Running Head: Psychological Disorders Linking to Criminal Behavior

Psychological Disorders Linking to Criminal Behavior

Genre Analysis
Sabrina Arzate
University of Texas at El Paso

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Introduction:

Crimes and criminal behavior is an extensive issue that takes

effect daily throughout the world. Different people and researchers
question if mental illnesses and psychological disorders are linked to
some criminal behavior. The article Mental Disorders and Crime: The
Connection is real, published by Crime Times, analyzes the findings of studies among
some criminal behavior being linked to mental illnesses. The article provides essential
and persuasive evidence to assure the idea that there is a link between disorders and
crimes.
The video, Antisocial Personality Disorder The Low-Level Psychopath
(Impulsive & Less Manipulative), from ABC News posted by Knowledge Boost
Chronicles, analyzes the killings of a man with antisocial personality disorder. This genre
gives an extraordinary interview with the murderer Tommy Lynn Sells. Sells answers
questions of a psychologist explaining why he commits such horrific actions. Throughout
the video, psychologists display the differences of an average persons brain and a
persons brain associated with antisocial personality disorder. Analyzing both genres
thorough rhetorical issues and all aspects, helped to identify why they are both beneficial
to the topic of linkage between crime and mental illness.
Audience and Purpose:
The author of the article intended the audience or discourse community of
sociologists,psychologists,detectives,policeofficers,physicians,andpeoplewhomay
helpandcareforpeoplewithdisorders. The readers of the article would spend about 10
to 20 minutes reading and analyzing the information. The audience is likely to know that

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criminal behavior could be linked to disorders just by the title of the article, but it then
answers why or how that idea is considerably true. This genre is trying to convince the
different discourse communities that their theory of crimes and mental illnesses being
linked is true. This may cause arguments and difference of opinions in the audience.
Apart from what the article may arouse, thepurposeofthearticlewastoinformbutalso
persuade the readers with evidence that mental disorders have a link to criminal
behaviors. The article includes distinctive vocabulary explaining all the psychiatric
problemsandhasformalandpropertextwhileexplainingtheperception.Theaudience
willnoticethatthearticleincludessomeimportantquoteslike "In the last decade, the
evidence showing a link between violence, crime, and mental illness has mounted. It
cannot be dismissed; it should not be ignored." displayedinred.Theauthorchoseto
displaycertaintextsinredtoshowimportance.Thearticleoveralldisplaysformaltextto
thereadersandintriguestheintendedaudience.
The intended audience for the video is similar to the articles audience but
additionallyisproposedforeveryonetowatchbecauseitisentertaining.Theaudience
willspendapproximately10to15minutesobservingthevideo.Theviewersknowthe
videoisaboutacriminalwithantisocialpersonalitydisorderjustbythetitle.Thenwill
learnwhyheisacriminal,whatmakeshimfeelthewayhedoes,andhowhisdisorderis
linkedtohisviciousbehaviors.Thepurposeofthevideowastobothentertainandinform
theaudienceasitdisplaystheobviousaspectsofantisocialpersonalitydisorderlinking
toacriminalshorridkillings.Thelanguageinthevideoisbothformalandinformal.The
narrators language is proper and precise and the interviewers languages were very
straightforwardandrelaxedmakingiteasierfortheviewerstounderstand.

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BothGenresintriguedsimilaraudienceandpurpose.Theybothhadapurposeto
inform the audience about different cases linked with mental illness and crime. The
differencesbetweenthetwowerethatthevideowasadditionallyforentertainmentand
thearticlewasmoreinformative.
RhetoricalIssues:Ethos,Pathos,Logos
Thegenresbothestablishgreatcredibility.Thearticleexplainsthetheoryof
disorderssometimesbeinglinkedtocriminalactivityandthetextdoesanexcellentjob
oninformingtheaudiencethatbettercareforpeoplewithdisorderswouldbebeneficial.
ThearticlepresentsdifferentevidencelikeMarcEronenstudyingpsychiatricevaluations
of693murders,resultingintheratiosofschizophreniaandantisocialpersonality
disorderlinkingtosomeofthemurders.Theevidenceisvalidbecauseitdisplaysstudies
thatareresultinginmostcriminalbehaviorassociatingwithpsychologicaldisorderin
thatpersonsbackground.Theauthoristryingtoevokeemotionsofshock,concern,care
andinterestwhileprovingatheory.
TheABCNewsstoryvideoattemptedtoestablishitscredibilitywiththeaudience
byshowingtheshockinginterviewsandexplainingthebraindifferencesofpsychopaths.
Thevideoshowsaninterviewwiththecriminalhimself,confessingtohowmanypeople
heskilled.Itisthenfollowedbyawitnessinterviewwithafemale.Shehadwitnessed
themurdererkillherfriendandwasalsoalmostkilledherselfbuthadsurvived.The
evidenceisclearlyvalidandreliableasthemurdererspeaksforhimselffollowedby
moreevidencebytheeyewitness.Thenewscastwasattemptingtoevokeemotionsof
shock,scare,resentment,sympathy,andinterest.

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StructureandDelivery

Theinformationofthewebsitearticleisorganizedbyfirstpresentingthequestion
are mental illness and crime strongly linked? Then it is followed by the author
explaining a theory, giving evidence to prove that theory, and concluding all of the
information. The article could have displayed more evidence or could have made their
existing evidence more vivid and persuasive but was limited due to the genre. Otherwise,
the structure of the article distributed the information well.
Thevideowasorganizedbyexplainingthecriminalslife,followedbyan
interviewwithhim,followedbyanotherinterviewwithawitnessofevidence.
Throughouttheseclips,psychologistswereshownspeakingaboutthebraindifferencesof
peopleaffectedwithantisocialpersonalitydisorder.Theinformationwasexpressedwell
andeffectivelybecauseofthegenre.Thestructureofthevideoprecededallthe
informationpleasantlyandhelpedintriguetheaudiencebygivingshockinginformation
aboutthekillerTommyLynnSells.
Bothgenressharedasimilartopicconsiderablyanalyzingthelinkbetweenmental
illnessesandcriminalbehavior.Boththearticleandvideogaveevidencetoexhibitthat
theory.Thevideodisplayedamansstorythatprovedthattheorycouldbecorrect.The
articledisplayedfindingsofdifferentstudiesonthetopic.Thedifferencebetweenthe
twowasthatthevideowasnotconveyingamessagetopersuadeandthearticles
messagewastopersuadetheaudiencethatpsychologicaldisorderscouldbelinkedto
crimes.
Conclusion/Synthesis
ThearticlefromCrimeTimeswasveryeffectivetoconveyingthemessageofthe

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topic.Theauthorstatedthetheory,gavemultipleexamplesofevidence,anddisplayed
concludinginformation.TheABCnewsvideoalsogavegreatevidencetoconveythe
messageoftopicbutwasnotaspersuasiveasthearticlewas.Overall,bothgenresare
verybeneficialininformingaudiencesanddiscoursecommunitieswhypeoplewith
mentalillnesscanpursuecriminalbehavior.

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References:
Blake,A.(Ed.).(n.d.).CrimeTimeslinkingbraindysfunctiontodisordered/criminal/
psychopathicbehavior.RetrievedSeptember17,2015.

ABCNews.(2010,August25).AntisocialPersonalityDisorderTheLowLevel
Psychopath(Impulsive&LessManipulative).Retrievedfrom
https://youtu.be/0qyCR9tPDgM

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