Was
King Richard III a Control Freak?
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Mar. 4, 2013 — University of Leicester psychologists believe
Richard III was not a psychopath -- but he may have had control freak
tendencies.
University of Leicester
psychologists have made an analysis of Richard III's character -- aiming to get
to the man behind the bones.
Professor Mark Lansdale,
Head of the University's School of Psychology, and forensic psychologist Dr
Julian Boon have put together a psychological analysis of Richard III based on
the consensus among historians relating to Richard's experiences and actions.
They found that, while
there was no evidence for Shakespeare's depiction of Richard III as a
psychopath, he may have had "intolerance to uncertainty syndrome" --
which may have manifested in control freak tendencies.
The academics presented
their findings on Saturday, March 2 at the University of Leicester.
Their analysis aims to
humanise Richard -- to flesh out the bones and get to the character of the man
who became one of the most controversial kings in English history.
Firstly, they examined
one of the most persistent and critical depictions of Richard's personality --
the suggestion that he was a murdering psychopath. This reputation -- portrayed
most famously in Shakespeare's play -- does not seem to have any basis in the
facts we have about his life.
He showed little signs
of the traits psychologists would use to identify psychopaths today --
including narcissism, deviousness, callousness, recklessness and lack of
empathy in close relationships.
However, the academics
speculate that Richard may have exhibited a common psychological syndrome know
as an intolerance to uncertainty.
Professor Mark Lansdale
said: "This syndrome is associated with a need to seek security following
an insecure childhood, as Richard had. In varying degrees, it is associated
with a number of positive aspects of personality including a strong sense of
right and wrong, piety, loyalty to trusted colleagues, and a belief in legal
processes -- all exhibited by Richard.
"On the negative
side it is also associated with fatalism, a tendency to disproportionate
responses when loyalty is betrayed and a general sense of 'control freakery'
that can, in extreme cases, emerge as very authoritarian or possibly priggish.
We believe this is an interesting perspective on Richard's character."
In addition, the pair
examined how his disability -- evident in the curvature of the spine of the
King's remains -- may have had an impact on his character -- and specifically
on the way he interacted with people who he did not know well.
In medieval times,
deformation was often taken as a visible indication of a twisted soul. As a
result, it is possible that this would have made him cautious in all his
interactions with others.
"However, noting
that this is the problem historians work with as a matter of routine, we argue
that a psychological approach provides a distinct and novel perspective: one
which offers a different way of thinking about the human being behind the
bones."
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University of Leicester
(2013, March 4). Was King Richard III a control freak?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2013/03/130304105201.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fmind_brain+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Mind+%26+Brain+News%29
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