PSY 3063 – Health Psychology Psychopathy among CEOs So who, or what are psychopaths? Basically, they are people who use manipulation, violence and intimidation to control others and satisfy selfish needs. They can e intelligent and highly charismatic, ut display a chronic inability to to feel guilt, remorse or an!iety aout any of their actions. "n #on $onson%s oo&, The Psychopath Test , the incidence of psychopath among CEOs is aout '(, which is four times what times what it is in the population at large. "n fact, CEOs are more li&ely to e!hiit psychopathic traits than fol&s with any other )o title. *ccording to +ores, +ores, CEO is actually actually the numer profession profession where there%s there%s a highest proportion of psychopaths. -ot all psychopaths are violent and vicious, ut that doesn%t ma&e them any less to!ic, especially in a wor& environment, particularly when they%re the oss. But, why is there such a disproportionate amount of CEOs who are psychopaths? There are a few e!planations. 1. They understa understand nd how how to use use people people for for the most most gain gain Psychopaths have a tendency to understand the assets that individuals ring to the tale. They can sum people up easily in terms of their strengths and wea&nesses, easily detaching from more nuanced or interpersonal aspects of their character. 2. They’re master manipulators Psychopaths are cunning, and they use their manipulation s&ills to get people to do things they might not normally do. They usually use charm at first, which can e very hard to see through at first, and then guilt, or even force, to get people to act the way they want them to. 3. They think they’re special *n inflated inflated sense of of selfworth is a primary feature of of psychopath. psychopath. These These people people often possess a grand view of their talents and potential, and this &ind of confidence might help propel them into leadership positions. 4. Stoic, emotional self-control helps them thrive *n aility to stay calm calm and emotionally emotionally level level under pressure pressure is a helpful trait trait for CEOs. CEOs. Pressure Pressure doesn%t impact psychopaths the way it does others. Perhaps it%s ecause they lac& the empathy, or perhaps its ecause of their lac& of remorse and guilt/ either way psychopaths stay calm even when most everyone else falls apart. *nd, that ma&es them stand out in the usiness world.
There is a theory that corporate psychopaths were instrumental in causing the 011213 gloal financial crisis. 4e claims that the same corporate psychopaths who proaly caused the crisis y selfsee&ing greed and avarice are now advising government on how to get out of the crisis. Psychologist Oliver #ames has descried the credit crunch as a 5mass outrea& of corporate psychopathy which resulted in something that very nearly crashed the whole world economy.6
