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How to Spot a Psychopath

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I've recently had the pleasure (although the subject matter was less than pleasurable!) of working with the lovely Éanna Hardwicke on a series for the BBC. We had to create the voice of a young man convicted of murder, who displays psychopathic tendencies. We were intrigued to discover that these tendencies have a profound impact on the voice. So here's part of a list, originally published in Psychology Today in 2019, just in case you ever meet one! :-

  • Creating complex and often convincing lies

  • Charming the listener

  • Talkativeness

  • Attempt to dominate the conversation

  • Occasional stuttering when the topic touches on their vulnerabilities

  • Sudden shifts in the subject of conversation when they do not feel in control

  • Leaning in and frequent use of hand gestures

  • Non-genuine emotional expressions

  • Few emotion (especially fear) related words

  • Expression of emotions unrelated to the context/topic

  • Drawing conclusions based on limited information

  • Hinting at factors the listener knows nothing about

  • Black-and-white worldview

  • Tendency to generalize

  • Self-contradictions

  • Omitting essential details

  • Greater use of past tense

  • Greater usage of nouns and personal pronouns


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Emma Stevens-Johnson is an experienced accent and voice coach for TV, film and theatre. She specialises in British, Welsh and American accents, and works with clients in the UK and internationally.

“Emma is an extraordinary talent, she’s incredibly well liked by cast and crew. Directors, producers and ADs find her to be helpful, clever and collaborative.”

Ben Greenacre
Producer, Black Mirror

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