Approaching Significance.

Ever wonder if playing video games relieves stress and reduces aggression?  Well in this lates study, it appears as if it can.  

In order to enhance the experience of therapy and relieve student anxiety, researchers are designing and building a computer game to help young people improve their everyday skills in self-control.

There is actually mixed literature regarding stress and video games.  This study used physiological controllers in a personalized game platform.  Most studies using first-person shooter games (Call of Duty, Halo, etc.), have seen and increase in aggression and no reduction in stress after playing these games.  Additionally, further research has indicated a reduction in desensitization to violence in first-person shooter players.  

Thoughts? So how much does a personalized video game platform with physiological controllers cost? 

I see a lot of psychopath and sociopath posts here on tumblr and I wanted to invite everybody to the current debate regarding psychopaths v. sociopaths.  You see, there is no clear cut definition or distinction between the two groups.  Recently, there has been a Sherlock Holmes quote indicating that he is a “high-functioning sociopath, do your research.”  However, this is incorrect.  Here is one distinction between the two:

Research suggests that, “psychopaths are a stable proportion of any population, can be from any segment of society, may constitute a distinct taxonomical class forged by frequency-dependent natural selection, and that the muting of the social emotions is the proximate mechanism that enables psychopaths to pursue their self-centered goals without felling the pangs of guilt. Sociopaths are more the products of adverse environmental experiences that affect autonomic nervous system and neurological development that may lead to physiological responses similar to those of psychopaths. Antisocial personality disorder is a legal/clinical label that may be applied to both psychopaths and sociopaths” (Walsh & Wu, 2008).

In a nutshell, this is indicating that among the mental health community, there is some consensus that psychopaths are simply born that way while sociopaths have become that way due to environmental factors (poverty, exposure to violence, permissive or neglectful parenting, etc.).

There is also another widely agreed upon difference: psychopaths are more meticulous and presentable, while sociopaths are more unorganized and feel more remorse than the psychopaths, which feel none.

The last main difference between psychopathy and sociopathy is in the presentation. The psychopath is callous, yet charming. He or she will con and manipulate others with charisma and intimidation and can effectively mimic feelings to present as “normal” to society. The psychopath is organized in their criminal thinking and behavior, and can maintain good emotional and physical control, displaying little to no emotional or autonomic arousal, even under situations that most would find threatening or horrifying.  The psychopath is keenly aware that what he or she is doing is wrong, but does not care.

Conversely, the sociopath is less organized in his or her demeanor; he or she might be nervous, easily agitated, and quick to display anger. A sociopath is more likely to spontaneously act out in inappropriate ways without thinking through the consequences. Compared to the psychopath, the sociopath will not be able to move through society committing callous crimes as easily, as they can form attachments and often have “normal temperaments.” The sociopath will lie, manipulate and hurt others, just as the psychopath would, but will often avoid doing so to the select few people they care about, and will likely feel guilty should they end up hurting someone they care about

The difference between psychopaths and sociopaths is not a binary option, but rather lies on a dimensional scale.  While Sherlock Holmes feels some remorse, he is highly organized, meticulous, calculating, and is able to pull himself together in public.  Maybe a low-functioning psychopath?  I did a search through research databases and found no references of high-functioning and low functioning sociopaths.  It seems that in clinical science, that distinction is not widely used.  

So interesting, am I right?

Doesn’t it seem like borderline personality disorder diagnoses are on the rise?  Maybe I think that because there is more research and awareness about the disorder is coming out.  Also, a lot of these BPD diagnoses are a result of incorrect past diagnoses.  Many people that have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder are actually suffering from BPD.  

I have always found personality disorders fascinating.

Psychiatrists currently recognise 10 personality disorders, classified into three “clusters” - though the constellation of conditions is mired in diagnostic confusion (see “What’s in a name?”). The disorders manifest in diverse ways, from the callous disregard of others typical of those with antisocial personality disorder - many of whom pursue a life of crime - to the extreme social anxiety of people with avoidant personality disorder. Problems interacting with others are the common thread. “You can’t have a personality disorder on a desert island,” observes Conor Duggan, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of Nottingham in the UK.

Borderline personality disorder, which is characterised by extreme emotional instability, is the best studied because the people that have it are aware something is badly wrong and tend to seek help. Anyone familiar with the condition knows that “borderline” doesn’t mean that people with this diagnosis are close to the boundary between mental health and mental illness. Far from it: the disorder got its name because it seemed to combine the distress of neurosis with some of the delusions of psychosis.