title: The relationship between psychopathy and crime-related amnesia.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate whether levels of psychopathy predicted claims of crime-related amnesia. Different characteristics of psychopathy were based on the factor structure of the self-report questionnaire Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI). Crime-related amnesia claims were scored from inmates (N=31) criminal file records. Results demonstrated that claims of crime-related amnesia were more frequently reported by individuals scoring high on impulsive antisocial psychopathy traits. Furthermore, offenders who claimed crime-related amnesia reported lower levels of instrumental/proactive aggression. There was no relationship between fearless-callous psychopathy traits or the use of reactive violence, and claims of crime-related amnesia. Within offenders who claimed amnesia for their crime, the majority demonstrated elevated levels of deception, suggesting that claims of amnesia might serve a strategic purpose. In addition, they more often reported having had a previous experience with memory loss, which may have formed the basis of simulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands. M.J.Cima@uvt.nl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Oorsouw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000647:Amnesia / Q000523:psychology*; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009426:Netherlands; D010555:Personality Inventory