Decoding Madness

Personality

A Personality Trait That Resists Violent and Cruel Impulses

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on May 4, 2024

Here’s a way to understand how attachment and bonding in infancy shape one’s sense of self, degree of emotional security, and capacity for independent thinking.

Forensic Psychology

The Complexity of Cruelty

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on March 30, 2024

The roots of dehumanizing behavior are revealed by a look at Nazi psychological profiles of men who committed acts of malignant violence. The results could surprise you.

Media

Media and Mental Illness

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on February 11, 2024

A newspaper account of a heinous crime blurred the difference between the court findings of insanity and competency to stand trial. I explain the differences.

Serial Killers

6 Factors That Motivate Random Mass Murders

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on November 3, 2023

What are the fundamental psychological and social issues that drive some among us to perpetrate irrational and unspeakable carnage? Here's what we know.

Social Networking

Becoming a Victim in Online Dating

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on September 26, 2023

About 30 percent of married couples met through online dating. Still, many users have been victimized by online abusers. Find out who is likely to become a victim, and why.

Social Networking

Online Dating Illusions: The Unspoken Dangers

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on August 1, 2023

Here is how to avoid missing those red flags from online abusers.

Psychopathy

Should an Abnormal MRI Excuse a Psychopath From Murder?

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on April 24, 2023

The conundrums and crises rendered by contemporary neuroscience.

Law and Crime

Why Hate Crimes Are Rising

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on February 3, 2023

What are the psychological forces that lead to hate crimes?

Law and Crime

Self-Hatred and Crime

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on November 28, 2022

Sometimes, seemingly inexplicable self-defeating behavior has an internal logic all of its own.

Health

Can Mental Health Professionals Help Reduce Crime?

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on September 23, 2022

Here's a way to potentially reduce the criminalization of people with mental illness.

Personality

The Potential for Extreme Violent Behavior Is Not Always Apparent

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on June 23, 2022

Could a sense of victimhood contribute in some cases?

Environment

Is the Heat of Passion Biased Against Women?

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on March 26, 2022

When it comes to domestic violence and murder, some critics complain that the courts are biased again women. Here’s why.

Cognition

Useful Illusions: The Normalizing of Conspiracy Theories

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on February 8, 2022

Reality is complex, and so many of us are prone to self-deceptive illusions. Are you?

Sex

The Serial Killer and Sexuality

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on January 5, 2022

The psychological forces that animate the unfathomable actions of a serial killer.

Psychosis

When Is a Mentally Disordered Person Dangerous?

Richard Lettieri Ph.D. on December 6, 2021

On November 30, 2021, a teenager in suburban Detroit took his semiautomatic handgun to high school and killed four students. Could this tragedy have been prevented?