We explain what a psychopath is and what its characteristics are. In addition, we tell you what the possible causes of psychopathy are.
What is a psychopath?
In psychology and psychiatry, a psychopath is called who suffers from an antisocial personality disorder (ASD), which reduces or prevents their capacity for empathy and makes it difficult to adapt to social environments with pre-established norms, such as laws, individual rights or collective well-being.
People who suffer from this condition, therefore, are unable to conform to social norms and conventions, and may engage in antisocial, criminal or amoral behavior.
One of the difficulties when talking about psychopathy is that it is a psychiatric condition that is difficult to recognize and poorly documented, the most successful studies of which have occurred from the year 2000 onwards. However, it is a term with a long presence in popular culture, always associated with the world of crime, violence or criminal madness.
Contrary to popular belief, psychopaths are not necessarily violent, nor are they necessarily linked to the criminal world. It cannot even be said that they suffer from common symptoms, since in reality it is a psychological spectrum in which different degrees of appearance of psychopathy can occur, even among entirely functional and socially successful people.
In any case, people with psychopathic traits tend to present what is known as affective anesthesia: the absence of guilt and remorse for the suffering caused to others. This may manifest itself in some areas and aspects of their life more than in others, or it may even be entirely hidden, since psychopaths can also fake feelings and reactions, especially when this helps them achieve their personal goals.
There is no big difference between psychopathy and sociopathy, since both terms refer to antisocial personality disorders. However, the first does so from a psychic point of view and the second from a social point of view.
See also: Mythomaniac
Characteristics of a psychopath
The clinical traits from which psychopathy is determined may vary depending on the psychiatric or psychological approach used, and there are discrepancies when it comes to establishing patterns in this regard.
It is generally accepted that the presence of pyromaniac behavior, animal abuse and enuresis (lack of control over the bladder) throughout childhood and adolescence are key indicators of possible psychopathology. However, these signs usually disappear with age and are replaced by others, such as:
- Loquaciousness and superficial charm with a lot of verbal ability and intelligence.
- exaggerated self-esteem and pathological egocentrism.
- Lack of nervousness in typically stressful situations.
- Constant need for stimulation and tendency to boredom.
- Propensity to lie systematic and poor reliability.
- Recurrent behaviors cruelty manipulation or sadism.
- Affective superficiality and poverty in social relationships, in addition to a parasitic lifestyle, dependent on others.
- Lack of remorse guilt and awareness in the face of other people's pain.
- Sexual-affective promiscuity and tendency to impulsivity.
- Tendency towards crime and unmotivated transgression.
- Extravagant behavior and unpleasant under the influence of alcohol or other disinhibitors.
Difference between psychopathy and sociopathy
Depending on the source consulted, the terms sociopathy and psychopathy They are used, essentially, as synonyms. There is no big difference between the typical traits of a psychopath and a sociopath at least as far as clinical features are concerned, given that both names serve to describe pathologically asocial behaviors, which largely fit what is described as antisocial personality disorder (ASD).
Some authors, however, draw a certain margin of distance between the two, based on the fact that the psychopath uses aggression as an instrument to obtain his rational goals, while the sociopath uses it as part of an excessive reaction to a stimulus. That is to say, The psychopath uses violence as an instrument, while the sociopath uses it as a way of relating to his environment.
Causes of psychopathy
The causes of psychopathy are still unknown. It is thought that genetic and environmental factors influence its appearance or at least in the exact degree of its manifestations, such as child mistreatment or abuse, especially of parents who are victims of alcoholism or drug addiction. Other theories point to the possible presence of damage or malformations in the frontal lobe of individuals suffering from psychopathy.
Origin of psychopathy
The idea that there are people often incapable of following the laws of society has been present since ancient times, long before the term appeared. psychopath. The latter is made up of Greek voices psyke (“mind”) and pathos (“disease”), so it really points to any mental illness, and is a modern creation, arising from the birth of the sciences of the mind.
Regarding psychopathy as a syndrome, His scientific studies began in the 19th century. Doctors such as Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) classified it as a kind of mania, devoid of cognitive deficiencies but with serious emotional damage. Something that in 1835 the British James Howard Prichard (1786-1848) described as a “moral madness”, in the sense that there was no intellectual disturbance, but there was a disturbance of the feelings and affections.
Since then, psychopathology enjoyed a presence in popular culture, used as a justification for monstrous characters, unrepentant criminals and serial killers, although it is a clear exaggeration with respect to the role that psychopaths play in the real world.
Continue with: Social skills
References
- “Psychopathy” on Wikipedia.
- “What are the differences between a psychopath and a sociopath” (video) in Psicoactiva.
- “The psychopathic personality” at the Center for Clinical, Labor and Forensic Psychology (Argentina).
- “Psychopathy” in Psychology Today.
- “Psychopath” in Healthline.
