Scripted Interview

The Interview

Person being interview Louis Schlesinger

Louis B. Schlesinger is a Professor of Psychology in the faculty of John Jay College, he holds a Diplomate in Forensic Psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He won two awards for his amazing work in 1990 “psychologist of the year” of the New Jersey Psychological Association, the second award was as the American Psychological Association's Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award in 1993. He has had extensive clinical experience, testifying in numerous trials, and has published many articles, chapters, and ten books on the topics of homicide, sexual homicide, and criminal psychopathology.

Questions

11.      How long have you been working on this field?

Dr. Schlesinger have been working on this field a long period of 42 years “longer than the age of your parents” he stated which was incorrect

22.      What was about psychopaths or this field in general that interest you and made you studied it?

His main reason for studying this filed was that “In brought up together law and psychology”. He also mentions that it was interesting some cases where he had to investigate. It was interesting for him to help in the decision of whether a person is a “criminal, innocent and how long should they be incarcerated.

33.      Can you define the terms psychopaths and sociopaths in your own words?

When I ask him about defining psychopaths he stated that the Psychopath in has never been diagnose which means that psychopath is not a disease, but mental disorder is. He went to define psychopaths with a definition “somebody charm with lack of inter personal attachment with an anti-social disorder”

44.      Have you ever been in contact with a psychopath if yes tell me a little about that relationship? In not will you like to have a meeting with one and why?

Throughout his career he had found himself in a position where he has to deal with this type of people and he is use to it, there’s no single event that has mark his life. The relationships he is most common with this type of people is in a trial I said “you can trust no one’ when he discus his feelings towards them. 

55.      How do you think psychopaths view us as part of a society?

Most of us have a misperception when it comes to psychopaths, we all think they are killers, Dr. Schlesinger said “most psychopaths don’t kill anyone” and also stated that depending on the person a psychopath can view you differently, plus there is a large variation within psychopaths, some can be killers some can be quiet, others talkative.

66.      From your own opinion what you think cause a psychopathic behavior.

“Is an effect of biopsychosocial impact” was his response to this question and he expand it by saying that genes play a role in this same as society and the environment.

77.      What’s your opinion about the fact that 1% of our population are psychopaths?

When I told him this fact he ask that were I got that information for, i did research my research and found that information I stated, but he refuse to believe me and didn’t answer the only think he said was “a lot of people can put anything online and call it a fact”, he did not support this fact.

88.      In one sentence can you describe a psychopath

Dr. Schlesinger found it definition of psychopath was in just few words ‘charm, liars, good at manipulating people and anti-social disorder”

99.      Why you think women are less likely to be diagnose with psychopathic behaviors. And how you feel about that fact?

Dr. Schlesinger stated that for sure is a fact that man are more likely to be diagnose with psychopathic behaviors but it didn’t surprise him at all or had any feeling toward this fact. He only said “there are many disorders that are not equally divided among genders”

110.   This question is about personal life you don’t have to answer if you don’t feel comfortable. Do you have kids, if yes how will you feel if one of them was diagnose with psychopathic behavior? Or any family member what action will you take?

His answer was quite simple, he said “I will encourage him to go into politics” that made me laugh and ask him why. Well he told me that due to the ability to manipulate others and to the ability to lie that will work well for them.