Henry Lee Lucas bludgeoned, suffocated, stabbed, shot, or mutilated nearly 360 women, men, and children, committing his first murder at the age of thirteen. Lucas was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder characterized by a person's lack of conscience and expressing little remorse for harming others (Myers). Scientists define psychopaths with the following traits: lack of empathy, guilt or remorse, impulsiveness, weak ability to defer gratification, superficial charm, and a grandiose sense of one's worth (Choi). Psychologists, scientists and criminologists try to answer the question of why serial killers commit mass murder and how they become such violent human beings. From this perspective, two schools of thought emerge on the topic: nature (genetic constitution) and culture (environmental and social factors). Genes, many argue, are the answer to understanding the mind of a serial killer, while others focus on the origins and childhood surroundings of psychopaths. However, I have discovered that it is a mix of genetics and cultural upbringing that forms a psychopath. To prove this, you need to understand the genetic makeup of a psychopath. All human beings are made up of tiny individual genes that make up their personality traits, which define who they are. Most scientists believe that killers do not grow up in a killer's shell but rather have predetermined genes that cause chemical imbalances in the brain and body ("Serial Killer"). In the Davidson study, Richard Davidson compared the brain scans of more than 500 people prone to violence with those considered normal ("Serial Killers"). The study found that brain images of convicted murderers with aggressive or antisocial disorders showed dist... middle of paper... or fighting, liked to run around, joke on camera, and liked to play with children and be with them” (“Serial Killers). Jeffrey Dahmer had been a normal child until his family moved three times in a short period of time. Dahmer's parents later noticed that he had become shy and antisocial. Scientists argue that Dahmer's genes and brain activity demonstrate why he is a psychopath, while psychologists argue that the external factor of moving from one city to another is the cause. Although many human beings face violent situations and experience horrific events every day, for most of us it does not alter our attitudes and personalities to be mass murderers. All in all, it is true that many abused children become violent in their adult lives, but to fall into the category of serial killers one must be born with a different biochemical composition..