Do the roots of psychopathy lie in early childhood?

Abstract:
The cold and calculating psychopath captures our imagination through many movies and books. But what do we know about psychopathy and the development of psychopathy? In this talk, I will briefly describe what we know about psychopathy in adults. I will then describe a line of research examining an early risk factor for psychopathy called callous-unemotional traits that is studied in children and teens. I will describe recent work identifying how these traits develop via “nature” and “nurture” and present work starting as early as preschool which identifies potentially malleable and preventable risk factors for this dangerous outcome.

Biosketch:
Luke W. Hyde, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Clinical and Developmental areas of the Department of Psychology. He received BA from Williams College and PhD in Clinical and Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience. He research focuses on the development of antisocial behavior (e.g., aggression, rule breaking) in youth and the impacts of adversity on youth and families. Much of this research has focused on how experiences like parenting and living in a dangerous neighborhood impact children’s brain and behavior leading to psychopathology. Dr. Hyde’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Brain and Behavior Foundation, and the Avielle Foundation. This research has been recognized by early career awards from the Society for Research in Psychopathology, the Association for Psychological Science, and Division 7 (Developmental Psychology) of the American Psychological Association.