Unzipping empathy in psychopathy: Empathy and facial affect processing in psychopaths

Ronald J P Rijnders; David Terburg; Peter A Bos; Maaike M Kempes; Jack van Honk

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.020

Unzipping empathy in psychopathy: Empathy and facial affect processing in psychopaths

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021 Dec:131:1116-1126. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.020. Epub 2021 Oct 22.

Authors

Ronald J P Rijnders¹, David Terburg², Peter A Bos³, Maaike M Kempes⁴, Jack van Honk⁵

Affiliations

¹ Netherlands Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Forensic Observation Clinic "Pieter Baan Centrum", Carl Barksweg 3, 1336 ZL, Almere, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: r.rijnders@dji.minjus.nl.
² Utrecht University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands; University of Cape Town, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, J-Block, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.
³ Leiden University, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, the Netherlands.
⁴ Leiden University, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, the Netherlands; Netherlands Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Science and Education, Herman Gorterstraat 5, 3511 EW, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
⁵ University of Cape Town, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, J-Block, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, 7925, Cape Town, South Africa; University of Cape Town, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Anzio Rd, Observatory, 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.

PMID: 34695456
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.020

Abstract

Psychopathy is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has a highly deleterious effect upon both individuals and society at large. Psychopaths grossly neglect and disrespect the interests of others. Their antisocial behavior is thought to originate from a lack of empathy. However, empathy is multidimensional in nature, as evidenced by the considerable heterogeneity in extant theorizing on the subject. Here, we present the "Zipper model of empathy" that reconsiders how both its affective and cognitive components converge in mature empathic behavior. Furthermore, the Zipper model of empathy is expedient for explaining the empathy deficits in psychopathy, insofar as it brings together current theories on the dysfunctional affective components of empathy, violence inhibition, and automatic versus goal-directed attention. According to the literature, the neurobiological underpinnings of these theories are amygdala-centered; however, this article traces this specifically to the basolateral and central amygdala subregions. When viewed together, the cognitive and affective components of empathy are zipped together in a natural fashion in healthy empathic behavior, whereas psychopaths leave the zipper substantially unzipped in pursuit of their purely self-centered goals.

Keywords: Amygdala; Empathy; Facial affect processing; PCL-R; Psychopathy; Zipper model of empathy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Amygdala
Antisocial Personality Disorder*
Empathy*
Facial Expression
Humans
Violence