California Ranked 2nd In Psychopathy In New Study

CALIFORNIA -- California apparently ranks high in the number of psychopaths residing in the coastal state, according to a study by a Texas university. Southern Methodist University released a study this week ranking states by psychopathy.

For the study, which has not been peer reviewed, researcher Ryan Murphy from the Dallas-based university analyzed the results of personality surveys given to thousands of residents in each of the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. It was published this month by the Social Science Research Network.

Murphy’s study built on one in 2013 that separated the United States into three broad psychological regions and looked at correlations with key political, economic, social and health indicators. It classified the mid-Atlantic states as “temperamental and uninhibited,” states in middle America as “friendly and conventional” and those in the West as “relaxed and creative.”

Murphy used that data to calculate a new score based on the "Big Five" personality traits, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience, that indicated psychopathy.

So, what does psychopath mean? If you’re thinking about the nefarious characters you see on “Criminal Minds,” you’re missing the mark, according to Scientific American.

Psychopaths are “superficially charming” and “tend to make a good first impression on others and often strike observers as remarkably normal,” the magazine wrote.

“Yet they are self-centered, dishonest and undependable, and at times they engage in irresponsible behavior for no apparent reason other than the sheer fun of it,” the article continued. “Largely devoid of guilt, empathy and love, they have casual and callous interpersonal and romantic relationships. Psychopaths routinely offer excuses for their reckless and often outrageous actions, placing blame on others instead. They rarely learn from their mistakes or benefit from negative feedback, and they have difficulty inhibiting their impulses.”

The study found the top states with the highest level of psychopathy are:

• District of Columbia
• Connecticut
• California
• New Jersey
• A tie of New York and Wyoming for fifth

The states that are least psychopathic are:

• West Virginia
• Vermont
• Tennessee
• North Carolina
• New Mexico

“The presence of psychopaths in the District of Columbia is consistent with the conjecture that psychopaths are likely to be effective in the political sphere,” Murphy wrote.

Murphy said they also looked at occupations with the highest and lowest levels of psychopathy

"The occupations that were most disproportionately psychopathic were CEO, lawyer, media, salesperson, surgeon, journalist, police officer, clergyperson, chef, and civil servant," the study said. "Those that were least psychopathic were care aide, nurse, therapist, craftsperson, beautician/stylist, charity worker, teacher, creative artist, doctor, and accountant."

Read the full study here.

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