Investigating the effects of psychopathic traits on pain perception and empathy in non-clinical samples

While there exists research examining psychopathic traits and their impact on empathy for others and pain responses in the self, there are gaps in the literature that need to be addressed. The present thesis aimed to address these gaps by conducting four research studies examining how psychopathic traits affect responses to pain perception for the self, pain empathy for others, and cognitive and affective empathy. Firstly, to consolidate the research that exists within the field, a systematic review was conducted examining eight papers that studied pain experience and empathy for others’ pain in psychopathic traits non-clinical samples. Next, a two-part study is presented. As there is very little research investigating triarchic psychopathy in relation to facets of empathy in men, women, and age, an online study using self-report measures was conducted in Study 1. Utilising the same dataset, Study 2 explored an insensitivity to pain when controlling for empathy in those with psychopathic traits within a non-clinical population. Lastly, a laboratory-based study was conducted using objective skin conductance responses (SCR) and self-report measures to assess pain perception and empathy for other people’s pain. In summary, the results of this thesis demonstrated differences in facets of triarchic psychopathy between men, women and age in non-clinical participants. Additionally, findings showed that those higher in psychopathic traits process pain stimuli differently, and this difference may depend upon the pain stimulus and data collection method. Further, the present thesis was able to extend findings suggesting that a deficit in empathy may have a physiological basis within psychopathic traits in the general population. Future research should investigate a psychophysiological basis for a lack of empathy in psychopathy, expand pain research using multiple stimuli and methods, and increase research conducted on females with psychopathic traits.