Insensitivity to suffering: the relation of psychopathic traits to somatic processing, first-person and third-person pain.

Despite a growing body of evidence indicating that psychopathy entails profound deficits in emotional processing, the particular dysfunction in pain perception remains poorly understood. This study examined the influence of psychopathic traits on first-person and third-person pain perception. Undergraduate students (N = 110) completed measures of psychopathic traits and empathy. Participants then underwent a cold-pressor task during which they rated their pain experience and physiological activity was recorded. Next, participants watched a video of 60 clips of other people experiencing pain. Following each clip, participants rated the perceived level of pain. Higher levels of psychopathic traits were related to a lower pain tolerance, but not to differences in pain ratings or physiological activity. However, psychopathic traits were associated with a mismatch between individuals' subjective ratings and physiological activity. Lastly, psychopathic traits were associated with decreased sensitivity to others' pain. These findings provide novel insights into the emotional deficit characterizing psychopathy. --Leaf ii.