A criminal psychologist has challenged a widely held belief about psychopaths, often seen in film portrayals.
When we think of psychopaths, figures like Patrick Bateman from the film American Psycho or Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs immediately come to mind. Both characters, portrayed by Christian Bale and Anthony Hopkins respectively, are depicted as highly intelligent and manipulative killers.
Fans of true crime and horror movies might assume from these portrayals that psychopaths in reality share traits such as manipulation, deception, a lack of empathy, and high intelligence.
However, Dr. Julia Shaw, a criminal psychologist with experience working with individuals diagnosed as psychopaths, has criticized this representation.
In a discussion with LADbible Stories on an episode of Honesty Box, Dr. Shaw, aged 38, stated that a major misconception about psychopaths is the belief that “they’re really clever.”
“That is not true,” she explained. “Most people diagnosed with psychopathy tend to have a below-average IQ. The notion of the clever, manipulative psychopath is largely a myth.”
She further stated, “While they can be manipulative, they are often not very good at it and may not do it in a clever manner. We need to dispel the idea that psychopaths are typically intelligent geniuses because this is not the reality.”
Psychologists have long been working to dispel the ‘Hannibal Lecter myth,’ which wrongly suggests that psychopaths are always highly intelligent.
Brian Boutwell from St. Louis University explained to New Scientist that it’s likely most people have encountered a psychopath at some point, as they constitute about one percent of the population.
To be classified as a psychopath, individuals must score above a certain threshold on tests measuring traits like callousness, aggression, and impulsiveness, although criminal behavior is not a necessary criterion.
Verywellmind outlines psychopathic traits, which include antisocial behavior, narcissism, superficial charm, lack of guilt or empathy, and fearlessness, among others.
Dr. Shaw also pointed out the false belief that all murderers are psychopaths.
Boutwell added, “While not all psychopaths will commit crimes or harm others, they do have a higher chance of doing so because they are impulsive and prone to legal troubles and injuries, suggesting a lack of intelligence.”
Similarly, Matt DeLisi from Iowa State University noted that research often shows that most psychopathic killers are not particularly intelligent.
Commenting on the Hannibal Lecter stereotype, DeLisi remarked, “The character suggested that psychopaths are highly intelligent, and while there have been cases like Ted Bundy, most offenders do not fit this mold.”
DeLisi observed that psychopaths generally underperform academically, are more interested in seeking thrills than in academic pursuits, and are prone to substance abuse. They may also communicate in a brusque, aggressive manner.