This is an absolutely fascinating case that touches on two potentially relevant psychiatric phenomena: sadism or sadomasochism - and the "prisoner's dilemma." Sadism is pleasure in the infliction of pain or humiliation upon another person, while masochism refers to pleasure from receiving the pain. These practices are often related and are collectively known as sadomasochism and may be used clinically, in psychotherapy, to describe mental illnesses, psychopathology or counterproductive coping mechanisms - and additionally may describe consensual sexual practices. What's even more interesting to the Amanda Knox trial is that the 3 primary suspects have not incriminated each other despite seemingly overwhelming evidence that they may be guilty. Interestingly, what's been termed the "prisoner's dilemma" is a social phenomena fundamental problem in game theory that demonstrates why two people might not cooperate even if it is in both th ... Read More
