...For my argument book, I chose The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson, and much unlike many of the other blog posts so far, I enjoyed it. The book is sort of like a diary that Ronson writes in as he learns more about psychopaths and how they are studied. He gets his information from multiple different sources; some chapters are about the extremely anti-psychology scientologists, and some are about psychologists who have spent their whole life studying psychopaths and how to identify them. Ronson writes the book in such a way that you feel as if you are right beside him, interviewing and exploring together. In this book and a couple of others of his that I have read, there are interesting people with interesting stories. There is one story that I...
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...Amy Hankins LE300 capstone: serial killers as heroes in popular culture Final Project The Evolution of serial killers and societies fascination A serial killer is someone who is known as a friend, father, co-worker, politician, in fact a serial killer can be anybody. For centuries stories about serial killers have graced the covers of newspapers and magazines. Many famous stories have influenced a lot of films that have been produced and continue to be produced. There is an endless amount of questions as to how serial killers become serial killers, which falls under nature vs. nurture. “The causes of psychopaths remain a mystery. We don’t even have a satisfactory answer to the question of whether psychopath is a product of Mother Nature or a feature of upbringing (Brogaard & Marlow, 2012).” Nevertheless, due to the many serial killers that plague this country, they have come from a very unstable background mostly during the childhood years. Within this essay I would like to discuss not only what has been learned throughout the semester but also bring to light the possible reasons as to why serial killers kill and why society has such an enormous fascination with them. According to the dictionary a serial killers is a person who commits two or more murders at different times. Serial killers are extremely intelligent and some have most likely obtained a degree of some sort. This sort of intelligence is evident in Mr. Brooks, Dexter, silence of the lamb and perfume. All...
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...Richard Kuklinski Iceman “If I think about what I’ve done, it would hurt me, so I don’t think about it… If I had a choice, well, you have said we all have choices, that’s true, but at the time, I didn’t seem to have one. If I could, I would have liked to be different than what I am. I would have liked to have had a better outlook on life.. but I can’t change yesterday” (Carlo, 2007). According to Robert Hare, Psychopathy is a personality disorder which consists of behaviors and personality traits that most of society views as negative (Hare, 1993). Characteristics of psychopathy include emotional, interpersonal, and behavioral characteristics such as emotional detachment, callousness, irresponsibility, impulsivity, and disregard for society’s rules and rights of others (Hare, 1996). Psychopathy was originally used to define all cases of personality disorders, but now psychopathy is seen as a more severe form of Antisocial Personality Disorder (Maddux, J., & Winstead, B., 2008). This means that psychopathy has a prevalence rate of less than three times that of Antisocial Personality in both civil and criminal populations (Hare, R., & Neumann, C., 2009). Psychopathy Checklist The first assessment instrument used to measure psychopathy was the Psychopathy Checklist developed by Robert Hare in 1980 and was revised (PCL-R) in 1991 and again in 2003 (Hare, 1993). The psychopathy checklist is the most accepted instrument in assessing psychopathy by both psychologists...
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...among Genders: The Sociopath and Psychopath by Evelyn J. Dotson MS, University of Phoenix, 2015 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Psychology University of Phoenix March, 2015 Abstract Psychopathic and sociopathic general characteristic traits are found in both genders in various populations. More research on the general characteristic traits of females is needed. Research for the female populations will give professionals information about the differences displayed between genders. Different applied sciences will also further their knowledge in treatment options for either tendency. The study used explored if any differences existed between genders with intensified levels of psychopathic traits in regard to psychopathy factor scores. The sample consisted of 2,500 people of both genders (52.6% women) (M=22.15; SD=1.38) from the generalized population, aged 20-24. Results displayed women with psychopathic personality traits had significantly higher levels of behavioral tendencies than men of the same. The genders did display a difference in aggressive behavior. The men showed a significant amount of aggressive behaviors compared to the women. The gender differences displayed in the seven psychopathic features show the variations needed for treatment options. Differences and Similarities in Generalized Characteristic Traits among Genders: The Sociopath and Psychopath by Evelyn J. Dotson MS, University...
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...WR-123 Research Paper NOT ALL MONSTERS ARE MAKE BELIEVE - A CASE STUDY ON THEODORE R. BUNDY What causes someone to become a serial killer? Is there something inherently evil about them that emerge as they age, or are they born that way? Do they become that way because of their upbringing? Most Psychologists feel that it is a combination of all these things that determine the psychosis exhibited by serial killers. (www.psychology.org/links) Psychologists have looked into the darkest recesses of human behavior, to try to figure out how and why people commit such gruesome and brutal atrocities against their fellow human beings. One of the best cases of documented psychopathic behavior is that of Theodore R. Bundy. On November 24, 1946 Theodore Robert Cowell (aka Ted Bundy) was born. His mother was a single young woman who decided the best course of action was to move back home to have her parents help her raise her son; as in the 40’s it was not acceptable for a young single woman to have a child out of wedlock. Until the age of four, Ted believed that his mother was his older sister, and grandparents were his mother and father. (Rule, A: The Stranger Beside Me) The signs that something was dreadfully wrong with Ted began to show themselves very early in his childhood. When Ted was barely three years old, one of his Aunt’s stayed the night with the family. The Aunt woke up in the early morning hours to find her young nephew Ted, lifting her blankets...
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..."Knowing who we are, and finding a way to tell ourselves”: Carol Ann Duffy's Revision of Masculinist Representations of Female Identity. By Claire McEwen ‘Carol Ann Duffy is one of the freshest and bravest talents to emerge in British poetry — any poetry — for years', writes Eavan Boland (Duffy, 1994, cover). This courage is manifest in Duffy’s ability and desire to revise masculinist representations of female identity and her engagement with feminine discourse, a concept which, as Sara Mills points out: has moved away from viewing women as simply an oppressed group, as victims of male domination, and has tried to formulate ways of analysing power as it manifests itself and as it is resisted in the relations of everyday life. (p.78) It is these aspects of Duffy's work that I wish to address here by examining the ways in which she subverts masculinist assumptions and discourses in the following ways: by giving voice to previously marginalised or silenced figures, by re-presenting stereotypes and power relations, through comic reappropriation of myth and by re-writing the canonical love poem. The problematic nature of representation itself, its subjectivity and unreliability, is a central concern of Duffy's poetry. Much of her work is written in the form of dramatic monologue which serves to demonstrate the fundamental inadequacy of language to re-present by undermining the readers' expectations of traditional discourses. By using characters' voices rather than her own...
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...Shaun Callarman believed that McCandless was not courageous nor noble. This is actually how I see McCandless as well. He was crazy. It was probably the dumbest thing that Chris could’ve done with his life. Although he had a rough upbringing and a fallout with his dad, I do not think that going into the wilderness ill-prepared was the best way to deal with his issues. Chris McCandless was a boy from the suburbs of Virginia who was very athletic. He was only twenty four years old when his body was found in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness. He was a student at Emory University and shortly after he graduated, he set off on his adventure that would later kill him. McCandless became angry with his family because he had found out that his father had had another family when Chris was just a child. This information is what set Chris off and provoked him to leave with no return. He had no intentions on telling his parents or sister where he was going. This is the most psychotic act I have ever heard of. Chris changed his identity by going by name “Alex.” Personally, I do not think that this was a smart idea at all. Chris...
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...than running a cemetery without a license” (Star Quotes, 2009, p. 1). Obviously, something intrusively wrong resonated in Gacy for him to make such a statement that negated the intensity of his actions. Gacy buried majority of his victims under the crawl space of his home and discarded other victims in the Des Plaines River (Bell & Bardsley, 2011). People often question what would make someone do such vicious and torturous acts on another person. Criminologists developed theories explaining the reasons people deviate from societal norms and commit immoral acts laws prohibit (Schmallenger, 2003). Particularly, in this case, John Wayne Gacy is a person suitable to study. Certainly, a few crime causation theories explain how his upbringing, life experiences, and other deep, underlying issues led him to committing crimes to the extent he did. Gacy’s Background Information Gacy was the only son of three children born to Marion and John Gacy. He had an older sister (Joanne) and younger sister (Karen). The Gacy’s were a middle-classed, Catholic family who lived on the north side of Chicago. As a young boy in middle school, Gacy kept busy by working part-time as a bag boy, delivering newspapers, and participating in Boy Scouts. Even though he was not popular, his teachers liked him, and he had many friends (Lohr, n.d.). To people on the outside of Gacy’s home, it appeared he had an awesome childhood. However, many people did not know Gacy’s relationship with his...
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...My passion for psychology began when an experience on a plane with severe turbulence made me think about the irrational fear I was experiencing. The Science of Psychology helped me realise, that my fear of flying was not abnormal but simply a learned emotional response to a situation that provoked intense and terrifying thoughts. Being able to understand my phobia and how I can control it is why psychology has changed a part of my life. The diversity of the A Level syllabus has reinforced my commitment. The course has enabled me to work independently and manage my time effectively. These skills were demonstrated in my A Level coursework project which involved extensively researching a topic of my choice. I thoroughly enjoyed this project as I was able to gain an insight into many relevant theories of my chosen subject on figure attractiveness. To support my studies I attended a crime conference in Leicester which was a fascinating experience, from hearing crime investigators talk about their daily challenges to psychopath profilers engaging in the nature vs. nurture debate. I also heard American Nick Yarris' poignant story of spending 20 years on death row after being framed for murder. Attending the conference strengthened my note taking and listening skills. Working in a primary school for a week as a teacher's assistant with children aged 4-5, has furthered my interest in the educational aspects of psychology and I believe that this experience has been useful for a career...
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...VOLUME EDITOR S. WALLER is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Montana State University Bozeman. Her areas of research are philosophy of neurology, philosophy of cognitive ethology (especially dolphins, wolves, and coyotes), and philosophy of mind, specifically the parts of the mind we disavow. SERIES EDITOR FRITZ ALLHOFF is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing the Philosophy for Everyone series, Allhoff is the volume editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey & Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food & Philosophy (with Dave Monroe,Wiley-Blackwell, 2007). P H I L O S O P H Y F O R E V E RYO N E Series editor: Fritz Allhoff Not so much a subject matter, philosophy is a way of thinking.Thinking not just about the Big Questions, but about little ones too.This series invites everyone to ponder things they care about, big or small, significant, serious … or just curious. Running & Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind Edited by Michael W. Austin Wine & Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking Edited by Fritz Allhoff Food & Philosophy: Eat,Think and Be Merry Edited by Fritz Allhoff and Dave Monroe Beer & Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer Isn’t Worth Drinking Edited by Steven D. Hales Whiskey & Philosophy:...
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...Evil 1: Translation Until the 1960’ies there has been looked at malicious actions as something unusual and extreme, which was an expression for mental disease. It was difficult to imagine, that quite ordinary people could commit inexplicable and monstrous crimes, and it was relievable when there was a biological explanation. How can we define wickedness and malicious actions? It is something, that hurts others, and it both can be physical and mental. So the victim’s quality of life is getting reduced, but to speak about really wickedness, you have to add, that there have to be intentionally actions quite out of the ordinary. Also the offender does not have to show sympathy or empathy for the victim at the mitre time. 2: Blog entry When I think about evil the first thing that comes to my mind, are for example war, raping, murdering and so on. A lot of people have the idea that some people don’t want to be evil; they’re saying that there are other explanations. But is there a universal definition of evil and could some situations that be justified? In my opinion, there absolutely is a universal definition of evil. Of course, many people try to justify their actions by saying that their religion or their god forced them to act like they did. Some people also say that it’s their family or the social surroundings, where they learn things in another way than kids usually do when they get raised. An example is, that some young people don’t think about their actions, like...
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...subject, involving the connection of leadership to psychopathy and hormones, crossed my path. I had to jump into it, because this subject matched the field I am interested in. Now, 8 months later, I present you my final work and I have enjoyed working on it. I have to be honest, this product would not have been able to be written if it wasn’t for the help of certain people. Therefore, I would like to use this section, to show my gratitude to some people, that helped me along the way. First of all, I thank the Erasmus School of Economics, for providing the financial support for this research. This research would definitely not have been possible, without the financial support of the ESE. Secondly, I would like to thank my supervisor, Wouter van den Berg, who has supported me, guided me and who has contributed intellectually. I would also like to thank Kashin Hau, who has made great contributions to the construction of the leadership questionnaire. Also, I would like to thank Sarstedt, who provided 500 saliva tubes. I am very thankful for the help of my parents. A great contribution has been made by my parents, Wim Westendorp and Linda Westendorp, who put in much effort to contact their network to find respondents. It would have been impossible to finish my thesis within this time schedule, if it wasn’t for their help. Last, but not least, I would like to thank all respondents that have participated in my research. I hope you read this thesis with the same pleasure I had writing it. Ricardo...
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...The greatest blessing we are all fortunate to have in this world is free will. Being able to choose for ourselves what we want to become as an adult; whether that be a teacher, astronaut, or a firefighter. We can strive to become cops and save the world or be on the opposite side, criminals and defy the law. We are able to inspire others to do good or encourage to do bad. Unfortunately, we are not able to choose our parents or where we are raised. But that does not mean you are only subjected to that lifestyle. Charles Miles Manson is one of America’s most notorious murders in American history. His ways to manipulate and inspire his followers in to committing murders without second guessing themselves is like nothing ever seen before. The murderers were members of a group led by Charles Manson called the Manson Family. These people were completely controlled by Manson. He had them convinced that they were the chosen ones and that they were only carrying out the orders of a man they thought was Jesus Christ incarnate. They were willing to risk death and imprisonment to satisfy this man. He was born November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother, Kathleen Maddox was six-teen when she gave birth to him. With her troubles in and out of jail, a young Charles Manson spent most of his adolescent childhood with his aunt and uncle is West Virginia. They were very religious and strict individuals which, was a culture shock to him. Growing up just...
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...CLIFFORD H. BOGGESS: ANALYSIS OF CHILDHOOD & LIFE BEHIND BARS CASEY M. LUNDBERG MARCH 31, 2015 PROF. ADINKRAH: CRIMINOLOGY SUMMARY OF VIDEO Clifford Holt Boggess committed two major crimes. His actions can be categorized as a double geronticide, also known as eldercide, as he murdered two elderly men. Boggess’ crimes against persons were also felony murders because of the robbery that took place as well. Both murders involved a certain degree of planning prior to the kill, classifying them as premeditated crimes; however he did not personally know his victims, making both incidences stranger homicides. A 21-year old white male, Clifford Boggess was on trial for two murders. From the video, I gathered that his family was poor, as his crimes were committed because of financial need. Boggess was unmarried, but had a girlfriend at the time by the name of Phoebe Boles. He had a high school diploma and no college experience. Boggess grew up a religious boy as an avid churchgoer and became extremely in-tune with his religion while on death row, practicing Protestantism before converting to Catholicism prior to execution. However, Clifford Boggess had many Christian friends he consulted with. Boggess was the youngest of 10 children, given up for adoption at a very young age, soon to move in with his foster father’s parents in Texas. These sociodemographic characteristics of the offender will be helpful in further analyzing his felonies. Sociodemographic characteristics...
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...it is a deep psychological study of faith and reason, as well as the doubt, psychology, moral decisions and the thought processes that occur during man’s journey to enlightenment and greater awareness. Although The Brothers Karamazov itself is a work of art and one of the greatest novels ever written the true genius of “The Grand Inquisitor” chapter is that it is a profound discussion on faith, reason and religion, on its own, and the chapter works as an independent study of the greater novels philosophical questions. Although I have done a lot of thinking myself on the topics discussed in “The Grand Inquisitor” I have been especially moved during the reading of this chapter and in my opinion it is the most profound discussions of religious philosophy I have ever read. Even as I write this paper my opinions on the complex questions Dostoyevsky examines, the irony that flows through much of the parable and the reasons for Dostoyevsky writing the parable are in constant change – as with all matters of deep philosophy these issues will probably never be fully resolved; that is why “The Grand Inquisitor” is as remarkable today as it was 123 years go. The Grand Inquisitor chapter is a parable told by Ivan to Alyosha. Alyosha is a novice monk and Ivan uses the parable in an attempt to explain why Ivan is an atheist. The chapter itself is set in the time of the Inquisition. A time in which the church held a level of extreme religious power over all people and the State. A time when...
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