Summary of James Fallon's The Psychopath Inside

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 There is no psychiatric diagnosis of psychopath, and the closest thing we have in the DSM is an antisocial personality disorder. Outside of the DSM, many doctors and researchers have their own definitions of what makes a psychopath. #2 There are no set methods to test for psychiatric disorders like psychopathy, but we can determine some facets of a patient’s mental state by studying his brain with imaging techniques like PET and fMRI scanning, as well as genetics, behavioral, and psychometric testing. #3 The traits of psychopathy can be sorted into four categories: interpersonal, affective, behavioral, and antisocial. The antisocial category includes hotheadedness, a history of juvenile delinquency, and a criminal record. #4 There is a second category of psychopaths, which are people who do not score as high on the PCL-R but still exhibit strong signs of classic psychopathic traits. They are not murderers, but they are still psychopaths.