The unique interpersonal qualities of individuals who fall on the so-called ‘psychopathic spectrum’ have been regularly documented since Cleckley’s observations (1941). The literature reflects the importance of understanding individuals who have high and low levels of psychopathic personality traits for research (Lilienfeld, 1998, Patrick, Edens, Poythress, Lilienfeld & Benning, 2006), clinical (Patrick, Hicks, Blonigen & Krueger, 2003) and risk assessment purposes (Skeem, Poythress, Edens, Lilienfeld & Cade, 2003) through bringing forth the position that psychopathic traits can fall on a continuum (Benning, Patrick, Salekin & Leistico, 2005). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between psychopathic personality traits in the general population and deficits in emotion modulated psychophysiological responses as well as deficits in emotionally influenced decision making. Results indicated that individuals with higher levels of Fearless Dominance, as measured by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, Revised (Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005) had attenuated fear responses (r = -0.26; Chi-square = 5.286, p < .05), but there were no significant abnormalities in responses to other emotional conditions. There was no association between psychopathic personality traits and emotionally influenced decision making as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task (Bechara, Damasio, Damasio & Anderson, 1994) suggesting that at subclinical levels, psychopathic personality traits have a negligible influence on an individual’s use of somatic markers to guide behavior.
","abstract_html":"<p>The unique interpersonal qualities of individuals who fall on the so-called ‘psychopathic spectrum’ have been regularly documented since Cleckley’s observations (1941). The literature reflects the importance of understanding individuals who have high and low levels of psychopathic personality traits for research (Lilienfeld, 1998, Patrick, Edens, Poythress, Lilienfeld & Benning, 2006), clinical (Patrick, Hicks, Blonigen & Krueger, 2003) and risk assessment purposes (Skeem, Poythress, Edens, Lilienfeld & Cade, 2003) through bringing forth the position that psychopathic traits can fall on a continuum (Benning, Patrick, Salekin & Leistico, 2005). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between psychopathic personality traits in the general population and deficits in emotion modulated psychophysiological responses as well as deficits in emotionally influenced decision making. Results indicated that individuals with higher levels of Fearless Dominance, as measured by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, Revised (Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005) had attenuated fear responses (r = -0.26; Chi-square = 5.286, p < .05), but there were no significant abnormalities in responses to other emotional conditions. There was no association between psychopathic personality traits and emotionally influenced decision making as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task (Bechara, Damasio, Damasio & Anderson, 1994) suggesting that at subclinical levels, psychopathic personality traits have a negligible influence on an individual’s use of somatic markers to guide behavior.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Godenick, Kristen Lee"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Paul Haerich","Henry Beck","Todd Burley","David Vermeersch","Mark Wolkenhauer"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-09-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-09-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:54:10Z","subjects":["Psychology","Social Psychology and Interaction","Psychopaths; Antisocial personality disorders; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Psychotic Disorders; Emotions -- physiology; Personality -- psychology"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1680","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Paul Haerich","Henry Beck","Todd Burley","David Vermeersch","Mark Wolkenhauer"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Godenick, Kristen Lee"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Psychology","Social Psychology and Interaction","Psychopaths; Antisocial personality disorders; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Psychotic Disorders; Emotions -- physiology; Personality -- psychology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1680"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The unique interpersonal qualities of individuals who fall on the so-called ‘psychopathic spectrum’ have been regularly documented since Cleckley’s observations (1941). The literature reflects the importance of understanding individuals who have high and low levels of psychopathic personality traits for research (Lilienfeld, 1998, Patrick, Edens, Poythress, Lilienfeld & Benning, 2006), clinical (Patrick, Hicks, Blonigen & Krueger, 2003) and risk assessment purposes (Skeem, Poythress, Edens, Lilienfeld & Cade, 2003) through bringing forth the position that psychopathic traits can fall on a continuum (Benning, Patrick, Salekin & Leistico, 2005). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between psychopathic personality traits in the general population and deficits in emotion modulated psychophysiological responses as well as deficits in emotionally influenced decision making. Results indicated that individuals with higher levels of Fearless Dominance, as measured by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, Revised (Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005) had attenuated fear responses (r = -0.26; Chi-square = 5.286, p < .05), but there were no significant abnormalities in responses to other emotional conditions. There was no association between psychopathic personality traits and emotionally influenced decision making as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task (Bechara, Damasio, Damasio & Anderson, 1994) suggesting that at subclinical levels, psychopathic personality traits have a negligible influence on an individual’s use of somatic markers to guide behavior.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Emotional Behavior in Subclinical Psychopathy"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Paul Haerich","Henry Beck","Todd Burley","David Vermeersch","Mark Wolkenhauer"],"dc:creator":["Godenick, Kristen Lee"],"dc:description.abstract":["The unique interpersonal qualities of individuals who fall on the so-called ‘psychopathic spectrum’ have been regularly documented since Cleckley’s observations (1941). The literature reflects the importance of understanding individuals who have high and low levels of psychopathic personality traits for research (Lilienfeld, 1998, Patrick, Edens, Poythress, Lilienfeld & Benning, 2006), clinical (Patrick, Hicks, Blonigen & Krueger, 2003) and risk assessment purposes (Skeem, Poythress, Edens, Lilienfeld & Cade, 2003) through bringing forth the position that psychopathic traits can fall on a continuum (Benning, Patrick, Salekin & Leistico, 2005). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between psychopathic personality traits in the general population and deficits in emotion modulated psychophysiological responses as well as deficits in emotionally influenced decision making. Results indicated that individuals with higher levels of Fearless Dominance, as measured by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, Revised (Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005) had attenuated fear responses (r = -0.26; Chi-square = 5.286, p < .05), but there were no significant abnormalities in responses to other emotional conditions. There was no association between psychopathic personality traits and emotionally influenced decision making as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task (Bechara, Damasio, Damasio & Anderson, 1994) suggesting that at subclinical levels, psychopathic personality traits have a negligible influence on an individual’s use of somatic markers to guide behavior.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1680"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Psychology","Social Psychology and Interaction","Psychopaths; Antisocial personality disorders; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Psychotic Disorders; Emotions -- physiology; Personality -- psychology"],"dc:title":["Emotional Behavior in Subclinical Psychopathy"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:54:10Z"}