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Can psychopathic offenders discern moral wrongs? A new look at the moral/conventional distinction.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Aharoni, E; Sinnott-Armstrong, W; Kiehl, KA
Published in: Journal of abnormal psychology
May 2012

A prominent view of psychopathic moral reasoning suggests that psychopathic individuals cannot properly distinguish between moral wrongs and other types of wrongs. The present study evaluated this view by examining the extent to which 109 incarcerated offenders with varying degrees of psychopathy could distinguish between moral and conventional transgressions relative to each other and to nonincarcerated healthy controls. Using a modified version of the classic Moral/Conventional Transgressions task that uses a forced-choice format to minimize strategic responding, the present study found that total psychopathy score did not predict performance on the task. Task performance was explained by some individual subfacets of psychopathy and by other variables unrelated to psychopathy, such as IQ. The authors conclude that, contrary to earlier claims, insufficient data exist to infer that psychopathic individuals cannot know what is morally wrong.

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Published In

Journal of abnormal psychology

DOI

EISSN

1939-1846

ISSN

0021-843X

Publication Date

May 2012

Volume

121

Issue

2

Start / End Page

484 / 497

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Pilot Projects
  • Morals
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Judgment
  • Intelligence
  • Humans
  • Female
 

Citation

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Aharoni, E., Sinnott-Armstrong, W., & Kiehl, K. A. (2012). Can psychopathic offenders discern moral wrongs? A new look at the moral/conventional distinction. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 121(2), 484–497. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024796
Aharoni, Eyal, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, and Kent A. Kiehl. “Can psychopathic offenders discern moral wrongs? A new look at the moral/conventional distinction.Journal of Abnormal Psychology 121, no. 2 (May 2012): 484–97. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024796.
Aharoni E, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Kiehl KA. Can psychopathic offenders discern moral wrongs? A new look at the moral/conventional distinction. Journal of abnormal psychology. 2012 May;121(2):484–97.
Aharoni, Eyal, et al. “Can psychopathic offenders discern moral wrongs? A new look at the moral/conventional distinction.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, vol. 121, no. 2, May 2012, pp. 484–97. Epmc, doi:10.1037/a0024796.
Aharoni E, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Kiehl KA. Can psychopathic offenders discern moral wrongs? A new look at the moral/conventional distinction. Journal of abnormal psychology. 2012 May;121(2):484–497.

Published In

Journal of abnormal psychology

DOI

EISSN

1939-1846

ISSN

0021-843X

Publication Date

May 2012

Volume

121

Issue

2

Start / End Page

484 / 497

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Pilot Projects
  • Morals
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Judgment
  • Intelligence
  • Humans
  • Female