Less than one per cent of the general population show indicators of psychopathy, but this rises to 25 per cent (that\u2019s one in four) of the prison population.<\/p>\n
So, what causes psychopathy? Are psychopaths born this way, or are they created by (presumably very negative) life experiences? As the clich\u00e9 goes, is it due to nature or nurture?<\/p>\n
Despite science\u2019s best efforts, personality itself is hard to pin down and define<\/a>, so personality disorders remain similarly nebulous and tricky to define.<\/p>\n This applies as much to psychopathy as any other disorder, as demonstrated in Jon Ronson\u2019s book The Psychopath Test<\/a>, which explores how even tried and tested methods for identifying psychopathy can be \u2013 to put it diplomatically \u2013 hit-and-miss.<\/p>\n However, while it may be more difficult to identify than many realise, few would argue that psychopathy isn\u2019t a genuine condition. And recent advances have shed some light<\/a> on the matter.<\/p>\n The use of brain<\/a> scanning technology, like fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), has provided evidence that psychopathy corresponds to fundamental differences in brain structure.<\/p>\n The scans revealed that psychopathy is linked to anatomical differences in the brain systems<\/a> that connect structures in the prefrontal lobes, the posterior cingulate cortex and key parts of the temporal lobe.<\/p>\n The functions of these regions are incredibly varied, but this particular combination is heavily linked to emotional processing. These differences may be disrupting the brain\u2019s typical ability to recognise, encode and understand emotional information.<\/p>\n As emotion is such a vital aspect of human cognition<\/a>, an inability to process it could help to explain a few of the classic traits of psychopathy.<\/p>\n For example, not being able to grasp how emotions affect other people could lead to the signature loss of empathy, as well as placing a higher value on purely rational thinking and having a reduced awareness of the consequences of their actions.<\/p>\n How or why certain people\u2019s brains end up this way is hard to say. But there are also genetic factors<\/a> that seem to play a role in the development of psychopathy.<\/p>\n While a person\u2019s environment and life experiences may contribute to or intensify psychopathy or psychopathic tendencies \u2013 as well as certainly leading to distorted emotional processing and related issues \u2013 such things aren\u2019t known to be able to shape both brain structure and genetics to such a consistent degree.<\/p>\n All of the evidence, therefore, suggests that psychopathy is born, more than bred.<\/p>\n Why such a mental disorder would even evolve in the first place, though, is a different question entirely.<\/p>\n This article is an answer to the question (asked by Elliot Owens, St Albans) ‘Is psychopathy born or bred?’<\/p>\n To submit your questions, email us at questions@sciencefocus.com, or message our Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a>, or Instagram<\/a> pages (don’t forget to include your name and location).<\/p>\n Check out our ultimate fun facts<\/a> page for more mind-blowing science<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n![\"Silhouette](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/angry-brain.jpg\")
If psychopathy is something people are born with, it raises a deeper question: why would evolution produce such a trait at all? – Image credit: Getty<\/p>\n