Psychopathic brains are measurably unmoved by other people's fear. MRI scans indicate that exposure to frightened faces makes blood flow to key brain regions increase in normal people but decrease in criminal psychopaths. Theory: Psychopaths "lack empathy because they have deficits in processing distress cues." Excited reactions: 1) The blood-flow defect causes psychopathy. 2) Genes or childhood abuse cause the defect. 3) We can cure psychopaths by fixing their blood flow. 4) We can use MRIs to catch psychopaths who pretend to be cured. Skeptical reactions: 1) Maybe psychopathy causes the blood-flow defect. 2) Psychopaths will learn to game MRIs just as they've learned to game polygraphs.
Well, it's very interesting. Like those who have the skeptical (or I would call them cynical) reactions, I am concerned that psychopaths will be able to game the MRIs.
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