Evolutionary Adaptation of Psychopathy & its benefits: Recent Blog by Outreinfo

Dan, a psychopath, possesses intelligence, charm, and achievements, which conceal his lack of remorse when manipulating and exploiting others for personal gain. The question arises as to whether Dan truly has a psychological disorder. Understanding the evolutionary adaptation of psychopathy and its benefits can help explain why some traits, like Dan’s, may have formed and lasted over time.

Lesleigh Pullman and her team conducted a study investigating the possibility that psychopathy may not be a mental disorder but an efficient approach to life. They examined an unexpected indicator of mental disorders to classify psychopathy as a disorder that must have a detrimental effect on an individual’s functioning and well-being.

The harmful consequences of psychopathy are clear

Difficulties in maintaining relationships, increased likelihood of premature death, and higher chances of incarceration. Scholars like Hart and Hare argue that psychopathy, because of its negative impact on society, is a significant public health concern, ranking second only to schizophrenia.

Organizations like the American Psychological Association and the World Health Organisation incorporated into the diagnostic criteria for recognized disorders and psychopathic traits. While Antisocial Personality Disorder and Dissocial Personality Disorder primarily influence observable antisocial behaviors like lawbreaking and violence, both disorders encompass characteristics such as lack of empathy, lack of guilt, and deceitfulness.

The cause of the disorder
Understanding the causes of mental disorders is crucial in evaluating their nature. Neurodevelopmental perturbations, disruptions in normal brain development, are considered a significant influence. These perturbations can arise because of various factors, including maternal infection or stress during pregnancy, childhood malnutrition, head injuries, and emotional trauma.

Mental disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, and schizophrenia have been linked to neurodevelopmental perturbations. However, directly assessing these perturbations is challenging, often requiring specialized brain scans or detailed information about an individual’s childhood and maternal well-being. One indicator of neurodevelopmental perturbations is handedness, particularly left-handedness and ambidexterity.

These non-right-handed traits have associations with maternal stress during pregnancy, birth complications, and low birth weight. Non-right-handed individuals are also more likely to experience mental illnesses, ranging from depression to schizophrenia, with a notable prevalence among those with psychotic disorders. Despite the potential correlation, left-handedness and ambidexterity can also be seen as positive traits, potentially linked to enhanced creativity.

The connection between mental disorders and these non-right-handed traits may stem from the brain’s failure to effectively lateralize during development, which affects the specialization of different brain areas and prevents duplication.

What do studies say about psychopaths?
In the final study, Pullman and her team conducted an analysis combining data from 16 previous studies to test their hypothesis regarding psychopathy as an adaptation rather than a mental disorder. The studies involved 1,818 individuals from diverse populations. The researchers examined the relationship between handedness and psychopathy, specifically investigating whether psychopaths were more likely to be left-handed or ambidextrous compared to individuals with kinder traits.

The study did not find a consistent correlation between psychopathy and handedness. They observed although minor differences, they were not reliable indicators. Among the general community and incarcerated inmates, individuals with higher psychopathy scores showed a slightly higher likelihood of being non-right-handed. However, when focusing on mental health patients, psychopathic offenders were slightly less likely to be left-handed compared to their non-psychopathic counterparts. These differences were tiny and lacked reliability, suggesting that they could have occurred by chance.

Dealing with psychopathy
We should exercise caution when interpreting the results of the meta-analysis involving over 1,800 individuals, as it did not establish a significant association between psychopathy and handedness. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that psychopathy is an adaptive life strategy inherited through evolutionary mechanisms, rather than a mental disorder stemming from neurodevelopment perturbations.

However, it is important to consider certain limitations. The data showed some trends showing that individuals with higher psychopathy scores might have a slightly higher likelihood of being non-right-handed. The sample size may have not detected substantial differences accurately.

The rates of non-right-handedness among psychopaths were comparable to those of incarcerated inmates and mental health patients. If psychopathy is truly distinct from mental disorders, one would expect psychopaths to exhibit lower rates of non-right-handedness compared to these groups, as the latter likely have higher rates of non-right-handedness because of their greater prevalence of mental health disorders population.

Overlook of psychopathy study
Considering a broader perspective, another intriguing hypothesis suggests that psychopathy may have beneficial aspects, but only when individuals can restrain violent and criminal tendencies. The findings from Pullman and her team show that individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits, such as callousness or lack of remorse, were slightly less likely to be left-handed or ambidextrous.

Those displaying behavioral psychopathy, characterized by engaging in violent or criminal acts, showed a higher likelihood of being non-right-handed. Although these results did not reach statistical significance, the conclusion appears reasonable.

While this study alone may not fully persuade me that psychopathy is unequivocally an adaptive life strategy influenced by evolution, it contributes to an increasing body of research that supports this notion. The findings align with existing data, showings that individuals with high levels of psychopathy are more inclined to engage in calculated and goal-oriented criminal activities rather than impulsive or emotionally driven acts.

They prioritize their own well-being and that of their offspring and have a higher number of children. Therefore, while the definitive conclusion remains uncertain, individuals like Dan, who exhibit psychopathic traits, may not have a mental disorder but show self-serving behavior characteristic of “jerks.”

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