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Otterfan t1_iry9nt3 wrote

Reply to comment by amadeupidentity in Study finds twelvefold higher mortality risk among psychopathic female offenders by nikan69

Another study by the same researchers found that psychopathic male offenders had five to nine times higher mortality risk compared to the general population.

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aimeed72 t1_iryz1gx wrote

The discrepancy between male and female mortality is probably that female risk taking behaviors expose them to additional risks beyond the risks posed by the acts themselves. Risky sex, for example is significantly riskier for females than it is for males.

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godlords t1_irz6z7p wrote

I highly doubt that's the primary reason. Men die at younger ages, largely due to greater risk-seeking behavior. I find it far more likely that the average man is engaged in more high risk activities than the average woman, and as such a psychopathic man who is extremely risk-seeking will not be as different to an average man than an extremely risk-seeking psychopathic female is to an average woman.

Psychopaths, male or female risk seeking score: 10

Typical female risk seeking score: 1

Typical male risk seeking score: 2

Numbers made up obviously.

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Paleovegan t1_irz96fu wrote

I agree with this interpretation. Men as a population have a higher baseline risk. They are already far more likely to die due to homicide (close to 80% of homicide victims are male) or misadventure than women. Also generally adhere less to a constellation of healthy lifestyle behaviors.

As you say, a woman who has undergone psychiatric evaluation for “severe crimes” and is categorized as highly psychopathic would probably diverge more from other women in those respects than a male counterpart, which would explain a higher relative risk of mortality.

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aimeed72 t1_irz97bi wrote

But that supposition fits nicely with the numbers given, that female psychopath mortality risk is tenfold over typical females, whereas male psychopath mortality risk is fivefold over typical males. It’s not that female psychopaths behave in riskier ways than than male psychopaths do; it’s that normal males behave in riskier ways than normal females do. The normal male risk is closer to the psychopathic male risk than the normal female risk is to the psychopathic female risk.

I would guess that make psychopaths engage in more risky acts than female psychopaths do, yet females have higher relative mortality risk per risky act, if such a thing can be measured.

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bjornartl t1_irzybbx wrote

And its not just "risk seeking" behavior. Im not sure how wide that term is but not just risk seeking in terms of like pursuing it for excitement. Culturally there's more pressure, expectations and status towards men being providers/having money. So men are more likely to take on more dangerous work roles, not necessarily just dangerous while on the clock but risks of long term health problems that can shorten their lifespans.

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godlords t1_is14o0d wrote

Risk seeking is an economic term, literally defined as a higher tolerance for outcome uncertainty in return for higher expected returns (or sometimes simply higher maximal returns). It can be applied in a more sociological manner as well.

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hassi44 t1_irz7veg wrote

It's also worth noting that antisocial behaviors that do not involve physical aggression, notably manipulation and verbal antagonism, are more likely to lead to unexpected outcomes that complicate a situation, leaving the antagonist vulnerable to retaliation. With physical dominance, the number of variable outcomes can at least be somewhat controlled, but with verbal attacks and failed attempts at manipulation, physical prowess is close to being a prerequisite for avoiding or tackling retaliation.

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