{"id":{"repo_id":"uoit","oai_identifier":"oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/2016"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uoit/oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/2016","repository":{"repo_id":"uoit","name":"Ontario Institute of Technology","base_url":"https://ontariotechu.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Examining cognitive and affective empathy in substance use disorder and psychopathy using self-report and neuroimaging","abstract":"Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and psychopathy are highly comorbid and prevalent among individuals involved in the criminal justice system, yet their distinct and overlapping contributions to empathy deficits remain poorly understood. The present studies examined the shared and unique effects of substance use severity (SUS) and psychopathic traits on cognitive and affective empathy-related impairments in a forensic population. Study 1 used self-report measures in a sample of 142 community-based offenders to assess empathy. SUS was initially associated with cognitive empathy, but this effect did not remain after accounting for psychopathy; no effects emerged for affective empathy. Study 2 employed fMRI with a subset of participants (n = 48) to assess neural responses during a Theory of Mind empathy task. Higher SUS was linked to reduced activation in regions supporting both cognitive and affective empathy, while psychopathy showed no deficits but rather heightened empathic abilities. Empathy deficits were more consistently associated with SUD, particularly through substance-related neurocognitive impairments.","abstract_html":"Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and psychopathy are highly comorbid and prevalent among individuals involved in the criminal justice system, yet their distinct and overlapping contributions to empathy deficits remain poorly understood. The present studies examined the shared and unique effects of substance use severity (SUS) and psychopathic traits on cognitive and affective empathy-related impairments in a forensic population. Study 1 used self-report measures in a sample of 142 community-based offenders to assess empathy. SUS was initially associated with cognitive empathy, but this effect did not remain after accounting for psychopathy; no effects emerged for affective empathy. Study 2 employed fMRI with a subset of participants (n = 48) to assess neural responses during a Theory of Mind empathy task. Higher SUS was linked to reduced activation in regions supporting both cognitive and affective empathy, while psychopathy showed no deficits but rather heightened empathic abilities. Empathy deficits were more consistently associated with SUD, particularly through substance-related neurocognitive impairments.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Picco, Corina Ziara Dubon"],"institution":"University of Ontario Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master of Science (MSc)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Forensic Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Shane, Matthew"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-08-01","date_published":"2025-08-01","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:16Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2016","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Shane, Matthew"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Picco, Corina Ziara Dubon"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-09-22T19:31:30Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-09-22T19:31:30Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-08-01"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Forensic Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MSc)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Ontario Institute of Technology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2016"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and psychopathy are highly comorbid and prevalent among individuals involved in the criminal justice system, yet their distinct and overlapping contributions to empathy deficits remain poorly understood. The present studies examined the shared and unique effects of substance use severity (SUS) and psychopathic traits on cognitive and affective empathy-related impairments in a forensic population. Study 1 used self-report measures in a sample of 142 community-based offenders to assess empathy. SUS was initially associated with cognitive empathy, but this effect did not remain after accounting for psychopathy; no effects emerged for affective empathy. Study 2 employed fMRI with a subset of participants (n = 48) to assess neural responses during a Theory of Mind empathy task. Higher SUS was linked to reduced activation in regions supporting both cognitive and affective empathy, while psychopathy showed no deficits but rather heightened empathic abilities. Empathy deficits were more consistently associated with SUD, particularly through substance-related neurocognitive impairments."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Examining cognitive and affective empathy in substance use disorder and psychopathy using self-report and neuroimaging"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Shane, Matthew"],"dc:creator":["Picco, Corina Ziara Dubon"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-09-22T19:31:30Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-09-22T19:31:30Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-08-01"],"dc:description.abstract":["Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and psychopathy are highly comorbid and prevalent among individuals involved in the criminal justice system, yet their distinct and overlapping contributions to empathy deficits remain poorly understood. The present studies examined the shared and unique effects of substance use severity (SUS) and psychopathic traits on cognitive and affective empathy-related impairments in a forensic population. Study 1 used self-report measures in a sample of 142 community-based offenders to assess empathy. SUS was initially associated with cognitive empathy, but this effect did not remain after accounting for psychopathy; no effects emerged for affective empathy. Study 2 employed fMRI with a subset of participants (n = 48) to assess neural responses during a Theory of Mind empathy task. Higher SUS was linked to reduced activation in regions supporting both cognitive and affective empathy, while psychopathy showed no deficits but rather heightened empathic abilities. Empathy deficits were more consistently associated with SUD, particularly through substance-related neurocognitive impairments."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2016"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:title":["Examining cognitive and affective empathy in substance use disorder and psychopathy using self-report and neuroimaging"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Forensic Psychology"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MSc)"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Ontario Institute of Technology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:16Z"}