Sociopathy can be the cause of many different variables inside the human body, such as genetics or a major brain injury which could trigger sociopathy. Genes may simply predispose a child to sociopathy, rather than guarantee a future of sociopathy. This is consistent to the theory of a man having three sons, two of which are normal, and one sociopathic. A specific environment could trigger sociopathy in a person if they were genetically predisposed to sociopathy. Sociopathic children are naturally particular sensitive to incentive structures and perceived fairness. It is estimated that 1-5% of the population are true sociopaths, but this percentage would most likely be found higher in specific professions such as politics, due to the sociopathic tendency for increased power. A traumatic incident may also be a cause of sociopathy. In the case of Phillip Garrido, a convicted sex offender in 1991 who kidnapped and held Jaycee Dugard hostage for 18 years, was perceived as a sociopath only following a serious motorcycle accident he suffered as a teenager which was also compounded by extreme drug use. He suffered from extreme brain injury in the crash, and Garrido’s father stated that his personality changed from being a “good boy” as a child to being changed radically after the accident and become unstable mentally. Injuries or subtle changes to the amygdala or cerebral cortex may be reasons why psychopaths behave the way they do. The amygdala processes our emotions and if this is injured it may explain why psychopaths do not process or show emotions as well as others. The cerebral cortex may also be a factor in the nature of psychopathy because it controls our memory and self awareness, as well as the frontal lobe, which is responsible for self control.
Sociopathy: Nature