Any psychologists have an opinion on Palin's performance?

[wryter2000]

I have a PhD in psychology but am so out of touch with the discipline. I felt I was looking at a sociopath who'd been backed into a corner. I could be wrong. I'd love to hear your opinions.

[kayell]

1. I hope you get some answers. She displayed a lot of interesting body language.

[JuniperLea]

2. This gives me an idea...

I know we have several people here at DU with exceptional qualifications in various fields, including psychology. I wonder if it would be too difficult for the administration here to vet such persons to the degree that we can have an "ask the pro" question area, or session(s) with those who are qualified to answer such things.

A thought:)

She did appear backed into a corner... a deer in the headlights... clenched fist in her lap... evasive answers to direct questions... she did herself no favors at all. Most of us here at DU know a hell of a lot more about many of the issues discussed than she does, clearly.

[madaboutharry]

3. My experience in psychology is

limited to psych 101, but this much I know: She is cruel. She doesn't care about people. Think about what kind of a person would take away someone's job and livelihood because they disagree with her.

[wryter2000]

4. Sociopaths could do that

A sociopath would do anything she could to an enemy and would use any tool at her disposal.

I know I personally react badly to people addressing me by name. Not as in "hi, wryter." But as in "Can I tell you something, wryter?" It's manipulative. You can't really say "no." But if you say "yes," you appear to have bought into whatever comes out of their mouths next. I don't know if I remember correctly, but I seem to recall it's one strategy sociopaths use.

Her body language and tone became more and more aggressive as the interview went on, imho. At times, she looked as if she wanted to hit Gibson with that fist, and she leaned forward as she gestured with it.

My reading of Gibson was that he appeared to know he had the upper hand and was quite willing to give her enough rope to hang herself. If I'd tried to destroy her credibility with the Bush Doctrine question, I couldn't have done better. First, throwing it at her with no clue what he was talking about except the two words -- Bush Doctrine. Then, playing out the line a bit to let her flounder. And finally, giving her the answer as if he was scolding her for not getting the answer correct.

Did he or did he not give her that question ahead of time? I'm still scratching my head on that one.

I may be reading too much into it, but my feeling was that Gibson was NOT her friend in that interview.

[grasswire]

5. it was unfortunate that we couldn't see her face during that part

...because we couldn't see what we might learn from her eyes, her expressions, the way she held her mouth, etc. But that jabbing finger surely was significant.

[PCIntern]

6. Sociopaths do not exhibit normal anxiety...

they are known to 'land on their feet' after they experience bad episodes involving their behavior including brushes with the law, superiors, or family.

They have no regrets and do not care what horrors which they perpetrate upon others.

I believe that this kid is not hers, I believe that her sheer sociopathy has allowed her to get this far with this story and the rest of us, who cannot conceive of such pathology, were shut up by her fellow sociopath, mr. Rove.

[SeaLyons]

7. I found her leaning forward in the chair interesting...

and she winks...what's up with that? Her personality sort of reminds of that nutcase in FL, Casey Anthony....

[mamalone]

18. Those were the exact things that perplexed me as well.

What was up with that sort of scrunched forward leaning posture? and the wink? that was just bizarre! She struck me as someone who has been able to charm and smarm her way out of any tough situation thus far... but who was finding the old tried and true strategies just weren't working for her this time. I found "Charlie's" body posture almost as interesting. At one point he is leaning back in his chair- away from Palin, hands placed on either armrest almost as if he is poising himself to jump up and bolt. His foot was moving, he was looking at her over his glasses... didn't get the impression he was exactly bowled over with awe at her brilliance, but hey, maybe that's just me;)

[SeaLyons]

20. I think Charlie's body language was shouting

Oh My God!!!!! He looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. The whole thing is such a farce. I think we're being abused :crazy:

[PA Democrat]

26. I thought Charlie Gibson's body language was as interesting as hers.

He seemed as though he was NOT happy about doing this interview. No facial expressions, no affect in his voice, and like you said, he was leaning away from her.

I also noticed that it seemed they had cut pieces of the interview out and wondered if there were parts that they could not use for some reason. Did she have handlers in the room voicing an objection, or demanding a do-over?

[polichick]

23. Casey Anthony - also a sociopath!

[msallied]

8. I don't know enough to be able to say she's a true sociopath

But she is a liar, an opportunist, and a cold-hearted bitch so hellbent on her own selfish endeavors that her whole family is paying for it in spades. I think that's pretty much enough to make me at least hate her guts. lol

[SeaLyons]

9. ...

exactly. doesn't she remind you of Casey Anthony?

[Virginia Dare]

10. I'm an armchair psychologist..

but I think she presents Narcissist Personality Disorder. From wiki:

DSM Criteria
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:<1>

has a grandiose sense of self-importance
is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
believes that he or she is "special" and unique
requires excessive admiration
has a sense of entitlement
is interpersonally exploitative
lacks empathy
is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder

[wryter2000]

11. Thanks

As I said, I've been out of the field for a long time. That pretty much describes what I'd think of sociopathy. Maybe they've changed the nomenclature or the designation.

She definitely looked as if she felt cornered, and I think that explains why she got more and more aggressive as the interview went on.

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. I see that tendency plus In Kohlberg's stages of moral development

she has only reached stage 3 or 4 out of the 6 stages


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg%27s_stages_of_moral_development

[noel711]

15. True, Iching.. But I think most republicans are at that level..

it's that 'black and white' thinking,
the concrete reasoning,
and the law-and-order concept of government.

[anigbrowl]

13. Me too, so I won't make a diagnosis, but...

she made me think of someone who employs personal contact to circumvent her problems. Notice how she kept repeating his name to buy time. It's something you see in 'Sales 101' - build rapport with he customer by repeating their name. Except that she was doing it so much and leaning so heavily on the various buzzwords in her reply that it made her look like she was trying to remember a script.

She seemed deeply uncomfortable and I personally felt that she was focused on just trying to get through to the end of the interview rather than actually express herself on the issues. Of course, she can't express herself fully because as running mate she now has to consider whether her position clashes with McCain on anything and bear in mind that she's trying to score positively with a wide audience. So while she might want to say, for example, 'global warming? Crock of shit! Look, i don't care what happens to to the Hollywood elite if they end up in the dustbowl, us country folk could use some damn sunshine!' (which would probably endear her even further to the hard right viewers), she has to vacillate and moderate her own views.

What i'm hearing from people i know in Alaska (whether they love her or hate her) is that they're already having trouble recognizing her because she's not connecting on a personal level the way she was able to do with a much smaller community of Alaskans who share her background, even if they disagree with her. Like you could have a Republican neighbor who you disagree with on all the issues, but you still have the common ground of shared experience and knowledge of your local area, so you'll be able to agree on a personal level even if not the political one. That seems to be how Palin has climbed the ladder of Alaskan politics - she's an Alaskan first, and people can see themselves in her.

To some extent it is working with the 29%ers who are thrilled that she is 'one of them', but unfortunately for them a lot of other people are seeing that her natural base consists of poorly-informed, anti-science and anti-government types...in a word, hicks. That's fine as far as it goes, it means she can effectively rail against 'fancy elitists' and so on, but it also sets boundaries on her competence and ability. I think she's smart enough to know that, and as a result came off as very defensive whenever she was asked anything that suggested she might not be able to carry her ideas into the national or international context.

[wryter2000]

16. Lots of great insights here

This is what I was trying to say about the use of my name and why it makes me uncomfortable.

It's something you see in 'Sales 101' - build rapport with he customer by repeating their name.

It's an intrusion. I don't want rapport with someone I just met. I may want to do business with them, but they're not my friend.

I get the same feeling when someone calls me on the phone and, after they identify themselves, they say, "How are you?" 1) they don't really care how I am, and 2) I don't want to talk about how I am with a stranger. It's quite different with someone I know and like.

[livetohike]

21. Like a used car salesman

Oh, she is channeling Richard Nixon :-).

[CitizenPatriot]

14. I am even less qualified than you are

I majored in Psych and Latin (yes, well done, brilliant, I know-- so useful!)....so I'm not presenting this as any kind of expert opinion -- but my radar went off with her complete and utter lack of shame.

She lies and knows she has been busted all over the world for these lies, but gets up and delivers the same line again the next day, with nary a flicker of shame.

A normal person would be embarrassed, would want to be perceived as telling the truth, would question their own statements, would reevaluate the tendency she has to exaggerate her accomplishments.

[wryter2000]

17. Seems to me all the repukes have been doing that for years

Sometimes I wonder why lightning doesn't strike them on the spot for saying things they know damned well aren't true. Maybe she's not very good at it yet.

[faithfulcitizen]

19. Not a psychologist, but a degree in psychology and worked in the field. My take:

I wouldn't use words like psychopath, sociopath, or any other mental illness or personality disorder. BUT, she is extremely competitive, recklessly ambitious, insecure in her intellectual ability, hostile to other women, and seems to have difficulty empathizing with others.

[wryter2000]

25. Thanks.

She seemed pretty hostile to Charlie Gibson, too.

[TransitJohn]

22. "In what respect, wryter?"

:hide:

[wryter2000]

24. I guess in her worldview

She's against terra. She really, really, really doesn't like it.

:rofl: