation is missing, a natural inhibition of violence may be overcome. The small sample size limits the generalisability of these findings.

Zusammenfasssung

Grundlagen

Resonanz ist das unbewusste körpernahe Miterleben eines motorischen, vegetativen oder emotionalen Zustands einer anderen Person und stellt eine wichtige Grundlage der Empathie dar. Neben Autismus und Schizophrenie werden auch die psychopathischen Persönlichkeitszüge mit Empathiedysfunktionen assoziiert.

Methodik

In der vorliegenden Studie wird die empathische Resonanzfähigkeit im Sinne von Ansteckung durch Lachen und Gähnen bei Straftätern mit psychopathischen Persönlichkeitszügen untersucht. Während sie kurze Videosequenzen mit lachenden, gähnenden und neutralen Gesichtern anschauten, wurden Straftäter (n = 12) und Kontrollprobanden (n = 10) auf Video aufgezeichnet und hinsichtlich der zu beobachtenden Ansteckung eingeschätzt. Zusätzlich wurden die Selbsteinschätzung psychopathischer Züge und empathischer Fähigkeiten erhoben.

Ergebnisse

Im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe zeigte die Straftätergruppe signifikant weniger Ansteckung und weniger selbst-eingeschätzte empathische Fähigkeiten. Probanden, die sich als empathischer einschätzen, zeigten mehr Ansteckung.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die beobachtete reduzierte Resonanz im Sinne von Ansteckung könnte die Kaltherzigkeit mancher psychopathischer Straftäter erklären: eine reduzierte körperbezogene Nachempfindung physischer und emotionaler Situationen anderer könnte die Überwindung natürlicher Gewalthemmung begünstigen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forschungsbereich für Klinische und Soziale Psychiatrie, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich, Militärstrasse 8, PF 1930, 8021, Zürich, Schweiz

    Florence Hagenmuller, Wulf Rössler & Helene Haker

  2. Psychiatrisch-Psychologischer Dienst, Justizvollzug Zürich, Schweiz

    Jérôme Endrass & Astrid Rossegger

Authors
  1. Florence Hagenmuller
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  2. Wulf Rössler
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  3. Jérôme Endrass
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  4. Astrid Rossegger
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  5. Helene Haker
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Correspondence to Florence Hagenmuller.

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Hagenmuller, F., Rössler, W., Endrass, J. et al. Empathische Resonanzfähigkeit bei Straftätern mit psychopathischen Persönlichkeitszügen. Neuropsychiatr 26, 65–71 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40211-012-0015-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40211-012-0015-9

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