Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic PsychologyHealy, William
Science
Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic Psychology
Healy, William
Criminal psychology; Swindlers and swindling
The question of inheritance of similar mental traits is, of
course, important. We have found absolutely no proof of the
trait of pathological lying, as such, being inherited. The
reader will note with interest particularly the facts in Cases 2
and 4, where we at first thought we had to deal with inheritance,
but later found there was no blood relationship between the
supposed parent and child. In those instances the lying of the
younger individual was much more likely to be the result of
psychic contagion, and this also may be largely the explanation
of Cases 6 and 8, where an older relative was well known to be a
prevaricator. The bad inheritance in these cases then turns out
to be, corroborating what we found in studying the general
problem of criminality,[25] a matter of coming from stock that
shows defects in various ways-all making, however, in the
offspring for moral instability.
[25]``Inheritance as a Factor in Criminality. A Study of a
Thousand Cases of Young Repeated Offenders.'' Edith R. Spaulding
and William Healy. pp. 24. Bulletin of the American Academy of
Medicine, Vol. XV. February 1914.
Developmental Physical Conditions. Inquiry into our 19 mentally
normal cases gave the following findings: Antenatal conditions
were defective in 2 cases on account of syphilis and in one case
from advanced age of the mother. The accident during pregnancy
to the mother in one case, the severe mental shock in another,
and the effect of illegitimacy in still another we can not
evaluate. In 2 cases there were operative births with, however,
no bad results known. One was a twin. Early severe disease of
the nervous system was experienced by one, and convulsions during
infancy by two others. Another suffered from some unknown very
severe early illness, and one from prolonged digestive
disturbance in infancy. Three had in early childhood several
severe illnesses, one had a long attack of ``chorea.'' Two
suffered from general nervousness, incited in one case by the
excessive use of tea and in the other by a similar use of coffee.
One was an habitual masturbator from childhood. Difficult
menstruation was reported in only one case. In 5 cases there was
a quite normal early developmental period, according to reliable
accounts. In 3 cases the early developmental histories are
completely unknown, and in 3 others uncertain. The data of
developmental history in the border-line types may be easily
noted in the case histories.
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