On Determination of Behavioural Characteristics Responsible for Psychopathic Personality Traits

Abstract

Abnormal and irrational behaviour called psychopathic traits has eroded our society; it increases daily, thus leading to increased crime. The study focuses on determining behavioural characteristics that may be responsible for psychopathic traits in human beings that have purportedly led to increased crime in our society. A survey was conducted in five selected towns in Osun State, Nigeria, based on seventeen identified behavioural characteristics using a developed structured questionnaire to collect data on identified behavioural characteristics that could trigger psychopathy personality traits. Two personality traits considered in this study are aggressiveness and goal setting, while the considered behavioural characteristics are family upbringing, confidence in government, society values, industrialization, civilization, unemployment rate, technology advancement, socio-political class, impunity, environmental impact, embracing foreign culture based on materialism, religion believes, peer group influence, academic attainment, high wealth procession, family believes, and power intoxication. The data harvested from the questionnaire on behavioural characteristics from the five hundred and eight respondents were subjected to principal component analysis to determine the significant behavioural characteristics that are likely responsible for psychopathic traits in humans. Results from the principal component analysis reduced the seventeen characteristics to family upbringing, confidence in government, society values, industrialization, and civilization. Further analysis was carried out with binary logistic regression analysis using goal setting and aggressiveness as dependent variables. The results from the binary logistic regression reflected that technological advancement, foreign culture, religious beliefs, high wealth possession, and power intoxication have a significant effect on goal setting, while confidence in government, environmental impact, impunity, and power intoxication have a significant effect on aggressiveness personality trait. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that civilization and confidence in government are the main significant behavioural characteristics that trigger personality traits in the region covered in this study.