The notion that affective/impulsive violence and predatory/instrumental violence constitute distinct behavioral phenotypes has been supported in the forensic literature. Prior research suggests that offenders committing affective/impulsive homicide exhibit differing patterns of anomalous regional brain activation and decreased executive functions relative to predatory/instrumental homicide offenders. However, no prior research has examined the extent to which murderers who kill impulsively versus those who kill as the result of the execution of a premeditated strategic plan differ with regard to other neuropsychological functions and intelligence. Based on established criteria, we classified 77 murderers into affective/impulsive and predatory/instrumental groups, and compared their performance on standardized measures of intelligence and neuropsychological functioning. Results revealed significant differences between the affective/impulsive group (mean Full Scale IQ = 79) and the predatory/instrumental group (mean Full Scale IQ = 93) on indices of intelligence, memory, attention, and executive functioning. Most differences remained significant after controlling for relevant background factors.
AmenD. G.HanksC.PrunellaJ. R.GreenA. (2007). Regional cerebral blood flow in impulsive murderers. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 19, 304-309.
2.
ArdolfB. R.DenneyR. L.HoustonC. M. (2007). Base rates of negative response bias and malingered neurocognitive dysfunction among criminal defendants referred for neuropsychological evaluation. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 21, 899-916. doi:10.1080/13825580600966391
3.
ChenC.MuggletonN.JuanC.TzengO.HungD. (2008). Time pressure leads to inhibitory control deficits in impulsive violent offenders. Behavioural Brain Research, 187, 483-488.
4.
ChenC.TienY.JuanC.TzengO.HungD. (2005). Neural correlates of impulsive-violent behavior: An event-related potential study. Neuroreport, 16, 1213-1216.
5.
ConnersC. K. (2000). Conners’ Continuous Performance Test II: Computer Program for Windows Technical Guide and Software Manual. North Tonawanda, NY: Multi-Health Systems.
6.
CornellD. G.WarrenJ.HawkG.StaffordE.OramG.PineD. (1996). Psychopathy in instrumental and reactive violent offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 783-790. doi:10.1037/0022-006x.64.4.783
7.
DeclercqF.AudenaertK. (2011). Predatory violence aiming at relief in a case of mass murder: Meloy’s criteria for applied forensic practice. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 29, 578-591. doi:10.1002/bsl.994
8.
DelisD. C.KramerJ. H.KaplanE.OberB. A. (2000). California Verbal Learning Test–Second Edition. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.
9.
DeLisiM.KosloskiA.SweenM.HachmeisterE.MooreM.DruryA. (2010). Murder by numbers: Monetary costs imposed by a sample of homicide offenders. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 21, 501-513. doi:10.1080/14789940903564388
10.
DenneyR. L. (2007). Assessment of malingering in criminal forensic neuropsychological settings. In BooneK. B. (Ed.), Assessment of feigned cognitive impairment: A neuropsychological perspective (pp. 428-452). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
11.
DenneyR. L. (2008). Negative response bias and malingering during neuropsychological assessment in criminal forensic settings. In DenneyR. L.SullivanJ. P. (Eds.), Clinical neuropsychology in the criminal forensic setting (pp. 91-134). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
12.
FlightJ. I.ForthA. E. (2007). Instrumentally violent youths: The roles of psychopathic traits, empathy, and attachment. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34, 739-751. doi:10.1177/0093854807299462
13.
GarnerB. A. (2001). Black’s law dictionary (2nd ed.). St. Paul, MN: West Group.
14.
GilliganD. G.LenningsC. J. (2010). Psychopathic and neuropathic pathways to homicide: Examination of Harris and Rice’s two-path model of criminal violence in homicide. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 17, 148-168. doi:10.1080/13218710903427875
15.
GilliganD. G.LenningsC. J. (2013). Approach–avoidance goals and active–passive self-regulation styles in homicide offending: A pathways analysis. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 18 pp. Online publication. Retrieved at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2012.727074
16.
GoldenC. J.FreshwaterS. M. (2002). Stroop Color and Word Test. Wood Dale, IL: Stoelting.
17.
GreenP. (2005). Word Memory Test for Windows: User’s manual and program. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Green.
18.
GreenP.IversonG. L.AllenL. (1999). Detecting malingering in head injury litigation with the Word Memory Test. Brain Injury, 13, 813-819. doi:10.1080/026990599121205
19.
HanlonR. E.RubinL. H.JensenM.DaoustS. (2010). Neuropsychological features of indigent murder defendants and death row inmates in relation to homicidal aspects of their crimes. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 25, 1-13. doi:10.1093/arclin/acp099
HeilbrunA. B.HeilbrunL. C.HeilbrunK. L. (1978). Impulsive and premeditated homicide: An analysis of subsequent parole risk of the murderer. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 69, 108-114.
22.
LeviM. D.NussbaumD. S.RichJ. B. (2010). Neuropsychological and personality characteristics of predatory, irritable, and nonviolent offenders: Support for a typology of criminal human aggression. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 37, 633-655. doi:10.1177/0093854810362342
23.
MeloyJ. R. (1988). The psychopathic mind: Origins, dynamics, and treatment. Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
24.
MeloyJ. R. (1997). Predatory violence during mass murder. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 42, 326-329.
25.
MeloyJ. R. (2000). Violence risk and threat assessment: A practical guide for mental health and criminal justice professionals. San Diego, CA: Specialized Training Services.
26.
MeloyJ. R. (2006). Empirical basis and forensic application of affective and predatory violence. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 40, 539–547.
RaineA.BuchsbaumM.LaCasseL. (1997). Brain abnormalities in murderers indicated by positron emission tomography. Biological Psychiatry, 42, 495-508.
30.
RaineA.MeloyJ. R.BihrleS.StoddardJ.LaCasseL.BuchsbaumM. S. (1998). Reduced prefrontal and increased subcortical brain functioning assessed using positron emission tomography in predatory and affective murderers. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 16, 319-332.
31.
ReitanR. M. (1958). Validity of the Trail Making Test as an indicator of organic brain damage. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 8, 271-276. doi:10.2466/pms.8.7.271-276
32.
ReyA. (1958). L’examen clinique en psychologie [The psychological examination]. Paris: Presses Universitaries de France.
33.
ReznekL. (2005). The Rey 15-item memory test for malingering: A meta-analysis. Brain Injury, 19, 539-543. doi:10.1080/02699050400005242
34.
RogersR. (2008). Clinical assessment of malingering and deception (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
35.
RogersR.BagbyR. M.DickensS. E. (1992). Structured interview of reported symptoms. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
36.
SalfatiC. G.CanterD. V. (1999). Differentiating stranger murders: Profiling offender characteristics from behavioral styles. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 17, 391-406.
37.
SiegelA.BrutusM. (1990). Neural substrates of aggression and rage in the cat. In EpsteinA. N.MorrisonA. R. (Eds.), Progress in psychobiology of physiological psychology (pp. 135-233). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
38.
SiegelA.VictoroffJ. (2009). Understanding human aggression: New insights from neuroscience. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 32, 209-215. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2009.06.001
39.
SlickD.HoppG.StraussE.ThompsonG. B. (2005). Victoria Symptom Validity Test. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
40.
StanfordM. S.HoustonR. J.BaldridgeR. M. (2008). Comparison of impulsive and premeditated perpetrators of intimate partner violence. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 26, 709-722. doi:10.1002/bsl.808
41.
StraussE.ShermanE. M. S.SpreenO. (2006). A compendium of neuropsychological tests: Administration, norms, and commentary (3rd. ed). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
42.
TombaughT. N. (1996). Test of Memory Malingering. North Tonawanda, NY: Multi-Health Systems.
43.
TweedR. G.DuttonD. G. (1998). A comparison of impulsive and instrumental subgroups of batterers. Violence and Victims, 13, 217-230.
VitaccoM. J.NeumannC. S.CaldwellM. F. (2010). Predicting antisocial behavior in high-risk male adolescents: Contributions of psychopathy and instrumental violence. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 37, 833-846. doi:10.1177/ 0093854810371358
47.
WoodworthM.PorterS. (2002). In cold blood: Characteristics of criminal homicides as a function of psychopathy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 436-445. doi:10.1037//0021-843x.111.3.436
