Republic of the Philippines

Mindanao State University- Iligan Institute of Technology

Andres Bonifacio Avenue, Tibanga, Iligan City
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
______________________________________________________________________________

Abnormal Psychology Requirement 3

Abnormal Psychology
Creative Paper
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
Psych 24: Abnormal Psychology
Second Semester, S.Y. 2015- 2016

by
Sultan, Monica Grace R.

BS PSYCHOLOGY II A2

April 2016

Character Description
Kevin Khatchadourian is a teenage spree killer and the titular main antagonist of the 2003 novel
We Need to Talk About Kevin by author Lionel Shriver, as well as the 2011 film of the same
name. Kevin is a cold, careless child, acting bluntly cruel to his mother and mockingly
enthusiastic to Franklin. He is responsible for a school massacre along with the deaths of his
father and sister.
Psychological Disorder Character Has
It seems likely that since Kevin (a psychopath) was raised by a psychologically unstable woman,
that he had both nature and nurture counterparts working against him, which contributes to his
psychopathy that manifests as an antisocial personality disorder. This would account for the
disparities and similarities between the two figures. Furthermore, this would imply that evil is
both inwardly inherent and outwardly acquirable. We Need to Talk About Kevin is a case study
in the evolution of one evil being; this being is not supernatural, but he is capable of inflicting
incredible amounts of damage in the world. This also correlates with the world as it is today, as
we are increasingly reliant on medicine, technology, and empirical evidence. Many people do not
even believe in the concept of the devil (or find it laughable), so evil is discussed here not in
supernatural terms but in metaphysical terms. The idea of supernatural evil is displaced and
channeled through Kevin, a human who commits terribly malevolent and violent crimes. Kevin
is a psychopath who eventually becomes homicidal and slaughters his family (minus Eva) and
his schoolmates. He displays all the characteristic hallmarks of a psychopath, as detailed on
Hares Checklist for determining psychopathy: charming, glib, conniving, easily manipulates
others, blatant disregard for laws, perverse/deviant sexual practices (Kevin masturbates while
staring directly into his mothers eyes), unable to take accountability for his actions, and unable
to feel empathy, emotion, and remorse. When Kevin admits he doesnt know why he committed
the crimes, he doesnt seem to have any remorse over ithe sheds no tears, his voice does not
tremble, and he speaks in a cold, controlled monotone. While Kevin is identified as a homicidal
psychopath, Eva exhibits more subdued psychological issues that make her harder to classify.
She, too, exhibits many personality traits of a psychopath: coldly unresponsive, addicted to
alcohol, and uninterested in being a parent (Hare).

Causes
Personality is the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes everyone unique.
It's the way people view, understand and relate to the outside world, as well as how they see
themselves. Personality forms during childhood, shaped through an interaction of inherited
tendencies and environmental factors. Genes may make you vulnerable to developing antisocial
personality disorder and life situations may trigger its development. Changes in the way the brain
functions may have resulted during brain development.
Theory of Personality
Cognitive explanation of personality disorders essentially asserts that people with personality
disorders act in the dysfunctional ways that they do because their core beliefs. Core beliefs
represent assumptions about ourselves, other people, and the world around us. When these core
beliefs are biased or distorted they cause people to consistently misinterpret situations.These
theories are based on the inherent assumption that it is necessary to know why something works
the way it does, in order to change, repair, or correct it. But theorists from a different school of
thought, cognitive-behavioral theorists, have taken a more pragmatic approach. It is not always
necessary to know why something works the way it does, in order to change or correct it (e.g., a
damaged personality).
Diagnostic Criteria
A. A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, occurring since age
15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, as indicated by repeatedly
performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
2. Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal
profit or pleasure.
3. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.
4. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults.

5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others.

6. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior
or honor financial obligations.
7. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated,
or stolen from another.
B. The individual is at least age 18 years.
C. There is evidence of conduct disorder with onset before age 15 years.
D. The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of schizophrenia or
bipolar disorder.
Symptoms and Manifestations
Antisocial personality disorder signs and symptoms may include:

Disregard for right and wrong

Persistent lying or deceit to exploit others

Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or for sheer personal pleasure

Intense egocentrism, sense of superiority and exhibitionism

Recurring difficulties with the law

Repeatedly violating the rights of others by the use of intimidation, dishonesty and
misrepresentation

Child abuse or neglect

Hostility, significant irritability, agitation, impulsiveness, aggression or violence

Lack of empathy for others and lack of remorse about harming others

Unnecessary risk-taking or dangerous behaviors

Poor or abusive relationships

Antisocial personality disorder symptoms may begin in childhood and are fully evident for most
people during their 20s and 30s. In children, cruelty to animals, bullying behavior, impulsivity or
explosions of anger, social isolation, and poor school performance may be, in some cases, early
signs of the disorder.
Assessment
The clinical assessment of violence risk in antisocial personality disorder is more problematic
than in some other mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, because antisocial personality
disorder lacks unequivocal symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. The clinical
interview and mental state examination are therefore less reliable as a means of assessing the
severity of the disorder. Some patients may be both persuasive and deceptive, making a clinical
interview a poor guide to the severity of the disorder and its associated risks. Therefore much
effort has been expended on the development and evaluation of tools that may assist in the
assessment of violence risk.
Prevention & Suggested Treatment
There's no sure way to prevent antisocial personality disorder from developing in those at risk.
Because antisocial behavior is thought to have its roots in childhood, parents, teachers and
pediatricians may be able to spot early warning signs. It may help to try to identify those most at
risk, such as children who show signs of conduct disorder, and then offer early intervention.
Early, effective and appropriate discipline, lessons in behavior modification, social and problemsolving skills, parent training, family therapy, and psychotherapy may help reduce the chance
that at-risk children go on to become adults with antisocial personality disorder.
1. Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, is sometimes used to treat antisocial personality
disorder. Psychotherapy is not always effective, especially if symptoms are severe and the person
can't admit that he or she contributes to problems. Psychotherapy may be provided in individual
sessions, in group therapy, or in sessions that include family or even friends.

2. Medications. There are no medications specifically approved by the Food and Drug
Administration to treat antisocial personality disorder.
However, several types of psychiatric medications may help with certain conditions sometimes
associated with antisocial personality disorder or with symptoms such as aggression. These
medications may include antipsychotic, antidepressant or mood-stabilizing medications. They
must be prescribed cautiously because some have the potential for misuse.
Prognosis
Genetic and physiological. Antisocial personality disorder is more common among the firstdegree biological relatives of those with the disorder than in the general population. The risk to
biological relatives of females with the disorder tends to be higher than the risk to biological
relatives of males with the disorder. Biological relatives of individuals with this disorder are also
at increased risk for somatic symptom disorder and substance use disorders. Within a family that
has a member with antisocial personality disorder, males more often have antisocial personality
disorder and substance use disorders, whereas females more often have somatic symptom
disorder. However, in such families, there is an increase in prevalence of all of these disorders in
both males and females compared with the general population. Adoption studies indicate that
both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the risk of developing antisocial personality
disorder. Both adopted and biological children of parents with antisocial personality disorder
have an increased risk of developing antisocial personality disorder, somatic symptom disorder,
and substance use disorders. Adopted-away children resemble their biological parents more than
their adoptive parents, but the adoptive family environment influences the risk of developing a
personality disorder and related psychopathology.