From Daily Mail: Psychopaths are typically portrayed as men in blockbuster hits – whether it’s Patrick Bateman in American Psycho or The Joker in The Dark Knight. But a new study has shed light on female psychopaths, and the key traits they possess.
Researchers from Université Libre de Bruxelles surveyed 492 people to understand whether there is a link between emotional functioning and dark personality traits.
Their analysis revealed that higher levels of alexithymia and anhedonia were associated with psychopathy – but only in women.
According to Psychology Today (PT), “Alexithymia, also known as emotional blindness, is a personality feature in which a person has difficulty experiencing, identifying, understanding, and expressing their emotions. This can be influenced by several factors including genetics, past experiences, and certain medical conditions.”
The other condition, Anhedonia, is “the inability to feel enjoyment or pleasure,” according to PT.
“People struggling with anhedonia aren’t motivated to seek out enjoyable activities like seeing friends or going for a walk, and they don’t enjoy them if they do,” the site explains. “Anhedonia is a symptom of depressive disorders as well as some other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder and PTSD.”
The report’s researchers said, “These associations are not uniform across sex: they are clearly present in females but absent in males.”
“These differences may be explained by biological (hormonal and neuroendocrine) factors, sociocultural influences related to sex roles, and differing modes of emotional regulation,” researchers added.
Read more at DAILY MAIL
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