There is something about your neighbor that makes you feel afraid. You wouldn’t be surprised if he was a psychopath of some kind, but how do you know if he really is?
One way to tell if someone is mentally ill is to listen to their speech pattern.
A team of researchers at Cornell University conducted a study on the speech patterns of 52 convicted murderers, 14 of whom were classified as psychopaths, and came up with some very interesting results. The team asked the killers to describe their crimes in detail, recorded the speech and then converted it into text.
What did they learn? Psychiatric patients, who make up an estimated 1% of the population, tend to use speech pattern identification. So, if you’re on a sketchy date and your guy is giving off psycho vibes, just look for any weird speech patterns he has, and get it out of there.
Here’s how to spot a psychopath by 5 distinct traits, according to research:
- They provide cause and effect statements
When discussing their actions, psychopaths are likely to use subordinate conjunctions such as “because” and “therefore,” indicating that their crime was a goal to be achieved.
- They focus on food
Researchers found that psychopaths use a large number of words related to basic human needs such as eating, drinking, and money. Psychopaths often include details of the meals they ate on the day of their crime, perhaps revealing their predatory tendencies.
Related: 6 Guys You Meet Online And Why You Shouldn’t Date Them
- They use a lot of “ums” and “uhs”, but not because they can’t think of the right word
“We think ‘uh’ and ‘um’ are about putting a mask of reason over the absence of remorse,” says Jeffrey Hancock, a professor at Cornell University. “And it’s hard to know because I’m always saying ‘uh’ and ‘um’ just to give myself time to think before I say Something.
- They shy away from any topics related to their moral compass
Non-psychopaths talked about religion and family when they had just committed a crime, while psychopaths turned away from those higher-level needs.
Related: 13 Acts Of Emotional Abuse Commonly Misinterpreted As Love
- They often speak in the past tense
If you talk about something in the past tense, it gives you psychological detachment. This is especially useful for police. “Knowing that a suspect is mentally ill can affect how law enforcement conducts investigations and interrogations,” Hancock says.
So, what do you think? Is someone you know a psychopath? How many of these traits does that person in the back of your mind have? Could the person you’re thinking about perhaps be you?
