Psychopaths versus sociopaths: what is the difference? (includes a quiz to see if you are one)

The Conversation ^ | July 27, 2015 | By XANTHE MALLETT — Senior Lecturer in Forensic Criminology at University of New England

[Swordmaker]

Psychopath and sociopath are popular psychology terms to describe violent monsters born of our worst nightmares. Think Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (1991), Norman Bates in Psycho (1960) and Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990). In making these characters famous, popular culture has also burned the words used to describe them into our collective consciousness.

Most of us, fortunately, will never meet a Hannibal Lecter, but psychopaths and sociopaths certainly do exist. And they hide among us. Sometimes as the most successful people in society because they’re often ruthless, callous and superficially charming, while having little or no regard for the feelings or needs of others.

These are known as “successful” psychopaths, as they have a tendency to perform premeditated crimes with calculated risk. Or they may manipulate someone else into breaking the law, while keeping themselves safely at a distance. They’re master manipulators of other peoples’ feelings, but are unable to experience emotions themselves.

Sound like someone you know? Well, heads up. You do know one; at least one. Prevalence rates come in somewhere between 0.2% and 3.3% of the population.

[semaj]

"I only scored ten. But I still prefer dogs to people."

I like mine BBQ'd. /sarc (just in case)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Lucky Number 7!

I guess that Manifest I always talk about writing is going to be one long Snooze-a-thon, LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

LOL!

[50mm]

I got a perfect score of 40!

[Swordmaker]

I took the test three times and discovered that *I* am not a psychopath but our Community Organizer-In-Chief *and* the Former Twelfth Lady *are*.

I was considering going back and putting on their personnas and doing the quiz as each of them and seeing how it would come out. You did it. I suspected it would come out that way. Thanks for doing that.

[chb]

Sociopath is a typical APA euphemism. No doubt created so that they didn’t have to tell the subjects doting parents ( i.e. the ones footing the psychiatrists’ exorbitant bills) that their spoiled brats had become monsters.

[windcliff]

I scored 4 because I’m shy, timid and demur. I better go hide back under the bed clutching my pearls. I feel a bit of the vapors coming on.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

It makes some sense that the brain could have abnormalities in the areas that control emotion just like it sometimes has abnormalities in other areas. It sounds like they compared people who had head injuries with some of these people. Still, unless you know the nature of their brain when they were young, you could not entirely conclude it was nature and not nurture. Or it could even have been an unknown head injury — baby shaking, falling, concussion, sports, etc. Could it be that they had some head injury along the way that caused damage or were they truly just born unable to empathize or feel guilt, at least in the way that it connects with their ability to feel fear and restraint?

Do you think since it is an abnormality that they cannot be held criminally guilty of crimes? That it is not their fault they were born that way?

[PA Engineer]

Could it be that they had some head injury along the way that caused damage or were they truly just born unable to empathize or feel guilt, at least in the way that it connects with their ability to feel fear and restraint?

I think they are born that way. Many other studies indicate there were no traumatic causes in childhood.

Do you think since it is an abnormality that they cannot be held criminally guilty of crimes? That it is not their fault they were born that way?

That is an interesting question. Canada just finished an extensive study and came to the conclusion Psychopaths are not mentally ill and are very conscious of their behavior. Great Britain on the other hand lumped them in with the mentally ill, allowing for guilty by reason of insanity.

My opinion is even if they were born that way, they are aware of their actions. If they are aware of the legal right and wrong, then they should be punished according to society.

A very good link on the subject is here:

Welcome to "Without Conscience" Robert Hare's Web Site devoted to the study of Psychopathy

This is best resource on the subject.

[Talisker]

Sociopaths are opportunistic. Psychopaths are goal-driven.

Their commonality is an utter lack of conscience.

Bill is a sociopath. Hillary is a psychopath.

Bill will watch a baseball game on TV, or cheat the law and scam millions, whichever is easier on any particular day.

Hillary will cancel the game, burn down the stadium, force the scam agreement and get signatures in triplicate on a holiday.

Big motivation difference.

[Talisker]

How can we get Obama, Valerie Jarrett, and Hillary to take this test?

Why bother?

Obama - sociopath.

Jarrett and Hillary - psychopaths.

[PAR35]

More than twice as high.

[Rides_A_Red_Horse]

The question about what gender you “identify with” tells me the tests creator had disassociated with reality.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

One more thing and I won’t bother you any more.

What about Nazi phenom? I read a book about how many started out with a lot of guilt but after awhile they got used to it and stopped feeling guilt at all. They actually began to enjoy it. Isn’t it possible that those labeled psychopaths actually went through a similar transition where they became completely desensitized?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

BTW, it is not that I didn’t pay attention. I know there are differences in the brain. But differences in the brain can develop, just as with people who study music compared to those who don’t. So brain differences may or may not indicate they were born that way. The only real proof would be to study the children of psychopaths and their brains from birth onward. In my opinion anyway.

I think they are responsible as you say, because they know it is wrong even if they do not feel it is wrong.

[PA Engineer]

What about Nazi phenom? I read a book about how many started out with a lot of guilt but after awhile they got used to it and stopped feeling guilt at all. They actually began to enjoy it. Isn’t it possible that those labeled psychopaths actually went through a similar transition where they became completely desensitized?

I agree and have wondered the same thing. Many of the camp positions were voluntary which raises a number of questions. Maybe psychopaths were drawn to the positions and thrived.

The camps arose because of issues with the Einsatzgruppen. Hard to believe, but there was concern with mental health issues because of the mass killings. The Nazis found it simpler to send people to be killed then to hunt them down and kill them. They did this on an industrial scale with bureaucrats.

I read the interrogations of Nazi guards and administrators by the US after the war. The US debriefers were stunned at the cold and calculated methods and attitudes they saw. I was struck by the parallels with the Planned Parenthood tapes.

I'm still leaning to them being born that way. They develop their skills with time. In case of the death camps, as long as the administrators were efficient, they were showered with benefits. It may be a case of psychopaths being drawn and thriving in that lifestyle. The German Population in 1939 was 69,623,000. That leaves a population of 1,400,000 potential killers.

Many more may have tolerated killing when killing was obfuscated by language. That takes me back to the Planned Parenthood tapes.

[EternalVigilance]

I believe Romans chapter one, which teaches us that everyone is born with an intrinsic knowledge and understanding of the nature and character of God.

In other words, a conscience, a basic understanding of the simple difference between right and wrong.

But, the conscience can be seared, leaving some totally separated from God and in such a state that it is as if they had no conscience.

[KGeorge]

lol Oh Lord. Surely, we’ll have figured out a way to neutralize them before they get that far. I mean, I agree with what you’re saying, but just how far is society going to let them go?

I got a 5, but I didn’t finish the sentence to see what that means & didn’t read the article. Obviously, I failed the impatience question. :-) Life’s too short...

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Thanks for posting that, EV. I completely agree. Being that we are also physical beings there is also some correlation between our behavior and our physical self. For example many people who are recovering from a severe head injury will go through periods during their recovery where their personality completely changes. In fact some are permanently changed. It has to do with the portion of the brain that was injured. I saw it up close and personal once. Usually they are kept in a locked area during recovery because some really wig out.

We are born with a sin nature and in one respect cannot help but sin. In another respect we are completely guilty and responsible for the sin. In that way we all face a taste of what the psychopath faces. We know what is right but we do not desire it.

I don’t know how all of this is connected. But what I know for sure is that Scripture is right. So thanks for posting that.