Scientists Have Established a Key Biological Difference Between Psychopaths and Normal People

Human Brain Neural Network Cerebral Cortex

Researchers discovered that the striatum region of the brain was on average ten percent larger in psychopathic individuals compared to a control group of individuals that had low or no psychopathic traits.

A new study has shown that psychopathic people have a bigger striatum area in their brain

Neuroscientists using MRI scans discovered that psychopathic people have a 10% larger striatum, a cluster of neurons in the subcortical basal ganglia of the forebrain, than regular people. This represents a clear biological distinction between psychopaths and non-psychopathic people.

Neuroscientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), the University of Pennsylvania, and California State University have discovered a biological distinction between psychopaths and non-psychopaths. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, scientists discovered that the striatum, an area of the forebrain, was 10% bigger in psychopathic people compared to a control group of individuals with low or no psychopathic traits.

Psychopaths, or those with psychopathic qualities, are people who have an egotistical and antisocial disposition. This is often characterized by a lack of guilt for their actions, a lack of empathy for others, and, in some cases, criminal tendencies.

The striatum, which is part of the forebrain, the subcortical region of the brain that encompasses the whole cerebrum, coordinates numerous elements of cognition, including motor and action planning, decision-making, motivation, reinforcement, and reward perception.

Previous research has shown that psychopaths have overactive striatum, but the influence of its size on behavior has yet to be confirmed. The new research demonstrates a significant biological difference between people who exhibit psychopathic tendencies and those who do not. While not all people with psychopathic qualities end up violating the law, and not all criminals satisfy the criteria for psychopathy, there is a strong association. There is also significant evidence that psychopathy is associated with more aggressive behavior.

The understanding of the role of biology in antisocial and criminal behavior may help improve existing theories of behavior, as well as inform policy and treatment options. To conduct their study, the neuroscientists scanned the brains of 120 participants in the United States and interviewed them using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, a psychological assessment tool to determine the presence of psychopathic traits in individuals.

Assistant Professor Olivia Choy, from NTU’s School of Social Sciences, a neurocriminologist who co-authored the study, said “Our study’s results help advance our knowledge about what underlies antisocial behavior such as psychopathy. We find that in addition to social environmental influences, it is important to consider that there can be differences in biology, in this case, the size of brain structures, between antisocial and non-antisocial individuals.”

Olivia Choy NTU

Assistant Professor Olivia Choy, a neuroscientist from NTU’s School of Social Sciences, currently presenting diagrams of the human striatum. Credit: NTU Singapore

Professor Adrian Raine from the Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, who co-authored the study, stated “Because biological traits, such as the size of one’s striatum, can be inherited to a child from a parent, these findings give added support to neurodevelopmental perspectives of psychopathy – that the brains of these offenders do not develop normally throughout childhood and adolescence.”

Professor Robert Schug from the School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Emergency Management at California State University, Long Beach, who co-authored the study, added “The use of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in a community sample remains a novel scientific approach: Helping us understand psychopathic traits in individuals who are not in jails and prisons, but rather in those who walk among us each day.”

Highlighting the significance of the work done by the joint research team, Associate Professor Andrea Glenn from the Department of Psychology of The University of Alabama, who is not involved in the research, stated “By replicating and extending prior work, this study increases our confidence that psychopathy is associated with structural differences in the striatum, a brain region that is important in a variety of processes important for cognitive and social functioning. Future studies will be needed to understand the factors that may contribute to these structural differences.”

The results of the study were published recently in the peer-reviewed academic publication Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Bigger striatum, larger appetite for stimulation

Through analyses of the MRI scans and results from the interviews to screen for psychopathy, the researchers linked having larger striatum to an increased need for stimulation, through thrills and excitement, and a higher likelihood of impulsive behaviors.

The striatum is part of the basal ganglia, which is made up of clusters of neurons deep in the center of the brain. The basal ganglia receive signals from the cerebral cortex, which controls cognition, social behavior, and discerning which sensory information warrants attention.

In the past two decades, however, the understanding of the striatum has expanded, yielding hints that the region is linked to difficulties in social behavior. Previous studies have not addressed whether striatal enlargement is observed in adult females with psychopathic traits.

The neuroscientists say that within their study of 120 individuals, they examined 12 females and observed, for the first time, that psychopathy was linked to enlarged striatum in females, just as in males. In human development, the striatum typically becomes smaller as a child matures, suggesting that psychopathy could be related to differences in how the brain develops.

Asst Prof Choy suggested “A better understanding of the striatum’s development is still needed. Many factors are likely involved in why one individual is more likely to have psychopathic traits than another individual. Psychopathy can be linked to a structural abnormality in the brain that may be developmental in nature. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that the environment can also have effects on the structure of the striatum.”

Prof Raine added “We have always known that psychopaths go to extreme lengths to seek out rewards, including criminal activities that involve property, sex, and drugs. We are now finding out a neurobiological underpinning of this impulsive and stimulating behavior in the form of enlargement to the striatum, a key brain area involved in rewards.

The scientists hope to carry out further research to find out the causes of the enlargement of the striatum in individuals with psychopathic traits.

Reference: “Larger striatal volume is associated with increased adult psychopathy” by Olivia Choy, Adrian Raine and Robert Schug, 6 March 2022, Journal of Psychiatric Research.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.03.006

258 Comments on "Scientists Have Established a Key Biological Difference Between Psychopaths and Normal People"

  1. Uh oh… You base it on law(s), character definitions and such subjectivities? Then imply some guy living under a tree watching the same sunset every day for as long someone feeds him and that s it, would not be a psychopath! Basically the human brain is what it is and Modern times what they are because we sought not only comfort but stimulation! Uh, any unrecognized diseases affecting the relevant brain area? Only read the review but sounds needs more specifics to the correlation. Need for stimulation is a.symptom of intelligence and that is a concept not easily swallowed by not-so-modern societies, ie, most of the planet.

    • There is no correlation that is why there are no supportable specifics.

      • Mark Armitage | June 3, 2022 at 8:58 am | Reply

        In the past, our society went through mass therapies, i.e. starvation before The First Thanksgiving, Wagon Trains to Oregon, WWII, The Great Depression. Psychopathic tendencies were mitigated by brutal reality.

        The current psychopathic deterioration of our society is a consequence of children of the Greatest Generation’s total disregard for the lessons learned via brutal reality.

        This study could be used to design therapies that could mimic brutal reality lessons for those with psychopathic tendencies.

        But it won’t because you cannot fill a cup which is already full of utopian pipedreams derived from the belief that there is no objective truth and that man is perfectible.

        • 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

          • Sheikh Anvakh | January 1, 2024 at 2:58 am |

            A possible extrapolation from the article: Could there be a correlation between particularly brutal tribes and communities due to systematic inbreeding where those characteristics were there from the start

      • Like phrenology shape of the head early diagnostic tool discredited. I feel so many factors can play a part..childhood abuse..bad socio.economic conditions.Genetics. So in future we will just gene splice this out and give everyone a living wage..

    • Compelled to Comment | June 1, 2022 at 7:50 pm | Reply

      Unfortunately, previous comments posted seem somewhat lacking in knowledge, education, experience and/or understanding of this subject. While I would agree the sample size of the test population of the subject is rather small/limited to draw substantive conclusions and further research is needed, the fact that any consistent correlation identified in these findings exists (i.e. brain scans), I feel, is significant and may be promising. That there may be some sort of tangible evidence of this condition, if validated, that may some day enable neuroscientists to further understand the root cause factors and information that may lead to finding treatment or, at least, education of the conditions during critical stages of brain development in childhood where early intervention might have a positive impact on the outcome of individuals with these conditions and, to a greater extent society as a whole, is both fascinating and exciting. I hope the scientific and medical communities will pursue continued research and exploration of the results presented in this study.

    • Such a person would most definitely not be a psychopath. Psychopath have overactive dopamine systems and are therefore extremely motivated to seek out experiences, regardless of the cost. Your hypothetical lazy guy under a tree suffers from an underactive dopamine system, which is the polar opposite. A very problematic behavior pattern for sure but not psychopathy. Such a person would be fairly easily treated though since ramping up dopamine is easily done with drugs.

    • So ppl with a large noggin are doomed

      • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:03 am | Reply

        There is no general correlation between brain size and behavior. That they may have found – small exploratory research – is a localized volume correlation.

        Interestingly the developing human brain pares down cells and synapses, so it may be that a smaller brain has “learned more/better”.

        There is no contradiction between having developmental differences and taking responsibility (such as before criminal law). This is more suggestive of that some individuals should get treatment instead of prison (if the results bear up).

  2. Insert psychopathic laughter here.

  3. Unsupportable Assumption:

    “While not all people with psychopathic qualities end up violating the law, and not all criminals satisfy the criteria for psychopathy, there is a strong association.”

    • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:06 am | Reply

      They found a strong association if that is what they claim. In which case I guess you made your own “Unsupportable” claim.

      It is a small study, no need to get unduly excited either way.

  4. This idea of “normal” is a good way to turn a phych classroom into a heated debate, well past bell. Being classified as “normal” to an insanely sick, greedy, consienceless capitalist just because our MRI’s are the same makes me nauseus.

    • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:09 am | Reply

      ? Politics don’t come into it, nor do clustering results as those you mention.

      There are diagnostic criteria for some problematic behaviors, but the field is rather dire.

  5. Opening Pandoras Box of somewhat known and unknown things | June 1, 2022 at 8:53 pm | Reply

    We’ve been made, on guard at once 🤣
    Either way people have to get by.. imagine.. out here it may leave anyone in a questionable position with the actions they take to get by, some with a more fortunate situation and some not as fortunate.. the righteous path to getting on ones feet may seem easy to someone who was handed the keys and forced into curriculum.. compare with someone who literally has to “dog it out” to get by and you’ll create your own facade of what a psychopath really is, a brain development disorder or realistically someone with a mental health issue naturally or acquired from injury?
    Personally I refuse to be categorized by the shape of someones brain or put in question because of someone else’s thought processing and based off what they would do in the situations they get into, who came up with the debate to question this anyway? someone with a mental health problem? Maybe even a think tank with a mental health problem! Categorizing individuals by the shape of their brains hmm what are we going to magically Splice and edit that out because it’s unfit for society too? Whose idea is half the sh*t going on right now. Good people break bad.. I think the weirdest thing is the people you least expect are the ones out here doing bad things specifically the ones who think they’re perfect with nothing wrong with them. That’s simply my observation and perspective right or wrong, goto work do good and go above at times and you should be fine don’t spoil yourself too much. I do have a question for the topic, how do we know there’s a correlation and at that broadly enough to make assertions such as to classify said individuals into potential criminal groups.. treading down a dark avenue..

    • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:12 am | Reply

      If it can be observed as significant, it is a fact. (In this case the study is small, so we don’t know if it is a robust observation.)

      You can have your own opinions, but you can’t have your own facts.

      • I was married for 12 years to a psychopathic narcissist with bipolar depression and an addiction to gambling and meth(I learnes this info approximately year 10). So if I can be of any help with reasarch, I’d be more than happy.

  6. Your control groups were too selective and now you’re implying that all people w8th enlarged striatum regions are psychopaths. Bad science.

  7. Grerchen Anderson | June 1, 2022 at 10:12 pm | Reply

    Right! Wow, coming out of the woodwork. He sounds like my brother.. only not very great with grammar. Symptom of intelligence?!

    • Spending millions on a study like this is laughable. The extremely small of people examined to start.. Why don’t they give their time and effort that will make a real change in this world like humans that shoot up other humans in massacres or finding a cute for cancer to name just a couple of examples. Absolute nonsense if you ask me. If they know so much about the brain how about doing a study to help millions suffering from mental illnesses? I don’t know, maybe I’m off the topic.no

  8. Uh….this is a bit far fetched don’t ya think? What about those with nerological disorders such as ADHD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder? Wouldn’t you imagine they too have a larger than average striatum? Since they are also “reward seeking”, and basically live for stimuli. I would think any condition with symptoms similar to this type of behavior would be linked to having larger striatums. So please, don’t stop with psychopaths…because it certainly doesn’t end with them. 🖤

  9. Thank you who ever you are that commented before me I won’t get into details I just don’t have the energy anymore to keep explaining. No one seems to care anyways. I really needed that to keep me from having a nervous breakdown. I’ve been trying to figure out on my own what’s wrong with me or if there’s even anything . Someone I love called me a bunch of names and abandoned me just like everyone one else in my life . All !! I don’t understand I always tried to do the right thing even when nobody’s looking. I always loved but now I’m not sure if I even know what love is

    • Sending you a hug and God is ❤️ love. He’s everything to me I pray for you to know love. You deserve it too. Have a blessed day.

  10. Even if you could show that all psychopaths have enlarged striatums, you cannot infer that all people with enlarged striatums are psychopaths. Though that is not precluded either.

    If the striatum is the part of the brain that schemes, then chess masters, and professional GO players would likely also have enlarged striatums, probably pro/college sports team coaches as well.

    It would be interesting to see if the genes they have found associated with psychopathy actually do anything that could result in this brain region being enlarged or more active.

    My suspicion is that this is just larger due to higher use, rather than anything genetic. Similar to weight lifting, producing larger muscles.

    This did surprise me. If anything, I would have suspected some area in the brain was atrophied rather than enlarged.

    • “If the striatum is the part of the brain that schemes,…”

      Your entire missive is centered around that conjuncture, which is not supported anywhere in the article nor in the literature I was able to look up. If you have evidence to support that conjuncture, please cite them. Otherwise the house of cards you built on that premise just falls flat.

      • “The basal ganglia receive signals from the cerebral cortex, which controls cognition, social behavior…” When I add “cognition” to “social behavior”, that sounds like scheming to me, or planing if the person were normal.

        • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:15 am | Reply

          You are also assuming larger volumes means more capability. But during development paring down the potential adult size and complexity of the brain is important for function.

          As almost everywhere else in biology, you have to interpolate between observations and not extrapolate.

  11. Grain of sand | June 2, 2022 at 1:43 am | Reply

    So they’ll be using Neuroscience now as a medical profiling for psychological aspects well that’s interesting maybe that’s why they’re building all these psychiatric units, why is it that when they discover something they always tend to use it in the worst possible application This Is What It Seems like right now that this is where it’s heading in different directions, what should be happening is we should be incorporating natural medicine alongside pharmaceutical medicine and be working towards the natural wholeness of the individual rather than playing dr. Jekyll

  12. Scrotum Straitum | June 2, 2022 at 2:29 am | Reply

    I like how some people commenting are goings nuts over the straitum, but just in case they didn’t fully read and comprehend the whole article, here it is below. Maybe they should have used scrotum instead:

    Asst Prof Choy suggested “A better understanding of the striatum’s development is still needed. Many factors are likely involved in why one individual is more likely to have psychopathic traits than another individual. Psychopathy can be linked to a structural abnormality in the brain that may be developmental in nature. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that the environment can also have effects on the structure of the striatum.”

    • The scrotum option would definitely apply to you, as most of your thinking seems to be done there.

  13. Before a politician gets my vote I want to see their MRI. as to it not being conclusive I’ll enter it into a Bayesian determination.

  14. I’ve met a couple of true psychopaths, I’ve come to the conclusion years ago that something is actually physiologically wrong with their brains, this goes a long way down that road, I suspect more work has to be done, but it’s compelling stuff. There are conditions we can treat and correct but I suspect psychopathy is impossible. I actually don’t think these feeders as they are feeding on emotions they don’t have, are curable, I don’t think they are human in the same definition as other people are.

    Very interesting how this triggered some people in the comments, very interesting.

  15. ANOTHER reason women need full reproductive rights.

    • Error in your logic – Father’s Rights to the baby.

      • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:18 am | Reply

        There is no such right in the UDHR – it would be slavery.

        But even if it were, access to sex education, preventatives and abortion are important for social health and economy in general and for females and children especially.

    • Reproductive rights? Women are fully capable of reproducing already, no one is stopping them.

  16. Robert O'Leary | June 2, 2022 at 8:18 am | Reply

    Whenever scientists and politics involved wrong decisions will inevitably result Possibly 10% increase in this area is a positive evolutionary result. Has anyone done a similar measurement on certifiable geniuses? Has IQ and measurement of brain areas and functional capability shown disparities between “genius” and “normal” individuals? Studies for health must not be allowed to be used for genetic manipulation or culling.

  17. Hmm, Probably after I write my comments here some smart people will point out my grammar or spelling because that is what they always do in my comments… imagine if you have my head and can speak plenty or read plenty of languages at the same time while typing is typo incorrect. Anyway, I conduct my own study for more than 12 years here in America personally from ages 0 to lifespan , I work on it personally no computer help, just my hearts, my hands, and all parts of my body, even my left holy foot is involved with it. I don’t agree much of this study results on this article. The rest of my story it will written under the heavens time on earth, when I can gather of evidence and well documented because I want to get paid and be honored like everyone does for their good deed. It’s 34 years of my life, I been doing a good deed for humanity and for world sake, to keep everyone safe and comfortable… and yet, I still get bully or criticize…what worst I get called in like a prostitute or crazy. I don’t ask for money or anything from a man, only love and respect… and from the people you believe what you believe respect each other boundaries, agree or disagree that is our as individual figurative as a persona…yes or no ma’am and sir. Then, explain why and why not!…

  18. Wake me when a provable definition of consciousness arrives. We’re still very much in the dark about that. Reminds me of when they looked at Einstein’s brain and compared it with the brains of convicts–couldn’t find anything that constituted a physical difference explaining the differences. This seems like a simplistic attempt to answer a question that seems to have a myriad of answers, such as, “What is a psychopath?” I’ll wager there are hundreds of millions if not billions of people with “larger striatums” who have no trouble feeling very guilty about a number of things. In fact, imagined and affected guilt is somewhat of a fad these days, with lots of people working themselves up into psychological guilt about things they were not remotely responsible for doing. It’s the politics of guilt, etc., used to manipulate gullible people, imo. A sad commentary on our times.

  19. What do “they” consider normal?

  20. If a treatment for my mental disorders were discovered. I would do it in a minute.
    My whole life I have wanted to be normal. But I will die never knowing what normal feels like.

    • This is the most sincere and honest comment on here.

    • Normal is an illusion, especially under a system that rewards institutions for convincing the population in their abnormality, then turn around and sell them solutions to this artificial problem.

      What would you call normal in a population where a vast majority of people don’t feel normal?

  21. Very cool! I appreciate the detailed work that was put into trying to understand and identify psychopaths a bit more. Every little bit helps!

  22. Our parent trauma is part of whose are sure. That was just a known fact in psychology. There’s genetic trauma and in severely dysfunctional families that trauma runs deep for generations and people can remember that sometimes its a way humans have developed to protect themselves and their young from their own dysfunction. They actually imprint the trauma onto the the fetus’s genetic code personal opinion maybe the trauma creates a type of over processing that has created what we now deem as psychopathic behaviour but before laws in the wild west when it was just a child alone in an abusive house in the middle of nowhere and there was no government and no one was planning on helping them. What would your brain do. It was start thinking about every option you had first without hurting your family member but as the abuse gets worse you’d start to care less about their safety in your escape. And then eventually you’d snap and probably get revenge. Imagine generations of that trauma repeating itself. My opinion the “nurture” in childhood can either be abusive and flare up all the genetic trauma and inflame this portion of the brain or it can truly be nurturing and it can keep all of the genetic trauma in a recessive state

    • Calamity Clamamity | June 2, 2022 at 1:23 pm | Reply

      While I’m willing to stipulate the methodology, and the perfunctory quotation that “more research is necessary” — that’s a no-brainer 🙂 — the fact that someone would dare to name a specialty “neurocriminology”sounds a priori totalitarian. If you live in an objectively psychotic society, such as the U.S., then please show your work! What’s antisocial, then? I’d like to see the underlying premise and hypothesis at play here. Not to make a hackneyed Nazi analogy…but when the shoe (boot) fits, what else can I do? They loved to measure brains too. Which way is your telescope/microscope pointed? Do you start with the “law” as your presumed good then search for biocriminals? Or do you look at structural brain anomalies then brag about presumed correlations to… Which specific actions, exactly? I’ll buy your thrillseeking theory for dollar, but no one in their right mind would permit our police to increasingly utilize pseudoscience to arbitrarily justify their policies and selective enforcement.

  23. Autistic Evan | June 2, 2022 at 12:26 pm | Reply

    Warlita, I am sorry, but I did not understand most of what you said. Do you happen to suffer from schizophrenia, by any chance? I am not trying to offend, but that is what your writing seems to imply. If so, there are a ton of really great pharmaceuticals out there that can help you manage your disorganized thought processes.

    Good luck to you, and may fortune smile on you.

  24. Mintas Lanxor | June 2, 2022 at 4:39 pm | Reply

    The central irony of online psychological stories is that their comments section attracts so many people who have recognized themselves (or their favorite demagogue) in the findings and are now desperately trying to refute them with semi-literate, wanna-be hifalutin jargon and zero knowledge.

    • Mintas, well-timed comment. About the time I got to your comment I was shaking my head in confusion thinking, “three out of four comments here I cannot understand half of what they’re saying, much less their overall point.”

      • Head psychopath #1 | June 6, 2022 at 5:11 pm | Reply

        It’s because you have to be a psychopath to even be interested in what half these people are saying

    • Spot on. It seems that our appalling “education” system in the indoctrination centres they call schools and the Marxist infested Univershitty Halls of Knackerdemia are increasingly responsible for turning out hoards of self-obsessed narcissists, dubbing it as “empowerment”.

  25. Nobody here is claiming that “enlarged striatum=psychopathy.” They’re claiming they found a strong association between the two. It may be associated of other neurological conditions characterized by impulsive/externalizing behaviors given the function it shares in the dopamine-reward pathway, which indeed does ultimately guide behavior.
    Associations are certainly necessary to establish any valid claim, they’re insufficient until temporality (which is pretty impossible until we can magically alter time and neurodevelopmental trajectories, i think), replication of the work, and other associations are ruled out…which again, as they noted there are environmental factors and other research to do. It’s simply evidence in this case suggesting an association, no more, no less.
    I’d also not get too hung up on the labels…a “psychopath” has alot of baggage attached to the name. Remember these are abstract labels used to describe clusters of measurable occurrences. Nobody is going to be able to open your brain and say “yep, there’s 5 ounces of psychopathy there, and just remove it/put it back,” that’s silly. It’s only as real as the clusters of behaviors you exhibit as described by the current iteration of a clinical manual. My ADD didn’t stop existing after the dsm4 became the dsm5, I’m still the same guy, but the name changed to “ADHD-Primarily Inattentive.” My point is not to get too hung up on names, they’re just short hand for a cluster of behaviors that showed some statistical significance together, and certainly overlap with other clusters…they aren’t telling us adhders that we have psychopathy. They’re just saying they found a bunch of big striatums in psychopath brains and that there may be a significant neurological component in that that relates to some of the characteristics we see in the reward seeking behavior.

    /endrant

  26. What a dangerous assumption.

    • Agreed! This reminds me of the profiling back in the early 20th century, where a low brow and close eyes automagically made you a criminal. Or in the 21st century, being a black dude in the US, or native in Canada makes you gun fodder.

    • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:19 am | Reply

      An observation, not an “assumption”.

  27. Alicia A Olsen | June 2, 2022 at 6:08 pm | Reply

    Biology isn’t real. We all know that now. So, whatever this is, all that matters is if they identify as a psychopath or not. What is their personal truth? That’s all we need to really ask.

  28. Interesting measure of personality types that commented on this article. Ad sum, not et all, psycopathic, victorian, moderate, etc. Its just really interesting to see that not one specific type or group responded… that is part of the behavioral science experiment within itself.

  29. Rick Bennett | June 2, 2022 at 7:05 pm | Reply

    If I read this correctly, you could scan the brain of the former president and diffinitively prove him a psychopath?

  30. Sandra Johnson | June 2, 2022 at 7:29 pm | Reply

    The only way this knowledge has value,is if it’s applied to treatment options. Then to law enforcement agencies,psychological care, psychiatric evaluation in early ages of manifestation. Early intervention is the key . The causation may still be early childhood abuse, domestic violence, and untreated PTSD. No nutrition our nurturing by parents or legal guardians. As a previous CASA. We are ready to care for infants but adolescents are first abused at home and then by the legal system! We are creating a generation of super criminals!!

    • Could a dysfunctional family create an environment to make the striatum region become…enlarged in such a way?

  31. Striatum Out | June 2, 2022 at 7:35 pm | Reply

    The article said, “it is important to acknowledge that the environment can also have effects on the structure of the striatum.” So, if a larger striatum size can effectively be linked to psychopathy, perhaps this indicates that a person with such characteristics, if willing to change through applied methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy, might be able to possibly “shrink” their enlarged striatum through systematic behavioral and environmental change. If that is possible, then perhaps methods can be developed and skills taught that could enable such individuals to change themselves so they may not effectively be acting as psychopaths any longer, which would be better for everyone everywhere, and also for every government so the law doesn’t have to try to “Striat-um Out”!

  32. Is it nature over nurture or are we just products of our environment

    • Compulsive people acting unconsciously are products of their environment, like an animal. Action, reaction.
      Humans have they capability to say, “No, I will not do this/that, this time. I will RESPOND rather than react.” and live consciously.
      Most people unfortunately are completely on auto-pilot until they die. They never lived their own life, but someone else’s expectation of them; a nurturer or boss or social media.

    • As with most things psychological, it’s usually a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Nevertheless, I think if one is willing and able to change through applied cognitive-behavioral methods, then functional stability and a lack of psychopathic behavior(s) may hopefully be achieved for the betterment of all. I’m sure the pharmaceutical companies will try and develop some sort of “Striat-um Out” pills though if a link between an enlarged striatum and psychopathy can be determined upon further research.

    • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:34 am | Reply

      This is biology, so it is generally “half-and-half” (Modern estimates is more like 80 % genetics, 20 % environmental factors IIRC.) This is a very old observation, by the way, perhaps from before modern sequencing methods could assess it better.

      “Consciousness” isn’t testable, I assume self-awareness is meant which all humans and some other animals display – no principal difference of course since organisms are products of evolution.

      But does it matter? We are all biochemical machines living by action-reaction, whether or not we are aware of what we did and – as similar observations imply: retroactively (as well as speculatively) model what we do. Perhaps in order to make more sense of observations and focus precisely awareness on what happens. But no different from a chemical reaction that establish a new equilibrium from outside input, it is homeostasis (in biology).

      The 2D neuron layer experiments imply that is at least a direct model of how some neurons spontaneously works when placed on substrates, they strive to make their environment less “noisy”. If it is the generic function of the brain remains to be seen.

  33. Shamshuzzama Khan | June 2, 2022 at 7:58 pm | Reply

    I think they have not considered the geographical environment in which ancestors of a person have grown. This may have a certain effect through heredity as from which place one’s ancestor belong what difficulties they have faced for centuries to remain in existence

  34. Joseph Johnson | June 2, 2022 at 8:29 pm | Reply

    Anyone thinking of the Japanese anime ” Psycho Pass”? Are they trying to make that a reality?

  35. Psychopaths, sociopaths, being antisocial, further down on the spectrum it’s called narcissism, all of these disorders share one core difference from those not on the spectrum.
    Almost all of us at times feel emotional pain. If we sense that another being feels emotional pain then we feel it too. The difference between us and those on the psychopath spectrum is that those on the spectrum feel less emotional pain, both in others and ourselves. Those who feel a little less emotional pain are narcissists. Those who feel a lot less emotional pain are psychopaths.

    Psychopaths, and to a much smaller amount narcissists, approach life differently. They don’t feel much good when helping others because they don’t sense much of a decline of emotional pain in the person being helped. So they seek what narcissists seek, namely grandiosity.
    Psychopaths don’t feel much of an increase of emotional pain when they manipulate and destroy others. They behave as if they don’t have a conscience. They lie without shame and get away with it because we can’t believe that a liar could be so shameless. When approaching life differently they tend to use parts of their brain more, as described in this article. There is apparently more growth in the part of the brain used more by psychopaths.

    A lot of research has been done on psychopaths. including which genes are different and how their thought patterns are different. A little success, under conditions extremely difficult to replicate, has been made in temporarily reducing the symptoms. Treatment is usually impossible. It’s an important area of research.

  36. It makes me wonder if this could be the difference between the Democrats vs the Republicans in Congress right now. And if Nurses and Teachers and so many other professions require Master degree’s in their professions how can there be GED only politicians . Shouldn’t the professions that dictate what occurs in our Country require Masters degrees as well ? And, shouldn’t they be tested for emotional and mental health by an independent psychiatrist?

  37. Normal is the cycle on the washing machine.

  38. Shelley Bohmer | June 2, 2022 at 9:32 pm | Reply

    I’m surprised that so many commentators do not understand the extensive scientific research that reveals how neurodevelopment is the foundation of neurological differences between individuals. Antisocial personality disorder, like many neurological disorders has a biological component that predispose a person, while environmental influences most likely play a major role in triggers/ extent of the neurological manifestation. Research that is studying where the neurological differences between antisocial personality disorder and non-antisocial disorder should be .supported.

  39. Divorcing a Psychopath | June 2, 2022 at 9:45 pm | Reply

    I believe sin to be responsible for this, and many other behavioral issues.

    Per an earlier comment, there are supplements that increase dopamine levels, serotonin, GABA (neurotransmitters) which are a much better choice than Pharma.

    • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:36 am | Reply

      ‘Sin’? This site is improving – 70+ comments and only one tries to smuggle in irrelevant religion into an article of science.

  40. Sure they have an enlarged striatum but do they identify as psychopathic?

  41. The truth is we have no real clue about any of this, and neither do most psychiatrists who just throw a bunch of drugs at everything to treat abnormal behavior. May be some of this behavior is learned from certain parent types, or that the brain area grows in response to the behavior. This study really proves nothing other than a lot of people have the tendency to care little about morals.

  42. I’m wondering if there are any differences in this area of the brain across racial lines.

  43. So ppl with a large noggin are doomed

    • According to my study
      Most psychopath are not aware of what they have done wrong.it is caused by isolation
      Lack of love
      Violation in their childhood either by their family or any other people
      Setting fire
      Killing and torture of animals when they are so younger
      It may be genetic and hereditary

  44. Ok so now what we can scan people and if they have the psycho scan we euthanize? Or we wait til they commit haneous crimes and then to die of natural causes years later awaiting death row and then scan them and say oh see we were right look at the scan. Lmao I mean what really is the purpose of knowing this. And don’t say for early med treatment if their scan says they have that problem because people don’t take meds regularly or at all when they have these potential disorders. We can’t fix evil minds once its diagnosed and they start showing red flags, euthanization needs to be done because you can’t fix sick minds.

  45. Landon Hooberry | June 3, 2022 at 12:19 am | Reply

    That first paragraph where you define psychopath characteristics sounds a lot like many politicians.
    Biggest one in front being Donald Trump.

  46. Wow! The professors (obviously including faux & ‘real’ professors) have spoken! This is an interesting & novel study carried out by reputable investigators from first rate institutions. The author of this article has ‘sexied up’ the findings for the public by taking some liberties in interpretation of the study; however, the findings alone are fascinating & should act as a nidus for others to corroborate & expand. Fr

  47. I’m sorry but I believe that this finding is probably just a correlation. I don’t believe that it’s the physical brain that is the problem but the actual consciousness itself that is either psychopathic or empathic.. and I also believe that the consciousness is holographically projected onto our bodies at birth in this holodeck scenario that we are all living in. For real!

  48. This study is probably wrong because it is probably not the physical brain that causes one to be psychopathic but the actual consciousness itself. We are 2 in 1 after all, body and soul.

  49. I couldn’t read all the article. But I read part of it and it’s interesting what they could observe but it need more studies and evidence to give that conclusion. And also, they have to explain first what is a normal behavior for them. Those people who are considered “normal” and are the control of psychological study are really normal?? Also the size of that area could be for another genetic reason or anatomical cause. But put what they could observe attached with people with that mental condition is to early. But what about those psychopaths who don’t have the brain in that way and still being psychopath. The best question will be: Do all the psychopaths have the brains in that way?? And that evidence only can tell us how SOME psychopaths have the brain in that way and help us to identify that medical condition in the person. But they could not say all the psychopaths have the brain in that way if they can not proof ALL the psychopaths have the brain in that way.

  50. Carlota I’m sorry I feel like that o feel like I’m on the other side with u I’m going through the same thing but I’m the one that left u to do this on your own bit have hope our paths will cross sone and we’ll be grate again

  51. Before I read the article, I want to correct the title. “Scientists have established a key difference between psychopaths and neurotypical people” rather than normal people

  52. Romanato Mirco | June 3, 2022 at 2:39 am | Reply

    I would suggest the larger striatum is not about more desire for stimuli but a lower sensibility.
    This would explain why psychopaths have a lower or no ability to empathize with others and with themselves (in the future).

    I came here because a friend joked about this article and the ability to detect communists.
    I would suggest this is the ability to detect successful politicians, not real socialists.

    Joking apart, it would be interesting to check what are the biological differences between hyper-empathic people and “normal”.

    I would suggest hyper-empathic are hyper-stimulated by someone else’s displayed distress (this makes them manipulable) and as a defense mechanism they become blind to others distress. Like the Sun makes the stars invisible in daylight. And then there is the possibility of developing hyper-excitability because of the hyper-stimulation/sensibility. It becomes so sensible it triggers randomly like happen with pain. The pain is there, it is not faked, but the nerve is so sensible it signal for any reason or no reason at all.

  53. Joanne Goldstein | June 3, 2022 at 3:10 am | Reply

    What about narcissists who don’t rob banks but have an evil desire to hurt someone, especially thier target, like a bully?

  54. Mister Mindful | June 3, 2022 at 3:34 am | Reply

    ?
    So in order to prevent, unwanted behavior, people with these, so called over or under developed, areas of the brain, should be tattooed across the forehead.
    That way the rest of “socially normal” individuals, can avoid them.
    Thus improving life quality and safety.
    ?
    ?
    Is that where this is going?
    ?

    • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:40 am | Reply

      No. Society is generally ethical and won’t suggest anything like that (especially since that wouldn’t work, as opposed to treatment).

  55. I think the police, our government and all rich people are the psychos cause they don’t seem to care much about all the shootings going on and putting us into poverty and psychopaths are liars!

    • Torbjörn Larsson | June 3, 2022 at 4:47 am | Reply

      I guess this is about US and your need to construct a fact less conspiracy theory to explain US incidence of shooting!? As everyone knows, nations without guns allowed on persons don’t have the shootings – case closed.

      Why you let a vocal minority overrule public opinion – a majority of US citizens want the guns removed, like ASustralia successfully did (and got rid of their won shootings) – is another question. IIRC The Economist claims from their yearly analysis that US – which is falling on democracy scales – have been trending toward failing democracy since the 30s social shock.

      [And as an outsider I find it ironic that a society that wanted to get rid of foreign autocratic rule replaced it with fundamental laws that rule autocratically. Gun lovers can claim that you can’t change the laws, but of course you can.]

  56. As a psych major, I remember seeing reports that psychopaths, prisoners and professional athletes shared a strong need for stimulation. But the athletes learned or chose to achieve it in socially acceptable ways. Many of the males also had XYY chromosomes- super males. If one’s brain and chromosomes predestine someone for a life of stimulus seeking, thrill seeking most parents would appreciate the warning that MRE brain scans could provide BEFORE their child gets into serious trouble at school or with law enforcement.

  57. Not very well written article, sorry, but not convinced of the science either.

  58. Maybe some day they will find a difference between men and women…lol

  59. Oh, look, they are trying to find a way to lock down the “aggressive ones” BEFORE they do something! The hand is definitely writing on the wall here. Another way to try and control the ones that might fight back against the system. Better make sure and get ALL the strong ones! 🙄🙄

  60. What about trans people, what is there brain chemistry ?

  61. Now if they can only determine the difference between a man and a woman.

  62. Anti-social because of the brain?
    More like video games, internet and current laws.
    Looking for more thrills? Yeah this is becoming more and more a dull society/world. The people that want to enjoy themselves will be criminals prior to any actual action. Yea!

  63. Normal Brain | June 3, 2022 at 6:39 am | Reply

    Alot of psychopathic behavior in the comments section. 🤔

  64. This story could have been summed up in about three paragraphs. Very repetitive! After reading the first paragraph I had all the information that was important. What a waste.

  65. Erik Pritchard | June 3, 2022 at 6:46 am | Reply

    Looks like they’re bringing back phrenology. I always knew you could tell a criminal by the the shape of his head. Or brain scan.

  66. Thanks for sharing. Good information to have . It explains a lot regarding character and behavior

  67. The subject of Neuroplasticity is not addressed here. I find it odd when it is well known that certain behaviors physically changed the structure of the brain and how it functions. Wondering if it’s possible video gaming, especially violent video games would have that effect. It’s the most common trait among school shooters. Not a fan of the idea that your bad behavior is not your fault. Seems to what I’m reading in this story. ( Not a doctor, but I watch them on TV ).

  68. I think that a psychopath could learn to change their behavior if they wanted to do that, they just need to learn and understand that it is in their best interest to change and not become a criminal pariah and/or prisoner. Unfortunately, some of them have to learn that the hard way through the legal system. But those wanting to change should have treatment options available for the better of us all. Empathy can be taught and learned, not always easily though, but if done well cognitive-behavioral therapy can be effective, and maybe someday those into extremist politics from any end of the spectrum as well as ultra-conservatism could learn such empathy and that not all forms of reasonably regulated capitalism are abusive or unethical and that reasonable empathy can be put into action pragmatically to properly fund a representative democratic society for the benefit of everyone without the maudlin fakery and quackery of superstitious religion influencing only a concern for others like themselves (and that goes for racial/ethnic/gender/orientation differences as well). Every culture unfortunately has its sociopaths and psychopaths,though some cultures do seem to promote such types more than others, and overly aggressive sports, politics and business have their reward systems at times for certain very aggressive types, but people have the power and should use it to not reward unreasonably abusive behavior from anyone.

  69. Dexter Morgan | June 3, 2022 at 7:26 am | Reply

    I love this. Poking prodding and scanning peoples minds looking for correlation in behavior. Sounds like a job only a psychopath would enjoy.

    I meet the clinical definition of psychopath and I basically relate to the diagnosis of behavior, but trapped below societies shallow veneer of people they can classify is another reality. I am a human, a person and I don’t need to be defined by my actions and behavior because at the end of the day I choose to be a good person who is not wholly controlled by my impulses.

  70. It’s a good thing we can go around checking people’s brain sizes right? 🤣😂🤣😂

  71. At least someone is doing something to try n help the situation when it comes to psychopaths… But as for comparing psychopaths to criminals and criminals to einstein i must inform you that there are some very intelligent individuals who are criminals…therefore who is to say what a true psychopath really is? Maybe einstein was a psychopath but no one noticed or measured his striatum because of the work he done… There is a very fine line between genius and insanity… Just because a person does not think the same as lets say a prominent figure in society, it does not mean they are any less intelligent or that they are psychopaths… I agree with the comment that stated the way an individual is raised and what they have to endure throughout their lives has a huge impact on how they tend to deal with things…psychopaths? Maybe. Size of striatum the cause? Maybe. I feel people just do not care about one another these days and it is very sad. If there were people who were committed to helping (truly helping and not giving up on them) said psychopaths, then we may begin to lower the number of individuals suffering. If one has no positive support or influence what is it you expect of them? To sit and allow you to measure the size of their striatum and because it is larger than “normal people” they are just suppose to believe that is the cause of their psychopathy when it is most likely due to lack of positive influence or support? All research helps but lets not jump the gun and say it is the size of a certain part of the brain without recognizing the constant lack of positive support people deal with in life and the system as well. System does not care about people…only the mighty dollar. And it is not our place to judge human beings by societies standards. Leave judgement to God.

  72. Lynn M Walters | June 3, 2022 at 7:44 am | Reply

    Monitor 1935. Nobel Prize 1949. Or the seductive promise of Homo Deus? Who will choose for you?

  73. James Fallon discovered this in 2005.

  74. This is no new discovery. It was actually discovered back in 2011-2012. I do have proof of my claim. A video was sent to me right before the pandemic began, that describes this exact topic.

  75. Stop trying to figure out why ppl act like they do. We are humans and we are not in any category but that, human, like every other living thing on this planet, we are subjects of our environment.
    You come from a place of hand outs and give mes, most are going to struggle to understand adult hood, hence the word PRIVILEGED or in today’s society, “WHITE PRIVILEGE”. which to me means you’ll get it easier,faster, and with little or no effort regardless of race, gender or education as long as you have the right connections. These ppl turn out to be more egotistical, narcissistic and self centered due to the feeling of I deserve this cause of who I am and what I’ve done or didn’t have do to get here. Now take one from a place of hard work pays the bills and puts food on the table, those ppl tend to be more appreciative and a better understanding of what lies ahead in life. Both can be psychos but one can function better in society or social groups due to the understanding of how life works. Both may understand but the one who got the handouts don’t understand how to get it without help from the ones who are like them, which in their eyes are normal and the poor joe settling for a job at your local Dollar General has no self pity but has self acceptance of being able to take societies everyday pushes and pulls of what’s right and what’s wrong and what’s accepted and isn’t. Both may understand these concepts but one can apply in life and the other struggles which leads to the expression of psychopathic behavior in such individuals. Just remember this, we are all killers in the right situation it just depends on if you find yourself in that particular situation. We are all dumb to the facts until it happens to us and hindsight is always 20/20. And one more thing. Electronics, Facebook,tiktok,Instagram, Twitter and whatever else that is supposed to connect us has actually divided us into likeable or not likable or if you think this way today, you can’t think differently 5yrs from now cause what you say,do, act like today, even if you change, ppl will remember the person you were 5 yrs ago and they will remind you of that.

  76. Ruby Jenkins | June 3, 2022 at 8:12 am | Reply

    Have you considered that with Autisms neurological symptoms some of these individuals are just part of a spectrum. Anti social behavior does not always equate to psycopothy but just a lack of learning or comprehension of social norms. After being rejected for lack of understanding early childhood they just gave up. Decided to feed their own wants tried of their lack of fitting in and just feeding the negativity in themselves to self sustain. Spectrum is a fascinating thing. We can’t put people in boxes this world is an accumulation of experiences.

  77. Troy Conklin | June 3, 2022 at 8:29 am | Reply

    Oh Holy God! You people, every single one of you, are so hopelessly stupid, confused, and lost, it’s depressing to the point of being unbearable. Do any of you ever shut up long enough to see yourself objectively, the way truly intelligent people do? It is embarrassing, to say the least. Has anyone actually read this article thoroughly and understood all that and only that which is being imparted? For the love of suffering Christ, turn off your TV, turn away from your computer, stop watching so many Hollywood movies, stop listening to the nonsense that your friends and family constantly vomit all day every day, stop doing so many drugs, pull your heads out of your @ssholes, and try to find your way back to sanity, if not reality.

    • Cynthia Binder | June 3, 2022 at 1:14 pm | Reply

      Troy sorry for you might not be a researcher or a career professional 🥼⛑ in the who picks up the pieces after a pysypathic..👨‍✈️👩‍✈️prayer is yes gods instructions 🙏 😌 peace be with you. Yet comments are ______??? Are you a psycho……. trained to be rude beyond acceptably words. Second coming of a savior judging living n dead. Repent. Professional athletes, train practice n . Psychos are like your comments. ✌out

  78. Has anyone scanned Amber Heads brain

    • Cynthia Binder | June 3, 2022 at 12:51 pm | Reply

      not nice at all. Lots to say Thur but u know reward is what u search 4. Options opinions n underachieving. Gee God might help you. Age wise Amber’s 20something now mid 30s. Half age to drama both won n lost. Called out name ,she seeked professional help ..he sought money reward…..Psychopathic

    • Cynthia Binder | June 3, 2022 at 1:05 pm | Reply

      thar not nice.

  79. I found the research to be to wide ranging. The basic includes everything that makes up cognitive functions of any single person.
    My conclusion of the research landed with stereotyping. In a court of law the research would not stand up and would dismissed.
    On the right path? Who knows forsure. Do keep searching. However I would add environmental back ground to provide legs to stand on going back not less than 3 generations. Two is inadequate.

  80. In the near future people would have to register their brains.

  81. This is why I wear a hat. It hides my enlarged striatum

  82. Lucky Spencer | June 3, 2022 at 9:30 am | Reply

    Autism is not a neurological disorder it’s an evolution. And it may not stop with phycopaths but yes mankind will end and stop evolving if we don’t take them seriously. Really all this is fancy poetic justice. Even that one guy down there just keeps saying the same sentence in different ways. Mankind keeps believing that phycopaths are mysterious and need to be studied. No, they need to be dealt with. And treated like cancer. Otherwise you will keep having war, rape, nonsense about the paranormal. Honestly their art isn’t really that good. Ok

  83. Psychos are Leftist… duh

  84. Laslo A. Fletcher | June 3, 2022 at 11:19 am | Reply

    The diversification withing this group alone would negate any semblance of her work. Human brains are individual to the host. Each brain would act individually in any situation, some may act like minded even moreso if there is connected genetics such as family. This condition can not be diagnosed in this way effective in any regard. Also the act of observing the brain changes the situation according to collapsed field theory.

  85. Just wanna comment that the description of the striatum was ripped straight from wikipedia

  86. William Peterson | June 3, 2022 at 12:09 pm | Reply

    Somewhat relevant to this discussion is or was Einstein’s desire to have his brain preserved and on display after his death. He was initially described as mentally deficient and having a variety of mental abnormalities as a child, so what does this tell us, not much.

  87. It makes sense! I guess it includes those with narcissist tendencies.I guess I knew it all along that they are born that way! Anyway,there are too many of them!

  88. Cynthia Binder | June 3, 2022 at 12:43 pm | Reply

    Well mri here i go. Crossing paths is not easy to avoid. God 🙏god,help us all

  89. I call bulls*** dont even try it i know where this is going thing is Noone can make an American do s*** excuse my language but I’m pissed why don’t you use your science and find out what’s realy in that poor excuse for a vaccine that’s obviously all they wanted to do anyone can see that or are you scared to

  90. Megan Satanas | June 3, 2022 at 2:10 pm | Reply

    I agree with a previous comment, where is the uncontrolled group of people with an enlarged striatum who aren’t psychopaths? This seems like a categorization error considering how many traits that a supposed psychopath exhibits that can also be exhibited for many other reasons, how do you decide that because someone with an enlarged striatum feels a stronger desire for thrills and is atypical in some ways that that automatically means they want to harm people? I rarely hear the word psychopath used any more because to my knowledge it by itself is no longer a valid diagnosis, this seems like a dangerous pseudoscienctifuc study that could misdiagnose a lot of people as sociopaths or psychopaths and badger them into acting out so they end up in institutions or commmitting crime. Personally I am not convinced that this study is anything but pseudoscience

  91. Stranger in a Strange Land | June 3, 2022 at 2:19 pm | Reply

    There sure is a lot of Communists on here.

  92. Richard Cory | June 3, 2022 at 2:38 pm | Reply

    Did you do this stay on people who has dyslexic.
    I’m just flexing you could try it on me

  93. 120 participants is not a large enough sample size to have any meaningful interpretation. More studies should be done but you will need a large sample of those displaying obvious and well studied psychopathic traits. I suggest starting with the US Congress.

  94. Hehe! 😄😄 Was really fun reading all the reviews. An especially notable one was that perhaps a smaller brain learn better/faster. Not sure about that, as biologically speaking, the ones with a greater brain are smarter (think of Einstein, or even the Neanderthals 😄). If someone who eagerly seeks rewards, I bet they would learn and gather as much information in as little time possible. It may also mean that it would have a very complex way of understanding things in the deepest level; hence all the planning that goes on for the perfect crime. I believe these people are extremely smart, and if one chooses to live lawfully, he/she would make a difference in this world. Makes me wonder now how big is Elon Musk’ stratum, lol.

  95. Even-if this biological difference was true, what
    then, I suppose we could have everyone who wanted to know have an MRI to find out if they were officially nuts as well as a public pain in the ass. But it’s usually not necessary for someone to have an MRI to know that anyway. Truth be known, what they’re really trying to do is give an excuse for bad behavior that has more to do with spiritual forces in the battle between good and evil, that they don’t believe exists, that goes hand-in-hand with their atheistic ideological religion that the Brain produces consciousness, when in fact it does not, and in reality it’s a flesh and blood machine that coordinates the functions of the body and allows the conscious spirit of a person to interact & express itself in this physical realm. This spiritual consciousness, possibly in the form of quantum information-is located in the microtubules of the neurons of the brain.

  96. This research could thankfully lead to being able to abort these people before they come into the world and create nearly a century of chaos and misery for untold numbers of people.

  97. Julie A Gordon | June 3, 2022 at 3:47 pm | Reply

    I noticed a gentleman’s comment talked about an individual sitting under a tree or I’m not sure what his ranting was. To me this makes perfect sense since our brain is made up of dopamines neurotransmitters, that chemical makeup or lack of chemical makeup sets a person will and desires differently that’s how people becoming drug addict serial killers it affects the front cortex of the brain and if the front cortex overdeveloped or underdeveloped or what have you along with a cluster of chemical makeup or lack of chemical makeup that’s why each person is extremely different some people can have a desire to go fulfill their fantasies of whatever it may be sick demented psychopath or an addict wanting to do drugs and go gamble the fact of the matter is this science plays a huge role in finding out how a psychopath works which we really need there are so many shootings and killings and innocent children dying obviously that’s done by a psychopath so I applaud the scientist for doing the hard work that they’re doing

  98. Dangerous thing to correlate biology with behaviour..

  99. Good read, but a few brought up good point increased cognitive ability, vs physcopath traits. You can easily confuse let’s say 3 year old reading 3 to 4 years. Ahead of his peers, to being a promising genius or psychopath. Good example motor skills are lacking because they are 3, but cognitive, focus, creative play is up par with 6 to 9 year Olds. 😉 I am curious about the cross over on empathy is lost on most genius people too, why stroke someone else’s Ego? So seperation from genious and psychopath may be life choices and influences. The limited number in study is concerning.

  100. Steven Bearden | June 3, 2022 at 5:09 pm | Reply

    While I’m all for the furtherance of knowledge, regardless of field, this particular thread of research seems fraught with risks. With little effort one can envision a world where certain physical traits can be preemptively used as social filters. Not only to remove “undesirables” from the general population but to prevent their entrance in the first place.

    Any who would think this concern overly pessimistic and thus unfounded knows very little of human history. You might ask which stretches of our record specifically validates my concern. Well, all of it, to be frank. The objective student of our history would be hard pressed to find one single decade in the entire human record absent some glaring example of that timeless Japanese proverb, “The nail that sticks out must be hammered down.”

    And whether the hammer be religious dogma or physiological variations matters little. To that unfortunate protruding nail, a hammer is a hammer no matter the intent driving it’s swing.

  101. So, has the nurture part of the equation been addressed….nerve ganglia grows all during infancy through childhood AND childhood experiences or lack there of DO have an affect on how the brain grows and developes… Including nutrition’s affect on the ability to grow and develop! Many many studies done on this… So…the reward portion of the brain…anyone connect childhood experiences with improper reward and consequence systems? In some, self mutilation is pleasure able…gee, now how did that happe

  102. The known reality of plasticity of the brain defeats being innate. Environmental influence and learned development r not denied in this excerpt, but mentioned actually. Personally I think that the desire for stimulation both contributes and maintains psychotic behavior guided by psychotic strengths. With impulsive stimulation being promoted culturally, and outstanding ideologies supported we r becoming more and more likely to develop the need for stimulation. Impulsive stimulation from boredom and avoidance. We r both complacent and extreme in our egocentric interpretation that again relates to avoidance. Avoidance of cultural opinion given extremes of identification and expectations.

  103. REWARD? And when yu find out twenty yrs later. What will happen? Will it be heaven on earth? This story can be twist and turn as it want to. Just like the bible. Adding n taking frm it. Jim Crow law. Many more things. Important stuff we once admire, strive, N listen to. Smh. Let me knw what’s next. Hopefully, my another twenty.

  104. This is probably just a small piece to a huge puzzle, and to Chad I’m sorry you don’t understand love, God is love ❤️ hope this helps.

  105. Too early to tell. I’m sure enlarged striatum can result in multiple issues. Exciting work though. Keep the research going I’m sure over time something amazing will result from this. It’s a nice start and we have nothing to lose. Although some psychopaths have created amazing things throughout history. Maybe in the future we can treat those inclined toward violence etc. Creative non criminal psychopaths we may want to leave be. I wouldn’t want to date one but do admire their tenacity in the arts, science, sports etc.

  106. I pnalt tomato tree but don’t grow yet I have gardeb. Please

  107. IN ALL HONESTY…
    That’s fine, but is there any way you can test anybody at a specific or certain age where you could determine what type of person they might be and keep an eye on them? Hence, preventing potential criminal activities from ever happening? I know this sounds like the movie “Minority Report”

  108. Not all insane people are criminal, but many criminals are insane. And they are put in prison for the symptoms of their illness instead of a hospital.

  109. YOU PEOPLE ARE ALL ABSOLUTE IDIOTS!!! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!!!! I think the average intelligence of our general society has actually declined ENORMOUSLY right before my eyes over the 48 years I’ve been on this planet!!! Everyone wants to throw there 2 cents in, none of you really read the entire article, clearly! Why can’t y’all just realize that it’s an extremely interesting article with interesting facts as to what could actually develop in the future and ponder what that would or could mean?

  110. I am personally very appreciative to have read this.

    My dad was extremely abusive both physically and emotionally. That was 40 years ago and I’m still ganked-up from it.

    At the same time I chose to forgive dad for what did to all of us kids and to mom. I had come to the personal conclusion that dad had a neurological issue(s). That’s the only thing that think can explain such violent behavior towards ones own family.

    In the end, this is just one more reason to give him compassion rather than hate.

  111. Sheldon O Johnson | June 4, 2022 at 4:53 am | Reply

    Yeah, they realize that they’re the psychopaths

  112. P.E. Krueger PhD, EdD | June 4, 2022 at 6:39 am | Reply

    The small n=12 sample size for females is problematic, and caution should be exercised when drawing conclusions from this study.

  113. Amazing. Maybey if you can develop a suppressor for that area then lives could be saved. For instance Dahmer and his fasination with death and dead animals (not normal) usually dead animals evoke sadness in children. Red flags and a scan…may have saved many lives.

  114. Could be a great defense in a criminal trial.

  115. Explains why party planners, bridezillas, and those family members who obsess over vacation details are the way they are, lol

  116. You mean sociopaths when you say psychopaths. You’re confusing the two.

  117. Sounds like modern phrenology to me, correlation is not causation. If it’s not obvious, phrenology was incorrect. Focusing on explaining criminal behavior by looking at the shape of a brain seems reductive. Just a hypothesis here, but I’d bet larger certain parts of the brain and stimulation requirements are found in highly intelligent people, highly successful people, leaders and criminals, without regard to outcome. Isn’t love and community and good habits more salient than brain shape and mental through-put and stimulation needs? Ascribing more mental neural ability in some way to criminal outcome is a recipe for culling and pathologizing productive and brilliant members of society even though compassion is the far more important part of being human. No amount of brain shape can explain why people do what they do, how they change, how they grow and adjust. It’s society and total body neuron networks that are important, not brain area size.

  118. Interesting read, I enjoyed it and would like to give my own anecdote.

    In the army I had a good friend who was in my crew; we trained and worked together very closely before eventually deploying.

    I knew him personally and he was just a overall likable guy. We all knew he had some bizarre sexually preferences such as bdsm and whipping. Not once did I see him ever lose his temper despite all the stress he was going through with his divorce and accusations of rape.

    Found out that years later he lured a woman into his car, forced her into this sex dungeon he made. This guy tortured her for hours, raped then murdered her before dumping the body in a dumpster.

    He then gf eventually turned him in. She stated he bragged about the killing and was so fearful of him that she kept quiet for a couple years.

    • I don’t quite get your point. Are you trying to associate light BDSM play such as whipping with psychopathy?

      What you view as “bizarre” is quite innocently common around you if you ask.

  119. Lobotomies or drugs or candy for 😞 bad brain or spirits?

  120. Is this a first step to either a pre-crimes type approach, or, on the other hand, greater leniency?

  121. Next task, the elusive and mysterious definition of what defines a “woman.”

    Scientists have lost all credibility since they can’t make simple definitions because of politics.

  122. William Hooks | June 4, 2022 at 1:00 pm | Reply

    Keep in mind when reading comments, there’s a good chance one has been made by someone who meets the criteria for psychopathy. The cunning.

  123. Let me guess who some of the people in the psychopath group were: Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, Richard Pan, Clause Schwab, Yuval Noah Harari, to name a few.

  124. Your brain is meant to run your organs psychos are due to environment in the first 5 years
    of life as your personality develops science is reading to much into stuff that’s not there and someone needs to do something about the mind control ultra synthetic Telapthy spotlighting sonic wave erectile distinction Acusitic sound waves so called Stars program hypnotherapy coming through satilies against peoples will making everyone on the planet look crazy when they are not why don’t you guys find out who is running human torture program on people in their eyes and audio of their brains Patty Mays Ishido heroshi from MIT Christof Koch Mike kagen from the Allen neuroscience institute Tyler Jacks the music play group Geffen Columbia capital records not all people are safe to be using mind reading technology voice to skull synthetic Telapthy spotlighting sonic wave on people why don’t you guys untarget people that don’t want their brains targeted with technology against their will

  125. Wonder what role drugs Aderol (?spelling) play in the developmental stages of the striatum?

  126. Spending millions on a study like this is laughable. The extremely small of people examined to start.. Why don’t they give their time and effort that will make a real change in this world like humans that shoot up other humans in massacres or finding a cute for cancer to name just a couple of examples. Absolute nonsense if you ask me. If they know so much about the brain how about doing a study to help millions suffering from mental illnesses? I don’t know, maybe I’m off the topic.no

  127. Trump and family must have this condition bigly

  128. I have social anxiety. So, I avoid social situations. I need lots of stimulus. Everything bores me. I have too much empathy. I feel other people or animals pain so vividly I am very reluctant to ever cause pain. I am incapable of stealing or cheating or taking advantage of others because the pain I’d feel would be greater than anything I’d ever gain. I was bullied everyday in school, church, scouts, and in my neighborhood until I reached adulthood. I’m ok being called mentally ill, or even the ‘R’ word. Mental illness has made life almost impossible for me. But to think i fit this article’s definition of psychopathy bothers me. Psychopaths lack empathy. I have too much. Psychopaths are dangerous and unpredictable. I would never hurt anyone and I’d die to save any of you. This overly simplistic clinical approach towards behavior bugs me. And, the complete word salad garbage being spewed by commentators reeks of narcissism.

  129. This proves that Donald Trump was born evil

  130. Synoptic 0 and many others that Ed , sounded intelligent, but honestly , it seems to me your opinion was made before ,”scanning”,through the article . Your comment was more complicated and
    , really , made no sense when compared to the information that was given . Basically your arguing your idea of what you think is right , based from a moral stand point or from a hypothetical prospective , against scientific facts being shared , not debated . Just saying .

  131. Wow I opened Google to find something to jerkoff to and got clickbaited to this article and this whole comment section really killed my boner

    • Head psychopath #1 | June 6, 2022 at 5:06 pm | Reply

      Well feel lucky that google hasn’t started purposefully suggesting things yet so they can find you at fault for it later…or maybe they just think talking about psychopaths is what gets you off….and they have already started doing that.

  132. Regardless of the term used, this is all Evolution. Everyone has a varying degree of narcissism and empathy. Narcissism is a primal behavior and empathy evolved later. This is why we see more narcissism in our society. Society also cultivates narcissism. If your born with a genetically engineered brain that is more narcissistic, your environment will cultivate it. A bad environment is going to strengthen this primal trait. If your born with a more empathetic brain you have a better chance of surviving a bad environment.

  133. Shop Smart! Shop S Mart | June 4, 2022 at 9:25 pm | Reply

    Pick out the psychopaths from society and provide the perfect solution for soldiers of the future. Let them have all the drugs, sex and mayhem they like and it’s a win/win.

  134. So….basically Amber heard.

  135. So who or where can I go to get evaluated of my brain. To make sure my highs and lows are normal. I heard that chemicals of the brain drop and could be causes of dementia or other illnesses.

  136. After reading the comments, it just seems like half of you didn’t read the article, and the other half of you are just really, really stupid.

  137. Anyone with psychotic (tendencies) so they call it knows what im about to try to explain they feel ……more so experience a warm numbing sensation in the upper frontal area of the (head) skull,this takes place when decisions are being made about…and this gets tricky to explain decisions about things in which may not be the most loving,caring,legal moral and or all of the above…maybe there is a correlation?

  138. Maybe if I could add a few suggestions. Not letting your kid play violent video games that destroys one’s empathy toward human beings. Listening to violent rap music targeted to the weak that encourages violence, by controlling one’s mind by repeating lyrics over and over with criminal intentions. Your research and findings are admirable. In my opinion the above suggestions may help tremendously if parents agree, but if the parents are fighting addictions it would be difficult. The way I’ve seen it in my 60 plus years is most children grow up to be like their parents. How do you intervene and correct the home life if it’s going bad. How do you correct or find out if someone has this genetic brain difference. So many questions to be answered. I would suggest we go back to the military draft. Two years mandatory at 18 would help all graduates learn discipline,and grow up with a better chance at life or a career. When I was hiring young ppl. for jobs I always hired the military kids. Always on time ,disciplined, and smart. Just my opinion. Peace

  139. I would like to put my striatum into Dr Choi’s subcortical region.

  140. So, according to these findings, we should include a brain scan procedure in a background check before selling guns to people. There, problem solved …

  141. I guess being antisocial makes u crazy lol I’ve never cared to have friends and I’m antisocial I don’t talk to anyone I stay to myself. I don’t think this is a true statement because I’m not crazy at all I’m chill and like to stay away from people.

  142. Annoyed at Science | June 5, 2022 at 9:31 am | Reply

    But they can’t figure out the difference between men and women.

  143. What bothers me is they can’t say whether the enlarged part of the brain causes bad behavior or bad behavior causes the enlargement? “Psychopathy can be linked to a structural abnormality in the brain that may be developmental in nature. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that the environment can also have effects on the structure of the striatum.”

  144. BibhutibhusanPatel | June 5, 2022 at 9:56 am | Reply

    A psychiàtric patient has different brain path than a normal human.

  145. BibhutibhusanPatel | June 5, 2022 at 10:07 am | Reply

    Michocondria can generate such path in one eccentric brain.

  146. This article is misinformation, You have to understand scientists have wanted to quantify things they don’t understand for so long they jump to conclusions within any moment that they think they can box in a concept, the article says clearly they only studied & scanned 120 people that’s not enough data to be conclusive,
    (I’d also have to assume the scientist made the test to groom the patience in question to get the answers they desired,)

    Small test I don’t see any data to correlate, the grasping at straws for fame.

  147. jorge gonzález larramendi | June 5, 2022 at 11:33 am | Reply

    asst prof choy for Full Professor

  148. Another precursor for isolating gifted peoples?

  149. @Rick Bennett, or they could scan the brain of the current president an find
    //NoPath//

  150. @C Binder, uh I believe you need to sign up for a scanning a.s.a.p

  151. “normal people” okay

  152. This article is written negligently.

    It doesn’t specify what constitutes “anti-social” behavior.. and it leaves it wide open for the reader to assume that shy, or autistic people are simply psychopaths.

    A LOT of psychopaths are very charming, surrounded by people who love them..

    Watch your pen.

  153. A human being | June 5, 2022 at 5:55 pm | Reply

    Yeah, this probably coming from the same scientists who told women about ten years ago that it was perfectly okay to drink a glass of wine a day only to backtrack on that after so many innocent were born with complications. This is why we no longer respect or beLIEve lab coats. Maybe you all should scan some of the worlds politicians who find no problem with sending other people’s children to war. I’m still wondering about those weapons of mass destruction, so I’ll keep my faith in God, thank you very much.

  154. Check the Clintons, Obama and Biden…

  155. Have you ever studied a brain with tje left side of the cerebellum their but dead ,autism mild PTSD used meth for ,11, years ,was told I’m s psychopath at a young age,, cerebellum was confirmed at age,15, psychopath at age ,7 autism at age ,28, I have the MRI from before any drug use ,but I don’t have any MRI since then ,I was also diag with torets ,as a kid ,but all that remains from that is a head tic when I get stressed out and tired so MMM,ya any chance y’all wanna learn from giving me anothe MRI ,maybe we can help each other learn,509,438,8141

  156. So psychopaths have a biological difference but homosexuals don’t? Lol. Guess it is a choice after all

  157. Humble and skeptical | June 5, 2022 at 8:04 pm | Reply

    I see government regulated brain scans in our near future, especially if you want to have the promise of a bright future. Clockwork Orange, government ordered lobotomy is not far off.

  158. Is shy being antisocial

  159. Thomas Clawson | June 5, 2022 at 10:06 pm | Reply

    Shy is being (A)Social. One of my long time pet peeves. I love it when someone meekly says “oh I don’t like to go out and do stuff I’m antisocial” and I say “really you’re a psychopath that likes to cause problems and torture people and be drain on society?!” and they look at me all weird! Lol No you are A-social not anti-social. But it’s what I mean comment this is just a sad sad pathetic study when so much more can be done especially I’m hoping to God they didn’t try to spend any money on this and I believe it’s Anon that said this is this information that is totally what’s going on here you have to realize you’re establishments especially the ivy League schools and colleges all together are ruled by the cabal that basically wants to steer you the wrong way at all times 98% of our information is not accurate in our sciences and everything and if anybody here is ever dealt with a sociopath as I call him rather than psychopath then you’ll know that this is such a farce of a steady and acting all stupid like we don’t really know what it’s all about when the people that rule our world are psychopaths it just makes me sick for one thing you’re not going to catch a true high level functioning narcissist or psychopath even coming near a study like this and if they do it’s just a laugh no help to any scientists I guarantee you that and it’s nice to see so many smart people in here looking through a lot of it a lot of the bull**** when you truly meet a psychopath in your life you don’t spend any time studying them trust me I tried what you need to do is walk the other direction and if you manage to fall back and recollect yourself and have to do something and engage them do it but besides that run away and it’s going to be harder and harder to do because now they say one out of 25 people is a high functioning narcissist or sociopath I’ve done better studies in this in my sleep and I’ve been studying sociopathy for about 10 years now and I don’t have any college degree or anything like that it’s all purely self-experienced and research on my own and although I do believe that the psychopaths study guide revisited checklist has some good key components in it he was still just plugging in the dark when he wrote that and he submitted that himself in the end it is truly us against the psychopaths this is a bigger issue than they’ll ever realize it’s not just about some skin in our brain and by the way how do you think that brain got like that it almost seems like they’re trying to reinforce this physical differences the problem well that physical difference because the brain is called plastic has been molded that way during the first year of life when a child is severely neglected usually by another psychopath on purpose and sometimes planned out for future events such as hey sleeper cell shootings perhaps compartmentalization look it up people thanks for having my comment.

  160. Someone an MRI of Trump’s brain. It may or may not be the first piece of anecdotal evidence. Don’t worry about getting him to agree to it. He loves getting his picture taken. And if that doesn’t work, just tell him it’s a tremendously new type of incredible tanning booth. C’mon. Even scientists need to laugh every once in a while.

  161. My daughter was diagnosed with psychopathic disorder at 5 years old. I had her in therapy in school and in office and I tried meds for years nothing seemed to help it somehow made it worse. I finally just ended up letting her drop out of school to get away from the triggering environment and I let her quit therapy because after 10 years of not helping I decided to let her spend her final 2 years of being a teen just focusing on herself and her art finding herself without outside influences. She’s doing way better now you wouldn’t think it’s the same kid at all. I think in some cases psychopaths can be cured but only if they’re removed from the stigma of being labeled a psychopath by others. I noticed her problems got worse when others heard her diagnoses and started treating her like danger even her family started doing things like staying away and locking their doors at night and at school her peers and even some staff treated her poorly for it so of course that will break any child. Looking at her now I kinda don’t feel she had any problems until they gave her label and all the problems she expienced over the years came directly from simply having that label. I think the medical and scientific community needs to air on the side of precaution when it comes to these of things in this political climate it’s always the people who have the labels but aren’t danger’s who suffer the most when things go sideways and we’re one step away from going back to dark times when it comes to the lines being crossed between criminals and the mentally ill again.

  162. Of my correlation this is not true and kinda stupid considering you’re/y’all basing this of an brain size I’ll sum up the most common reason child hood trauma and this crocked society

  163. Sherly Scotland Yard Holmes | June 6, 2022 at 2:15 pm | Reply

    This is great news! Now I just need to find out how to bring in a few folks I’ve suspected are psychopaths to enable getting an involuntarily MRI of their brains thus proving my suspicion.

  164. As much as I appreciate the articulate posts, I’m concerned with the ones that are either triggered or confused by this article. Picking out 1 part & attacking that, to deny that YOUR symptoms do NOT make you psychotic. Multiple scans, questionaires, reactions to videos or pictures, & subject’s history are done. A study was on 60 Minutes last night that was done on people that commit acts of heroism, showing a part of their brain is larger/more developed. Just for comparison. But the offense at this article does make you look in need of therapy.-teacher & child psychologist

  165. Head psychopath #1 | June 6, 2022 at 4:48 pm | Reply

    Ya know I read thru one whole page of comments and I’m thinking that not only is this study dumb the comments are flawed in so many was there’s just no way to address them all…there’s no magic way to see crazy…but I can tell you what causes it…a lifetime of people lying to you putting you down treating you like you are no one all while they pretend they are somehow better than you because they didn’t make the same mistakes you did…I’d say that most psychopaths don’t need some kind of mind altering drugs to make them better or prison cells to make them worse…they need God in their lives.the church.peope who actually care.stop trying to know and understand everything.you want to change the world go home love your family even if they are psychopaths.

  166. The same description as the Far-Left, Liberal, Democrat Deep State puppets.

  167. Next time a booty call tells me “Hey big head” I’ll think of this article.

  168. Karen Hocking | June 6, 2022 at 11:20 pm | Reply

    Thats really interesting! I look forward to learning more on this subject!

  169. so are people with larger brain areas make them targets of quantum radar and synthetic telepathy; quantum Ais may kill us all mentally … before there are ever any machine robots to do the same.

  170. I wish this type of research would stop. No matter how much you might learn about the brain, there is still the fact that humans are unpredictable just as much as they can be predictable. Thos is another form of psychological profiling. Or, more importantly, that is what the powers will use it as no matter what conclusions might be drawn from this. We already have a form of psychological profiling being done that influences employment selection, which is a killer for anyone creative, humble, and honest. This type of research will only justify and enable powers to use it to influence housing selection, consumer selection, etc. Not everybody can fit into your perfect molds. not everybody completely conforms under your every label. stop trying. And why do we keep changing the damn vocabulary? Antisocial used to be called sociopathic and that’s the way it should stay. I was naturally born anti-social as hell because our society sucks total ass anybody with a brain cell is going to be antisocial, that doesn’t make us criminals, something to fear, and it most certainly does not make us psychopathic…… unless you put me in a crowded room without a joint then you have a problem.

  171. if you performed an MRI of Mr. Trump, this would explain a lot!:

    Psychopaths, or those with psychopathic qualities, are people who have an egotistical and antisocial disposition. This is often characterized by a lack of guilt for their actions, a lack of empathy for others, and, in some cases, criminal tendencies.

  172. I wonder if one day we’ll use psychedelic treatments to rehabilitate psychopaths. I have a gut instinct that we will one day.

  173. Incredible! Seems like Alice Lee and Eva Justin turning in their…MRI, not some heavy cold carniometer. When you’ll be laid of work and your home will be repossessed, it because your brain grown wrong without you knowing it. But don’t worry will mix up happiness for you in the shape of magic pill till your gland shrink to the size of “normal” social behaviour so you won’t complain about your jealousious headaches. And we all become equal, except Napoleon, Squealer and Benjamin supposedly. 120 subjects, viable enough? Only needs to be decided whose going to play the boss, as “society” commencing to condition us that those with abnormalities are… Really, or I’m missing the point here. Please

  174. Great so we can stop the pathology of Progressive voters!

  175. Yeah so I’m definitely going to try to find my MRI from when I had brain surgery to remove a tumor 🤣

  176. Beth Skipper | June 7, 2022 at 6:12 pm | Reply

    My next hope would be what can we do to bridge the gap or somehow inject or grow more brain matter in individuals with this condition to stop how much they hurt society…unfortunately laws and administrative places and vourts do not protect others as well as what is needed, so I hope they advance this science quick…could we have a stimulant pump put in for individuals like this?

  177. Will there be any studies in the future positing a correlation between childhood trauma and formation of the stratium?

  178. Mark Anzivino | June 8, 2022 at 4:44 am | Reply

    All but sure this applies to me. I spent over twenty years in prison for murder–I took another’s life when I was sixteen years old–if I wasn’t a psychopath before . . . I sure was a sociopath after.

    Christ justified me, too, at the cross. Go figure.

    I don’t know why I am what/who I am, but all of us are here for a reason. And I am, like someone said way up in the list here, really smart. I am law-abiding (more so than most), and probably could change the world. Just too many issues that get in the way–all the time.

    I feel like I don’t know how to love. Live life like that. There’s little worse I can think of to think about onesself.

    I don’t need a biological explanation. Or an excuse. I’m here just like you. And if anybody thinks this life is just an accident, some random organization (oxymoron) of the cosmos, or anything other than God’s doing, I could tell you a thing or two you’d really never imagine could be real.

    Me. The sociopath. Or psychopath?

  179. And what exactly is the benefit of this information? Are we going to say to the judge when someone is in court for murdering his family that he should be found not guilty because part of his brain is bigger than normal? Regardless of the cause, behavior is something we all have to be accountable for and if you act like a psychopath in a way that you’re harming people then there are consequences. If there’s a medication that can resolve this then that’s great but I just don’t think we’re going to be able to do anything with knowing part of the brain in psychopaths is 10% bigger than normal people and unless they studied people from every continent and even every little tribe around the world the results can’t be accurate because it has already been established that people living in third world countries have certain brain components that are bigger and smaller than those living in mainland civilized countries

  180. Jayme Kortokrax | June 8, 2022 at 8:44 am | Reply

    Can we get Trump’s brain scanned?

  181. As we all should know,2 many folks,homeless or not have commuted way 2 many senseless crimes in USA,streets,subways,schools ETC. So, U don’t believe that this study has Any merit??!! Haven’t you looked in the eyes of these people??they seem2B black pools of evil. No consiuos empathy or caring if they maim,kill a living being. I’d say that maybe the gene pool get poisoned by drugs,alcohol, or even so-called safe prescription drugs(check effects of Metformin on male babies,when used by men w/in 3months of getting mom preggers!hah).yes,environmental chemicals,farms use benzines(100s of)that cause leukimia,lead;brain impairment in young kids,ETC ETC ETC.SORRY,I BELIEVE IN HUNTING,BUT maybe good idea2 not sell guns2 under25 yr olds,&also do a psych test on them(OrMRI BRAIN SCAN???)FACE IT we’ve got too many brain deficient folks out here.God help us All,pray 4 sanity,or let’s do some gene splicing2 get rid of the defects.How’s that grab ur socks folks?!? Oh,my bad,how about we exterminate the vermin??(don’t hate me ’cause I’m real w/aBrain,(so R the researchers) susan

  182. All I got from this was that all children are in actuality mini full fledged psychopaths.

    Which makes sense after watching the tiktok of the little girl running towards a bear like it was a unicorn with a Disney Princess sitting on it hahaha!

  183. Isaiah knight | June 9, 2022 at 9:23 am | Reply

    I wonder if they account for elevated heart rates during this study. As well this would directly suggest that the genotype means that evolution potentially accepted this form of phenotype as the next step in evolution.

    I’d also suggest that if this trait is accurately sampled between all classes of people. Could this trait truly be the single tracer in pyschopathy or simply another type of thought similar to the variations in skin color.

    I’m willing to bet that if the percent of 1% have similar brain structure up to 1 and 100 then that would mean this variation is actually just as mundane as a birthmark as well as common

    Isaiah knight Redd International 116937854

    Don’t hide behind the loom now

  184. THE OBVIOUS ANSWER IS LOVE AND HATE ! THAT IS DARK AND LIGHT, EVERYTHING IS EQUAL ONLY THE TRUTH IS GOD/UNIVERSE… ONLY CONTROL IS NONE WE DID NOT WRITE THE PLAN HAPPENING… WE ARE OWNED BY GOD THATS NOT A GOOD ONE AT ALL IF YOUR THIS!!!

  185. Michael Acosta | June 9, 2022 at 3:25 pm | Reply

    Right now theres a psychopath watching you. We are smarter than you are, and so you argue among yourselves trying to find clues about us. The person you love most is most likely a psychopath and you dont even know it. To be a psychopath or not to be a psychopath, now that is the question and it is decided by one’s subconscious mind based off of being loved, or not being loved. To understand us you would have to become one of us, and for some, that could never be simply by choice of course… (psychotic laughter echoed in the background effect).

  186. Is there an interest to study men and women currently in prison for mass murders? Seems to me a study like this would be better supported by a sample of the worst men/women currently behind bars. It will be interesting to see a sample of serial killers, school shooters, the mastermind/gang leader. There is a huge pool to select. They have nothing else to do and just are a better pool sample!

  187. Dealing with a stalker right now.. she’s been going psycho. This article confirms everything. I knew it was biological. I wanted to help but it’s hard helping someone that’s stuck in what they already know and doesn’t care to understand how the body and mind are connected.

  188. All politicians should be tested. I bet more than 90% of them would be psychopaths.

  189. Just curious as to how many of those commenting have any medical or clinical background in the area of psychopathy a term which has shifted and remained in flux for years even among professionals subject to debate as to how to categorize. Thus in order to measure something we must agree on what it actually is we are measuring.

  190. Michael there is a difference between a narcissist and a psychopath. While the latter term is still being debated there is general consensus that is not Dracula that is just someone trying to feel superior and different by making themselves mysterious and insinuated fear. More lonely goth than psychopath…

  191. Wow. These jokers got a grant for this? Waste of money.

  192. It’s interesting to see the lehman flippantly address behaviors as a clinical condition. Labeling some as psychopaths is often used by some to wage their own type of personal psychological warfare.

    Childhood Trauma and PTSD come to mind…
    “At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that the environment can also have effects on the structure of the striatum.”

  193. ILENE L SKEEN | June 12, 2022 at 8:22 am | Reply

    This is a study of the biological effects of culture. When you teach children the morality of Selflessness some rebel, as they should. Some give in.

    Geniuses and madmen rebel. These are effects of selflessness as taught to the individuals who don’t give in. The geniuses find a productive outlet or become the intellectual elite. The madmen just get angry and are labeled with accuracy as madmen.

    The implication of this study is that conformity is far more preferable to our culture genius. The science is finding new ways to confirm the “virtue” of Selflessness. The morality taught to children from age two is unhealthy.

  194. DumpstersforTrumpsters | June 12, 2022 at 9:27 am | Reply

    So they are looking at Trump’s brain?

  195. Penial growth | June 12, 2022 at 10:27 am | Reply

    Fake. The actual doctor that made the findings says that the data draw no conclusion because their is not enough correlation between size of the body part and psychopathy because the body part controls social interactions meaning a larger one would mean the person is better at social interactions and not necessarily a psycho path. The understudy has been fired and seems to be warping the findings to her own personal wealth gain. Misinformation. Kys

  196. We would all fair much better (myself definitely included) if we live by the teachings of Epictetus in his manual “the art of living”. Would probably sort out a few others societal issues…

  197. So…this area of the brain gets smaller as you become an adult?..1 I knew it! All kids really are psychopaths!!!

  198. Preface for minority report…

  199. Unethical and types of research to justify unhuman treatment of individuals

  200. Now let’s test every politicunt, every bureaucrazy, every C level in every corporation, every uni professor in social studies and other astrology like self science,

  201. Hillary Clinton is a Prime Example of a Psychopath.
    For Her, it has been an Obvious Lifelong Condition.

    JaneLee – in Suburban Philadelphia
    6/14/22

  202. This story presents evidence that is disturbing to say the least. On the basis of the article being accurate, It presents a terrifying but irrefutable truth that should concerne society as a whole, and it begs the question?
    What kind of a psycho hands out degrees in NeuroCriminology?
    The latest “expert witness” for our courts…now that’s criminal.

    • Calamity Clamamity | September 15, 2023 at 5:41 pm | Reply

      Shout out to Jason here . I’m reading: 1] some vehement ad hominem attack-comments against folks who rigorously question the “sanity” of Racist/ Capitalist structures; 2] a general failure to consider the personal/ professional bias inherent in a field grandeloquently named NEUROCRIMINOLOGY (bad Sci-Fi; & 3] A pervasive refusal by many to face serious, harsh realities that happen when junk-sci Tech meets abusive Police, & when popsych Trope meets Stare Decisis!! Happens ev’ry day. ¡GROGH!

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