Which personalities tend to do malignant ideas – diepresse.com

Spectacular crimes. At the same time, there is often a good fascination. This testifies to the widespread interest in the true crime genre, the documentation of real criminal cases. The more sophisticated, smarter, perfidious, the more she captivates the public. Pure sensationalism? « No, » says Corinna Perchtold-Stefan, « Many appeal to find out what people are capable of or how to work justice and police work. » In women who make up the majority of the True Crime supporters, this inquiry can also be related to fear. « With you, the desire to prepare yourself better against dangers through information is a driving motive. » Empathy with human fate also plays a role.

Perchtold-Stefan found the u. A. When looking into the brain of True Crime fans using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The 37-year-old is a senior scientist and private lecturer at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Graz, True-Crime consumption and so-called painting volent creativity are her research focus. The latter describes special originality, invention and innovative strength when damage to others. « For example, in the course of bullying, stalking, fraud, calls for calls or difficult to demonstrable violence, but also novel warfare or extreme, never there have been there. »

Group dynamics or anonymous?

Perchtold-Stefan would like to find out which personalities tend to create malevolenter creativity and what factors they favor. Why is that important? « Aggression and violence do great damage in itself. If creativity is also involved, it is difficult to foresee and prevent it. » For example, she is currently testing people when he thinks of creative revenge scenarios. « The question is the question under which circumstances, normal ‘people like you and I actually execute malignant creative ideas. » Either in the protection of anonymity, through group dynamics, because you feel provoked or promise a profit. Which brain areas become active when coloring the malice? What ideas does the willingness to implement increase?

« True crime consumption is not just a sensation. »

Corinna Perchtold-Stefan

In the toolbox, the 37-year-old methods such as brain scans, near infrared spectroscopy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, EEG and EKG measurements, virtual reality and brain computer interfaces have supported laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling. « Psychology is not a coffee grounds, but has many interfaces to the classic natural sciences, » emphasizes the Carinthian, who likes it on the dark side of her field. They were already interested in human abysses as a teenager when she dreamed of a career as a FBI profile or CIA agent. « Since this was a far away career goal for an Austrian Maturant, I have enrolled psychology in Graz. » And in biological psychology that examines the relationships between physical and mental processes, she immediately caught fire. « I found that the volume and function of certain brain regions influence how we think, feel and act. »

Tests in prison and with police officers

In the meantime, she has built her own research area on her topics and a wide network with colleagues around the world. She has carried out studies in high -security prisons as well as with police officers or subjects from the general population. What surprised her: « In terms of creative evil ideas, the police officers tested even trumped the criminals convincing of their own genius. » Incidentally, people with a high level of painting creativity are usually not in custody, but in the middle of us, she reveals.

Perchtold-Stefans compensation are productive physical activities, after building a house with her husband she also has a lot to work. « It happens that I submit a publication and mount a few sockets the next moment. »