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Understanding empathy deficits and emotion dysregulation in psychopathy: The mediating role of alexithymia

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  • Matthias Burghart
  • Alexander H J Sahm
  • Sergej Schmidt
  • Jan Bulla
  • Daniela Mier

Abstract

Psychopathy is a severe personality disorder marked by a wide range of emotional deficits, including a lack of empathy, emotion dysregulation, and alexithymia. Previous research has largely examined these emotional impairments in isolation, ignoring their influence on each other. Thus, we examined the concurrent interrelationship between emotional impairments in psychopathy, with a particular focus on the mediating role of alexithymia. Using path analyses with cross-sectional data from a community sample (N = 315) and a forensic sample (N = 50), our results yielded a statistically significant mediating effect of alexithymia on the relationship between psychopathy and empathy (community and forensic) and between psychopathy and emotion dysregulation (community). Moreover, replacing psychopathy with its three dimensions (i.e., meanness, disinhibition, and boldness) in the community sample revealed that boldness may function as an adaptive trait, with lower levels of alexithymia counteracting deficits in empathy and emotion dysregulation. Overall, our findings indicate that psychopathic individuals’ limited understanding of their own emotions contributes to their lack of empathy and emotion dysregulation. This underscores the potential benefits of improving emotional awareness in the treatment of individuals with psychopathy.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Burghart & Alexander H J Sahm & Sergej Schmidt & Jan Bulla & Daniela Mier, 2024. "Understanding empathy deficits and emotion dysregulation in psychopathy: The mediating role of alexithymia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(5), pages 1-20, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0301085
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301085
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Silje Haga & Pål Kraft & Emma-Kate Corby, 2009. "Emotion Regulation: Antecedents and Well-Being Outcomes of Cognitive Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression in Cross-Cultural Samples," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 271-291, June.
    2. Bryan Neo & Martin Sellbom & Sarah F. Smith & Scott O. Lilienfeld, 2018. "Of Boldness and Badness: Insights into Workplace Malfeasance from a Triarchic Psychopathy Model Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 187-205, April.
    3. Gillespie, Steven M. & Garofalo, Carlo & Velotti, Patrizia, 2018. "Emotion regulation, mindfulness, and alexithymia: Specific or general impairments in sexual, violent, and homicide offenders?," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 56-66.
    4. Garofalo, Carlo & Neumann, Craig S. & Velotti, Patrizia, 2018. "Difficulties in emotion regulation and psychopathic traits in violent offenders," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 116-125.
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