pathology of lying-第53节

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　as　errors　for　our　present　purposes。　　In　a　later　study　on　this　whole　topic　of　the　psychology　of　testimony　there　will　be　much　more　complete　itemizing。　　The　errors　in　which　we　are　particularly　interested　can　perhaps　best　be　called　pure　inventions。　　In　the　next　double　column　is　given；　first；　the　total　number　of　incorrect　items　and；　then；　the　percentage　of　these　to　the　total　number　of　items　reported。　　In　the　last　column　suggestibility　is　dealt　with。　　We　have　been　accustomed　to　offer　7　suggestions；　asking　the　individual　whether　such　and　such　things　which　might　well　be　in　a　butcher　shop　really　appeared　in　the　picture。　　For　several　reasons　not　all　of　the　7　suggestions　were　asked　in　every　case；　therefore　the　result　is　best　viewed　as　a　statement　in　fractions　the　numerator　being　the　number　of　suggestions　accepted　and　the　denominator　the　number　of　suggestions　offered。

As　a　last　statement　on　this　question　which　we　put　to　ourselves；　namely；　whether　pathological　liars　show　the　same　traits　in　the　laboratory　as　they　do　on　the　witness　stand　or　in　general　social　life；　we　can　answer　in　the　affirmative。　　We　may　repeat　that　others　have　made　as　bad　records　as　some　of　this　group；　but　taking　the　group　as　a　whole；　it　is　unlike　any　random　13　cases　which　might　be　picked　out　from　our　other　classes　of　mentally　normal　offenders。　　On　the　other　hand；　many　a　feebleminded　testifier　has　done　vastly　better　than　the　median　of　this　group。　　The　errors　themselves　are　of　the　purely　inventional　type；　such　as　your　ordinary　report　from　a　mentally　normal　person　does　not　contain。　　（There　is　perhaps　one　interesting　exception　to　this；　Case　3。　　The　report　given　by　this　subject　included　egregious　denials　of　some　of　the　main　objects　in　the　picture；　and　so　was　fictitious　to　this　extent。　　She　did　not　say　that　she　did　not　know　whether　these　to…be…expected　objects　really　were　in　the　pictureshe　insisted　that　they　were　not。）　　So　far　as　suggestibility　is　concerned；　there　are　great　differences　among　even　normal　people　in　all　classes。　　For　comparison　with　the　above　group；　we　may　take　63　cases　of　mentally　normal　delinquents；　all　of　whom　had　been　offered　the　full　7　suggestions。　　The　median　error　of　this　group　was　two。　　Lower　than　the　fraction　thus　obtained　was　the　result　on　only　4　of　the　present　cases。　　We　have　been　interested　to　see　that　with　some　of　the　pathological　liars　there　is　no　great　suggestibility。　　The　person　is　willing　to　deal　in　his　own　inventions；　but　not　with　false　ideas　which　others　attempt　to　put　in　his　mind。


DIAGNOSIS


The　essentials　for　the　diagnosis　of　pathological　lying　are　contained　in　the　definition　at　the　beginning　of　our　book。　　The　above　considerations　of　the　physical　and　mental　make…up　of　pathological　liars　should　leave　little　question　as　to　what　belongs　in　this　class。　　Of　course　here；　as　in　the　study　of　any　mental　traits；　borderline　cases　difficult　to　discriminate　will　always　be　found。　　Sometimes　one　will　not　be　able　to　determine　whether　the　individual　is　a　true　pathological　liar　or　merely　a　prevaricator　for　a　normal　purpose。　　We　have　already　stated　our　inability　to　determine　this　in　some　cases；　and　yet　the　nucleus　of　the　type　stands　out　sharply　and　clearly；　and　there　can　be　no　doubt　as　to　what　is　practically　meant　by　the　definition。

The　differential　diagnosis　involves　consideration　of　the　characteristics　of　the　insane；　defective；　and　epileptic。　　We　repeat　that　we　agree　that　the　mentally　abnormal　person　may　engage　in　pathological　lying　quite　apart　from　any　expression　of　delusions；　and　that　during　the　course　of　such　lying　the　insanity　may　not　be　recognized。　　This　occurred　in　many　of　the　cases　cited　in　the　foreign　literature；　and　if　the　prior　histories　of　many　individuals　now　in　insane　hospitals　were　known　undoubtedly　such　lying　would　be　frequently　noted。　　But　once　the　person　is　recognized　as　insane　he　need　not　be　classified　as　a　pathological　liar。　　This　term　should　be　reserved；　as　we　stated　previously；　for　normal　individuals　who　engage　in　pathological　lying。　　Of　course　other　observers　have　noted　such　lying　in　people　who　could　not　be　designated　as　being　mentally　abnormal；　but　our　material　is　peculiarly　rich　in　examples　of　this　kind。


CORRELATIONS　STUDIED　FOR　CAUSES


Heredity。　　We　come　now　to　a　very　interesting　group　of　factsshowing　at　once　complete　corroboration　of　previous　observers'　statements　that　pathological　liars　are　extraordinarily　‘‘erbliche　belastet。''　　Taking　our　19　mentally　normal　cases　we　find　the　following：

Insanity　in　the　direct　family　（four　of　these　being　a　parent）。　。6　　One　or　both　parents　severely　alcoholic。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。6　　Criminal　or　very　dissolute　parent　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。4　　Suicide　of　parent　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。1　　Extremely　neuropathic　parent。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。1　　Syphilitic　parent　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。2　　Epileptic　parent。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。1　　Unsatisfactory　data　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。2　　Reliable　data　showing　normal　family　stock　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。2


Thus；　out　of　the　19　cases　there　are　only　three　or　four　which　do　not　come　of　stock　showing　striking　defects。　　Now；　as　we　go　on　to　show　later　that　unfortunate　conditions　or　experiences　were　often　causal　factors；　the　total　findings　seem　to　show　clearly　that　these　latter　influences　generally　bore　their　unfortunate　fruition　upon　inherited　instability。

The　heredity　in　the　border…line　cases　is；　as　might　be　expected；　even　worse。　　These　facts　are　easily　discerned　in　their　respective　case　histories。

The　question　of　inheritance　of　similar　mental　traits　is；　of　course；　important。　　We　have　found　absolutely　no　proof　of　the　trait　of　pathological　lying；　as　such；　being　inherited。　　The　reader　will　note　with　interest　particularly　the　facts　in　Cases　2　and　4；　where　we　at　first　thought　we　had　to　deal　with　inheritance；　but　later　found　there　was　no　blood　relationship　between　the　supposed　parent　and　child。　　In　those　instances　the　lying　of　the　younger　individual　was　much　more　likely　to　be　the　result　of　psychic　contagion；　and　this　also　may　be　largely　the　explanation　of　Cases　6　and　8；　where　an　older　relative　was　well　known　to　be　a　prevaricator。　　The　bad　inheritance　in　these　cases　then　turns　out　to　be；　corroborating　what　we　found　in　studying　the　general　problem　of　criminality；＇25＇　a　matter　of　coming　from　stock　that　shows　defects　in　various　ways…all　making；　however；　in　the　offspring　for　moral　instability。


＇25＇‘‘Inheritance　as　a　Factor　in　Criminality。　　A　Study　of　a　Thousand　Cases　of　Young　Repeated　Offenders。''　　Edith　R。　Spaulding　and　William　Healy。　　pp。　24。　　Bulletin　of　the　American　Academy　of　Medicine；　Vol。　XV。　February　1914。



Developmental　Physical　Conditions。　　Inquiry　into　our　19　mentally　normal　cases　gave　the　following　findings：　　Antenatal　conditions　were　defective　in　2　cases　on　account　of　syphilis　and　in　one　case　from　advanced　age　of　the　mother。　　The　accident　during　pregnancy　to　the　mother　in　one　case；　the　severe　mental　shock　in　another；　and　the　effect　of　illegitimacy　in　still　another　we　can　not　evaluate。　　In　2　cases　there　were　operative　births　with；　however；　no　bad　results　known。　　One　was　a　twin。　　Early　severe　disease　of　the　nervous　system　was　experienced　by　one；　and　convulsions　during　infancy　by　two　others。　　Another　suffered　from　some　unknown　very　severe　early　illness；　and　one　from　prolonged　digestive　disturbance　in　infancy。　　Three　had　in　early　childhood　several　severe　illnesses；　one　had　a　long　attack　of　‘‘chorea。''　　Two　suffered　from　general　nervousness；　incited　in　one　case　by　the　excessive　use　of　tea　and　in　the　other　by　a　similar　use　of　coffee。　　One　was　an　habitual　masturbator　from　childhood。　　Difficult　menstruation　was　reported　in　only　one　case。　　In　5　cases　there　was　a　quite　normal　early　developmental　period；　according　to　reliable　accounts。　　In　3　cases　the　early　developmental　histories　are　completely　unknown；　and　in　3　others　uncertain。　　The　data　of　developmental　history　in　the　border…line　types　may　be　easily　noted　in　the　case　histories。

Previous　Ailments。　　Ailments　suffered　from　in　our　19　cases　after　the　early　developmental　period　amount　to　very　little。　　The　several　gynecological　troubles　have　been　mentioned　above　under　the　head　of　Physical　Conditions。　　In　one　other　case　there　had　been　urethritis　previously。　　Head　injuries；　which　play　such　a　significant　part　in　the　study　of　criminalistics；　find　no　place　in　our　mentally　normal　series；　but　should　always　be　kept　in　mind　in　considering　the　border…line　types。　　Epilepsy　as　a　possible　factor　in　criminalistic　problem　cases　is　to　be　remembered。

Habits。　　We　have　already　mentioned　the　effect　upon　nervous　conditions　of　excessive　tea　and　coffee　in　two　of　our　cases。　　Masturbation；　including　its　indirect　effect；　particularly　upon　the　psyche；　appears　to　be　a　very　important　feature　of　these　cases。　　We　should　be　far　from　considering　that　we　have　full　data　on　all　of　our　cases　and　yet　this　stands　out　most　strongly。　　We　have　had　positive　reports　from　relatives　or　from　the　individual　showing　this　certainly　to　be　a　factor　in　7　out　of　the　19　cases。　　This　is　a　very　large　finding；　when　it　is　considered　that　the　data　are　frequently　unobtainable。　　Of　course　we　are　not　speaking　here　of　masturbation　per　se；　but　only　of　the　fac