Personality deviance and experimental game strategy

Abstract

It is suggested that progress in the understanding of aggressive psychopathy has been delayed because its nature as an abnormal relationship or interaction is poorly suited to description in terms of the standard approaches to personality. Social demands have also influenced the aims and orientation of research.

A form of experimental game was used as a model interaction in an attempt to define differences in interpersonal strategy. The players were patients at the State Hospital, Carstairs. No relationships were found between measures of overall severity of personality deviance and various indices of strategy. There was some question as to the validity of the game as a model relationship.

A second, more explicitly structured, game situation was devised to increase the sensitivity of the strategy measures and to test the assumptions about the players’ perception of the game. There were significant differences between the play of high and lower deviance groups. There was strong evidence however that the game was not providing a valid parallel with a natural interaction. In fact, a group of normal players were significantly more similar to the higher than to the lower deviance group. A tentative explanation is offered in terms of acquiescence.

The implications of this work for the interpretation of earlier studies and the direction of future work are discussed.