Bad to the Bone: Bad to the Bone: Behavioral Genetics Behavioral Genetics and the Nature of and the Nature of

Evil Evil Barbara Oakley, PhD, PEBarbara Oakley, PhD, PE

Associate ProfessorAssociate ProfessorOakland UniversityOakland University

Human genome? That was easy!Human genome? That was easy!

The human The human phenome,phenome,which is referred to as the which is referred to as the . . .manifold human . . .manifold human phenotypes from molecule phenotypes from molecule to mind. . .to mind. . . is a is a bigbig place. place.

SevenSeven--level schematic illustrating level schematic illustrating genome to genome to syndromesyndrome hypotheses for phenomics research.hypotheses for phenomics research.

Phenomics: The Systematic Study of Phenotypes on a Genome-Wide Scale, R. M. Bilder et al, Neuroscience (2009), doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.01.027

A collaborative knowledge base for cognitive phenomics,F. W. Sabb, et al, Molecular Psychiatry, 2008, 12, 350-360

Our cultures and individual behaviors are so successfully diverse that humans are more like an entire ecosystem than a single species.

David Sloan Wilson

Broadening the ScopeBroadening the Scope

MomMoms Dreams Dream

MomMoms Dreams Dream

Slobodan Milosevic of SerbiaSlobodan Milosevic of Serbia

Feted as a peacemaker Feted as a peacemaker and an all around great and an all around great guyguy..

The mystique of being The mystique of being clinically clinically diagnoseddiagnosed means that:means that:

Deeply dysfunctional people are often Deeply dysfunctional people are often not studied.not studied.

Why?Why?Malignant narcissismMalignant narcissismElements of two Elements of two common personality common personality disorders can intertwinedisorders can intertwine

PsychopathsPsychopaths

Look normalLook normalbutbut Lack of remorse or Lack of remorse or

empathyempathycan easily rationalize hurting others.can easily rationalize hurting others. Lies and cons othersLies and cons otherssometimes just for fun.sometimes just for fun. Irritability, irresponsibility, and aggressivenessIrritability, irresponsibility, and aggressiveness

frequent physical fights.frequent physical fights.

A REVOLUTION in neuroscience A REVOLUTION in neuroscience

Nature or nurture?Nature or nurture?

Essi VidingEssi VidingKingKings Colleges College

In antisocial 7In antisocial 7--yearyear--olds with callous and olds with callous and unemotional traits, Viding found, the unemotional traits, Viding found, the antisocial behavior was strongly genetic in antisocial behavior was strongly genetic in origin (a group heritability of 80%).origin (a group heritability of 80%).

Borderline Borderline personality disorderpersonality disorder

A devastating diseaseA devastating diseaseof the emotional toolkitof the emotional toolkit poorly regulated emotionspoorly regulated emotions impulsivityimpulsivity impaired perception and reasoningimpaired perception and reasoningmarkedly disturbed relationshipsmarkedly disturbed relationships

Borderline Personality DisorderBorderline Personality Disorder

Genetic effects explain 35 to 45% of the variance Genetic effects explain 35 to 45% of the variance in borderline personality disorder and borderline in borderline personality disorder and borderline personality features.personality features.

A diminished topA diminished top--down control of affective down control of affective responses, related relate to decreased responses, related relate to decreased responsiveness of specific midline regions of responsiveness of specific midline regions of prefrontal cortex, may underlie the affective prefrontal cortex, may underlie the affective hyperresponsiveness in this disorder. hyperresponsiveness in this disorder.

Serotonin appears to play a key role in this Serotonin appears to play a key role in this affective disinhibition.affective disinhibition.

Peering into the brains of borderlines

Often regret their troubled, hurtful behavior

Peering into the brains of borderlines

Long/long serotonin genotype

Short/short serotonin genotype

Borderline Personality DisorderBorderline Personality Disorder

GaslightingGaslighting Projection and blame shiftingProjection and blame shifting ItIts all about MEs all about ME Chameleon behaviorChameleon behavior Black and white thinkingBlack and white thinking Control issuesControl issues Situational competenceSituational competence

BorderpathBorderpath

Unfortunate Confluence of Psychopath and Borderline

BorderpathsBorderpaths exist in small exist in small percentages in all social percentages in all social

structures and populationsstructures and populations

Good looksGood looks CharmCharmMemoryMemory

The brainThe brains s wiringwiring profoundlyprofoundlyaffects every aspect of our personalityaffects every aspect of our personality

Some people have Some people have more free will than more free will than othersothers

Environment and genes act Environment and genes act togethertogetherto influence personalitiesto influence personalities

WeWe CanCan Change Our Brains!Change Our Brains!

Sadists donSadists dont come in for t come in for treatment!treatment!MotivationMotivation is the catchis the catch--22.22.We canWe cant change themt change themwe we

can only change ourselves.can only change ourselves.

In closingIn closing

It is empowering to recognize It is empowering to recognize one one of the ego's evil little lies: That all our of the ego's evil little lies: That all our behavior is decided by us.behavior is decided by us.

Gavin de BeckerGavin de Becker

HomologyHomology Research has established that the genomes of Research has established that the genomes of

people and rats are ~95% homologous. people and rats are ~95% homologous.

Therefore when people behave Therefore when people behave like rats, it is just in their genes. like rats, it is just in their genes.