Customer Reviews

The Antisocial Personalities

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

David T. Lykken, in his highly absorbing and comprehensive exposition, attempts to define the various types of antisocial dysfunction. Although he also takes into account behaviourist and biologistic explanations of the origin of antisocial disorder (such as frontal-lobe brain disorder and the low Serotonin hypothesis), his main argument is that sociopathy is principally a result of inadequate parenting and poor socialisation. He justifies this assertion by quoting statistics which prove that the majority of fearless, aggressive, manipulative impulsive criminals with low I.Q. and little sense of commitment towards jobs, family or others -- (those who are responsible for raising America's crime rate) -- are mainly the result of being brought up in often single-parent households, or else reared by incompetent parents. This leads to delinquency in early youth, as the potential young offender finds no sense of discipline or authority at home, thereby gravitating towards dubious peer groups, such as gangs, who are usually presided upon by older, more mainipulative, though no less intelligent, gangleaders. Lykken also offers some engrossing insights on the possibility of a genetic component in fluencing psychopathic behaviour, leading him to devote several chapters on the hereditability of crime, a topic that has remained highly controversial in criminological circles since Lombroso. Though he denies the existence of a precise gene for "criminality", thus avoiding the untenable view that criminals consititute a fixed "type", he argues that genetics do indeed predispose certain individuals towards psychopathic and sociopathic activity. They may, for instance, be more venturesome, more aggressive, more competitive, more egoistic and more impulsive than other children, though these susceptibilities can only develop into criminality due to environmental inputs: - which, as Lykken claimed, are related to inadequate socialisation and defective parenting styles. His chapter on the relationship between race and criminality -- (in view of the black minority's disproportionate responsibility for over half of America's crimes) -- is evenly and impartially argued. Lykken charges that the same genes, given differing environmental conditioning, can be responsible for breeding either a criminal psychopath or a zealous crime-fighter, and he substantiates this claim by quoting a number of twin studies. Lykken's recommendations on the prevention of sociopathy are controversial. He believes that prevention is far better than the cure, and calls for much needed tax-payer funding for licensed "parenters" to become the wards of parentless or potentially delinquent children. Otherwise, he contends that the majority of psychopathic personalities are incurable, and the only solution would be "biological-prophylactic" legislation...

David Lykken's brilliant book is a thoughtful, and articulate exposition of his theory about biological, psychological, and social causes of crime and antisocial behavior. It says:
1. Various traits such as fearlessness, impulsiveness, aggressiveness, and muscular body type, are highly heritable.
2. Those with average measures of such traits who are incompetently raised in asocial environments will go on to commit the majority of violent crimes; these are sociopaths.
3. Those with very high measures of such traits, almost regardless of their nurturing environment, will become psychopaths - fortunately, these are much fewer in number.
4. The solutions to the problems created by the sociopaths are better parenting training, use of alternative rearing environments (foster care), and parental licensing.

Along the way, you'll also get an introduction to evolutionary psychology, a review of various taxonomies of psychopathy and sociopathy, the evidence for Lykken's psychophysiological basis of psychopathy (low fear quotient), and even a short chapter on bull terriers. Lykken writes with a forceful and deeply personal, non-academic style, but avoids the lurid sensationalism of sadism and torture that attracts many readers (and writers) to the antisocial personality. He dispatches psychoanalytic theory in two paragraphs. Most of the book will be accessible to the intelligent layperson; the few more technical sections can be skipped without loss of the flow of his argument.

I first borrowed this from the library, but bought it and read it again; it's that good. It has profound implications for our current society. Liberals won't like the emphasis on behavioral genetics; conservatives might not like the state interference of his proposed parental licensing - tough luck for ideologues. Anyone who is a parent, might become one, or knows someone who is, should read this book. I'm wondering if the person who gave this book a 2-star review actually did read it, because Lykken discusses Hare's work at considerable length.

I do seminars across the country for thousands of mental healthcare workers. I was at a prison for over two years (as a psychologist, of course) and I really liked this book. Lykken has a real FEEL for the antisocial "personalities". These are "personalities" honed by neglect, lack of an alpha personality, and lack of bonding. If they don't bond with an alpha by the time they are a certain age, they become THEIR OWN alpha personality. Then it's too late (almost always irreversable with the therapy we have now). My opinion? It's a GREAT BOOK!!
Dr. Jay Carter (author of "Nasty People")

this is a very good, readable book on antisocial personalities. david covers all aspects of the disorder in a very readable fashion. there is even bits and pieces of humor thrown in too. loved his two paragraph statement on how psychodynamics describes antisocials. essential reading for any therapist or forensic scientist.

If you like nurture arguments more than nature, read this book. He actually uses sociopath and psychopath meaning one who is socialized into becoming a psychopath versus one who is born. I don't agree with it, nor do the foremost experts on the subject. If you enjoy sociobiological explanations for rape and murder and psychopathy, then it's probably for you. For those of you who think, however, read Without Conscience by Hare, he is a foremost expert on the subject and doesn't meander through an essay on why he thinks people are psychopaths, but gives portraits of psychopathy and doesn't shy away from the fact that much of antisocial disorder and psychopathy occurs randomly. This is NOT a good book. It's full of irrelevant information and just plain wrong conclusions.