Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
Rylie Gumtow
Mr. Ventura
English 1530
Annotated Bibliography
Abbott, Alison. “Into the Mind of a Killer.” Nature, London Vol. 410, Iss. 6826, (Mar 15, 2001):
296-8. DOI:10.1038/35066717.
The article “Into the Mind of a Killer” was published March 2001, even though
that was 19 years ago it is still very relevant and useful information. The information
provided in the article helps answer my research question and brings more light to the
subject. The intended audience is for people studying psychology and criminology. The
author Alison Abbott is a science writer. Evidence was provided in the article, it showed
brain scans of a psychopath/killer and what types of emotions they feel and what it looks
like. This article was written to bring light on the information and also further discuss that
This article explains what happens in the brain as a person who suffers from
psychopathy and what kind of emotions they feel, and what they lack, they lack such
feelings as remorse, empathy and guilt. This article also explains what kind of “treatments”
are available to treat a person with psychotherapy like behavioral therapy. It also explains
how the criminal justice system needs to do more for these people that may be a threat to
society, they are unable to control impulsiveness which leads them to kill. This article is
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very beneficial and I will be planning to use this as a big part of my essay because I think it
provided a lot of great information about psychopathy and why people end up killing and
how they are “born” with it and how most of everything is out of their control because of
Dyer, Clare. “Reform of Death Certificate System Doesn't Go Far Enough, Says Shipman
Inquiry Judge.” British Medical Journal, London Vol. 338, (Feb 16, 2009).
DOI:10.1136/bmj.b660.
The article “Reform of death certificate system doesn’t go far enough, says
Shipman inquiry judge” was published February 16, 2009, so it is recent information for
my research. This article better helps me in my research process, as I try and understand
more about if reform is due able for those that commit heinous crimes. This article is
directed toward people studying psychology and sociology. The article was written by
Clare Dyer, a journalist for British Medical Journal, she is credible because her work is
based on the study and learnings of medicine and psychology. The information is
supported by evidence, because the women that was interviewed was personally connected
with the case, therefore also being reliable. The articles purpose was to explain the
importance on the death certificate while dealing with people that commit the most heinous
acts.
This article explains why the significance of laws and the system of the death
certificate is so important. A rogue doctor Harold Shipman was infamous for killing
hundreds of his patients. He killed them by lethal injection, people’s lives were on the line
because they had to trust a dishonest doctor, and under the system he was allowed to get
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away with murder for a very long period of time. Even the people you think you can trust
the most, have their dark sides. The main purpose of the article is to bring awareness of
how the death certificate works and why this rogue doctor was allowed to get away with
murder for over 23 years. I plan to use this information for evidence of how things go
untouched and how “psychopaths” or killers can get away with murder.
Journal of Psychiatry, 2009 Vol. 54, Iss. 12, (Dec 2009): 803-12.
published in December 2009, it is still current and relevant information. This article helps
further my knowledge about my topic and research. This article is directed towards those
studying psychology and psychopathic tendencies. This article was written by Paul J.
Frick, a journalist for psychiatry and psychology. This article is supported by evidence
because of the research and experiments with watching children’s growth of mind. The
main idea of the article is how to recognize the traits that a child would show with early
onset of psychopathy, like aggressive patterns of antisocial behavior. The articles main
purpose is to not only bring awareness about personality disorders but the importance of
The articles purpose is explaining how adults develop psychopathy, from personality
disorders, behavioral issues that would include impulsivity and irresponsibility and also
interpersonal issues as well, that would be, lack of guilt and remorse for anything other
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than themselves. The article also signifies the importance of children showing these signs
on their youth and how it leads them to become an adult with psychopathy. The article also
explains how there are two different groups of adults that suffer just from personality
disorders, yet another that specifically suffer from both personality disorders that leads to
psychopathy. The main idea of this article is pointing what people with psychopathy suffer
from like patterns of aggression, stability as well as its clinical importance. I will be using
this article because it perfectly explains the background of psychopathy and traits that
children and adults show and what they can do to control their psychotic tendencies.
Furnham , Adrian, et al. “How To Spot a Psychopath .” Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric
0459-1.
The article “How to Spot a Psychopath,” was published June 2009, the
information provided in the article is still relevant. The information provided in the article
helps answer my research question and gives me a lot of base knowledge. This article is
intended for people studying psychology or sociology. The authors Adrian Furnham,
Yasmine Daoud and Viren Swami are journalists on medical sciences. The information
for their research. This article was written to show what kind of treatments are available for
people that classify as “psychopaths” and the importance of it to the general public.
This article explains what a psychopath’s behavior looks like and sometimes how
it can go unnoticed, as well as what their basic medicine is to “treat” their psychotic
tendencies. This article also explains how they conduct an experiment to show how there is
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have the general public come to a better understanding of what psychopathy and its
behavior really is. I plan to use this information to explain how not every killer can be a
psychopath but mainly how they show the same character traits, and what else we can do
Leary, Terence. “Serial Killers and Intelligence Levels: Variability, Patterns, and Motivations to
Kill.” North American Journal of Psychology, 2019; Winter Garden Vol. 21, Iss. 4, (Dec
2019): 787-800.
The article “Serial Killers and Intelligence Levels: Variability, Patterns, and
Motivations to Kill” was published December 2019, the information provided is very
relevant. This article helps answer parts of my questions, and will help create more
background knowledge. This article is directed towards those studying psychology and
criminology, studying behavior. This article was written by Terence Leary a psychology
and sociology journalist. This article is supported by evidence when it discusses IQs about
people with psychopathy and shows scores from people with and without psychopathy.
This articles main purpose is to explain the extreme intelligence and motives that drive
psychopaths to kill, the article helps students learn that are studying in psychology or
criminology.
The article is explaining how much more intelligent that people with psychopathy
or become killers are. Their minds are wired differently and as an outcome of that they are
smarter than the general population. They have personality disorders and in that case
creates psychopathic behavior. The main idea is exactly that, explaining their intelligence
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and their organized or disorganized crime. This article will take a major place in my essay
because it supports a lot of my own thoughts and details that I will provide. This article
explains how their personality disorder and what their mind can do.
Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer.” Psychoanalytic Review, 2011, New York Vol. 98, Iss. 4,
Sadistic Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer” was published in 2011 so the information provided
is still very relevant. Yes, all the information helps answer my research question. The
intended audience is people who are studying in criminology or psychology. The author
Willem H. Martens is a Medical sciences journalist. The evidence provided in the article is
the case work of Jeffrey Dahmer. This article was written to explain why Jeffrey Dahmer
one of the most prolific serial killers experienced in his life and as to why he killed all the
people he did.
The article is focused on the Jeffrey Dahmer case itself but also explaining the
significance of what Dahmer had suffered from. Dahmer suffered from childhood trauma
as a child, which led Dahmer to develop psychopathy (the sadistic kind). His mother
suffered from a psychotic mental illness and depression, and his parents constantly fighting
which evidently resulted in Dahmer not getting any attention as a child. Dahmer then
displayed the psychopathic behaviors as a child, quick anger, impulsiveness and being shy.
Dahmer never had any real connection with anyone else either, he had anti-social
psychopathy, and never made true friends. Dahmer’s fascination, begun with finding dead
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animals and cutting them up and dissecting them, then scaring his neighborhood by putting
the animal’s heads onto sticks. The article thoroughly explains that Dahmer had a different
childhood then the rest, which led him to become a sadistic, lonely cannibalistic serial
killer, which purely could have been avoided if he was treated different or was brought to
the attention of his parents. This article will be very beneficial in my essay as it also raises
the question of if something was done for Dahmer in his early adolescent stage could have
things been different? As well as did Dahmer derive from Nature or Nurture?
Perry, Bruce. “Childhood Experience and the Expression of Genetic Potential: What Childhood
Neglect Tells Us About Nature and Nurture.” Brain and Mind, 2002, Dordrecht Vol. 3, Iss.
The article “Childhood Experience and the Expression of Genetic Potential: What
Childhood Neglect Tells Us About Nature and Nurture” was published April 2002. This
article answers a huge part of my research question about Nature Vs Nurture and how
children that are affected by childhood neglect results in their behavior. The intended
audience for this article is people studying psychology and the effects of nature vs nurture
in children. The author, Bruce Perry is a journalist for medical sciences, psychiatry and
neuroscience. This article is supported by evidence because it states the evolution of the
question. The article was written to try and answer the question what do we derive from,
nature or nurture? Are we destined to become who we are? Or is it how we are raised and
The article thoroughly explains the difference of nature and nurture and why some
researchers may believe we derive from one or the other. The article also explains the
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significance of the human brain and how the brain has been so impactful in the research to
the main question. Also furthering explaining everything that occurs in the brain. The main
idea is to try and understand which we really derive from and how in some instances it
focuses on killers. I chose this article because I believe it is very beneficial in my research
and really explains the nature vs nurture debate very well, and gives a lot of supporting
Ramsland, Katherine. “Kent Kiehl: Peering Inside the Psychopath's Mind.” Forensic Examiner ,
2011, Forensic Examiner; Springfield Vol. 20, Iss. 3, (Winter 2011): 24-29.
The article “Kent Kiehl: Peering Inside the Psychopath’s Mind” was published in
2011. This article brings a lot of outside information, and provides examples to their
research as well, as they discuss Ted Bundy in their article, which is a significant point of
view for my essay. The author Katherine Ramsland is a medical sciences- forensic sciences
writer for American College of Forensic Examiners. The inofmration in the article is
supported by evidence as Kiehl had talked to Ted Bundy himself and has work in the field
as a prosecutor. This article was written to explain the significance of how the brain is
wired and how it is believed that psychopathy derives from a brain deficit, and needs
The article thoroughly explains that psychopaths can’t control the emotions they
feel which ends up in them lashing out, and being unable to express remorse or guilt. It is
also believed the brain is a completely different structure then the “normal” human. Kiehl
hopes to conduct experiments to try and find the solution to protect society from crimes. I
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plan to use this article in my essay as its very beneficial and has a lot of supporting
Rasmus Rosenberg, Larsen. “Psychopathy Treatment and the Stigma of Yesterday's Research.”
Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal , 2019, Baltimore Vol. 29, Iss. 3, (Sep 2019): 243-272.
DOI:10.1353/ken.2019.0024.
The article “Psychopathy Treatment and the Stigma of Yesterday’s Research” was
published September 2019. This article is very beneficial to my research question and will
help me further write my essay. The author Rasmus Rosenberg, Larsen is a journalist on
evolution of psychopathy. This article was written to bring awareness on how unique a
in their behavior and character traits that they posses. This article clearly explains how they
believe there is no treatment for a person who suffers from psychopathy and that’s why
they end up going to a breaking point, which some end up in committing heinous crimes on
other human beings. Yet they also state in this case there is not enough data to be
conclusive on psychopathy being treatable. This article will help my debate because they
Wermter, Anne-Kathrin. “From Nature versus Nurture, via Nature and Nurture, to Gene ×
2010, European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; New York Vol. 19, Iss. 3, (Mar 2010):
199-210. DOI:10.1007/s00787-009-0082-z.
The article “From Nature Versus Nurture, via Nature and Nurture, to Gene x
Environment Interaction in Mental Disorders” was published in March 2010, which makes
the information provided still relevant. The information helps bring light to my research
question and will be beneficial to use in my essay. The audience is directed towards people
medical sciences- psychiatry and neurology writer. The information provided in the article
is supported by evidence because it gives diagrams and research elements when discussing
the gene composition. The purpose of this article is to explain in more depth of the human
brain and the gene make up of a person who suffers a mental disorder.
disorders, which means children who were exposed to some sort of trauma as a child will
have that environment stressor. Some children as well may carry a specific gene that when
a specific event happens, its like switching a switch and everything changes. The article
provides many experiments with mental disorders but the big ones discussed are anti-social
personality disorder, which eventually leads to psychopathy, they also discuss ADHD as
well and how that can affect a child in their early adolescent stages. This is a great source
and I will be using it in my essay to explain the significance of the gene makeup and how
there is a deeper perspective to what we already know. Instead of just looking at the base of
the problem or issue diving deeper into the science and logistics is beneficial in this
research.
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