A Bayesian Account of Psychopathy: A Model of Lacks Remorse and Self-Aggrandizing
This article proposes a formal model that integrates cognitive and psychodynamic psychotherapeutic models of psychopathy to show how two major psychopathic traits called 'lacks remorse' and 'self-aggrandizing' can be understood as a form of abnormal Bayesian inference about the s...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ubiquity Press
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Computational Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cpsyjournal.org/articles/42 |
| _version_ | 1811259544431493120 |
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| author | Aaron Prosser Karl J. Friston Nathan Bakker Thomas Parr |
| author_facet | Aaron Prosser Karl J. Friston Nathan Bakker Thomas Parr |
| author_sort | Aaron Prosser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article proposes a formal model that integrates cognitive and psychodynamic psychotherapeutic models of psychopathy to show how two major psychopathic traits called 'lacks remorse' and 'self-aggrandizing' can be understood as a form of abnormal Bayesian inference about the self. This model draws on the predictive coding (i.e., active inference) framework, a neurobiologically plausible explanatory framework for message passing in the brain that is formalized in terms of hierarchical Bayesian inference. In summary, this model proposes that these two cardinal psychopathic traits reflect entrenched maladaptive Bayesian inferences about the self, which defend against the experience of deep-seated, self-related negative emotions, specifically shame and worthlessness. Support for the model in extant research on the neurobiology of psychopathy and quantitative simulations are provided. Finally, we offer a preliminary overview of a novel treatment for psychopathy that rests on our Bayesian formulation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:33:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab0dc94c998247418a5e4549281c2ce0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2379-6227 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:33:14Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Computational Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab0dc94c998247418a5e4549281c2ce02022-12-22T03:21:00ZengUbiquity PressComputational Psychiatry2379-62272018-10-0129214010.1162/CPSY_a_0001640A Bayesian Account of Psychopathy: A Model of Lacks Remorse and Self-AggrandizingAaron Prosser0Karl J. Friston1Nathan Bakker2Thomas Parr3Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, HamiltonWellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, LondonDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, TorontoWellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, LondonThis article proposes a formal model that integrates cognitive and psychodynamic psychotherapeutic models of psychopathy to show how two major psychopathic traits called 'lacks remorse' and 'self-aggrandizing' can be understood as a form of abnormal Bayesian inference about the self. This model draws on the predictive coding (i.e., active inference) framework, a neurobiologically plausible explanatory framework for message passing in the brain that is formalized in terms of hierarchical Bayesian inference. In summary, this model proposes that these two cardinal psychopathic traits reflect entrenched maladaptive Bayesian inferences about the self, which defend against the experience of deep-seated, self-related negative emotions, specifically shame and worthlessness. Support for the model in extant research on the neurobiology of psychopathy and quantitative simulations are provided. Finally, we offer a preliminary overview of a novel treatment for psychopathy that rests on our Bayesian formulation.https://cpsyjournal.org/articles/42psychopathypsychopathic personality disorderantisocial personality disorderpersonality disordersactive inferencebayesian brainpredictive codingfree-energy |
| spellingShingle | Aaron Prosser Karl J. Friston Nathan Bakker Thomas Parr A Bayesian Account of Psychopathy: A Model of Lacks Remorse and Self-Aggrandizing Computational Psychiatry psychopathy psychopathic personality disorder antisocial personality disorder personality disorders active inference bayesian brain predictive coding free-energy |
| title | A Bayesian Account of Psychopathy: A Model of Lacks Remorse and Self-Aggrandizing |
| title_full | A Bayesian Account of Psychopathy: A Model of Lacks Remorse and Self-Aggrandizing |
| title_fullStr | A Bayesian Account of Psychopathy: A Model of Lacks Remorse and Self-Aggrandizing |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Bayesian Account of Psychopathy: A Model of Lacks Remorse and Self-Aggrandizing |
| title_short | A Bayesian Account of Psychopathy: A Model of Lacks Remorse and Self-Aggrandizing |
| title_sort | bayesian account of psychopathy a model of lacks remorse and self aggrandizing |
| topic | psychopathy psychopathic personality disorder antisocial personality disorder personality disorders active inference bayesian brain predictive coding free-energy |
| url | https://cpsyjournal.org/articles/42 |
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