Sociopath Argument Analysis

They’re distinctive traits include living a parasitic lifestyle, lack of responsibility for their actions, glibness, and a lack of realistic long term goals (“Psychopathic”). They do not learn from their experiences and cannot form meaningful relationships. They continuously engage in antisocial behavior, punishment does not have an affect on their behavior, and they are emotionally immature (Hare, Psychopathy 9). They find it hard to control their impulses and commonly hold many short-term relationships, often engaging in promiscuous sexual behavior. (“Psychopathic”). Frequently, they fail to plan ahead, have a low frustration acceptance, and have no problem lying blatantly to someone’s face. Psychopaths don’t feel remorseful if they mistreat or hurt someone, in fact, the person’s safety, as well as their own, is disregarded in order for the psychopath to get what they want (Hare, “Psychopath vs. Antisocial”). An easy way to describe a psychopath is a human who lives a predatory lifestyle (“Psychopathic”).

Sociopathy is a definitive wayward behavior that is considered to be strayed from the norm. Sociopaths are understood to behave in ways that are out of the ordinary or outside of the acceptable norm (Eiseberg, 1995). In essence, sociopaths are overbearingly preconditioned to perform excesses of certain behaviors. Sociopaths often fall under the category of moral outlaws (Joana & Abigail, 2014). Psychologists have noted that psychopathic tendencies are inert. They can be triggered by brutal upbringing, or life-threatening or -changing experiences (Marsh, 2013). For a trait that is so mystifying, it leaves to ask, how are sociopaths created? How do people with this trait get to become this way? A major theme of this literature review finds that there are still large gaps of understanding when it comes to the clinical study of what makes a sociopathic mind work.

In fact,because psychopaths are not able to feel empathy involuntarily, they are able to turn the feeling on. It is very common for psychopaths to have “ a false belief in their own superiority, a sense of entitlement and a complete disregard for social norms” (Paula, year). Psychopathy had recently been changed into ‘antisocial personality disorder’ in the updated version of the FBI’s mental health book, DSM-III. It was changed for the reason of the personality not always being reliable, as well as psychopathy symptoms crossing over antisocial personality disorder symptoms. Another reason for the change was because it is believed that focusing on behavior instead of the why helped identify the disorder easier. The new research was highly and widely discussed among many physicians because some felt unsure of the change, but they were also for the change with consideration of the evidence that was found. The usual psychopath is not found to be violent. If they are violent, they are considered more dangerous than others and will most likely reoffend sooner and worse than the first time. Between psychopaths and non psychopaths, psychopaths have a longer criminal history which varies in crimes. Their patterns are unique when compared to a non psychopath, but due to their inability to have emotion, they are able to be more observant on their next chosen

Review of literature indicates that there have been, and still are sociopathic children who kill, and commit sadistic crimes in this world. Is it possible that such young people can develop sociopathic traits? This paper intends to prove so. Sociopathic children display certain archetypes that can either be taken as a warning, or something to go off of when getting the child help. Children who develop sociopathic traits at a young age can most likely be treated with the help of psychologists, and constant encouragement from parents. However, some children do not take to the treatment and do not feel empathy, or remorse to those around them. If these children are not treated for their behavior, problems are more than likely to

This article states that we need to stop interchanging psychopath and sociopath, as they are two different disciplines. Pemment goes into detail about the history, research, and growth of psychopathy. He says that we need to understand the difference between the two, as the behavioral characteristics and potential treatments for each are different. The article includes details on Hervey Cleckley and Robert Hares work on psychopathy. The article describes the PCL-R, and how Hare says the test should be done. The PCL-R is used as a screening tool to identify psychopaths, and

In fact, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-V), the central diagnostic tool utilized by psychologists, does not recognize psychopathy as a legitimate mental illness. Rather than receiving a formal diagnosis of psychopathy, an individual exhibiting psychopathic tendencies would instead receive a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (APD). Since the DSM-V is not an option for assessing psychopathy, clinicians must alternatively rely on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). During sentencing, the PCL-R can be introduced as an aggravating factor in arguing for more severe punishment because the presence of psychopathy is strongly correlated with high recidivism rates, yet the belief that psychopaths are inherently more dangerous is empirically unfounded. Based on the research by John Edens and his colleagues at the Southern Methodist University, they concluded the use of the PCL-R is more prejudicial than probative in capital punishment cases. In their study, sixty percent of jurors supported a death sentence when expert testimony using the PCL-R described the defendant as psychopathic as opposed to only thirty-eight percent when the defendant was described as psychotic or thirty percent when not mentally disordered. The problem with using the PCL-R in

Criminal psychologists have been examining into cases if serial killers are born or made. In most of these cases, many psychologists have considered multiple clues or indications that lead to why people become these ruthless murderers. What appeared to be a common factor is childhood abuse. Mostly the reason why childhood abuse has appeared to be a noticeable element to consider is because of how serial killers bring up that they have been abused as a child. Because of this, many claim that childhood abuse is to be a blaming aspect of the creation of these killers. Now, many have disagreed and will continue to disagree that there is no link between childhood abuse and serial killers. At first glance, it will not seem that there is a link, but

In “The Making of a Serial KIller” Dr. Berit Brogaard writes about the causes of psychopathy and studies done to determine them. The article goes in depth about if psychopathic tendencies are genetically determined or caused by social factors, such as a broken family. According to Brogaard, and many other studies, there is a large difference between psychotics and psychopaths. I believe that Brogaard’s article is nicely written and satisfactorily informed, although she does show insensitivity to minority groups.

The definition of psychopathy involves deficits in areas of functioning, such as, selective attention, anxiety and fear processing, moral reasoning, and criminal violations of society’s rules (Vien & Beech, 2006). Furthermore, there are a number of personality qualities linked with psychopathy, which include, interpersonal and affective traits such as, lack of empathy, shallow affect, callousness, shallow emotions, grandiosity, superficiality, manipulation, and charisma(De Brito, Viding, Kumari, Blackwood, & Hodgins, 2013; Murrie, Boccaccini, Caperton, & Ruffino, 2012). In addition, other

Psychopathy is a personality disorder defined with symptoms that include the inability to experience empathy or remorse, reduced concern for others and, antisocial behavior. Psychopaths are thought to be loners and antisocial but most psychopaths can appear successful and normal externally. Not all psychopaths grow into criminals or serial killers. An example of one of the psychopaths turned serial killer is Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer’s murders included violent sodomy, necrophilia, dismemberment, and cannibalism. As Dahmer committed his horrendous crimes he lacked remorse and acted on impulse, classic signs of psychopathy. Although it may seem obvious to some that the brain of a psychopath functions differently, one important question to ask is how exactly a psychopaths brain is different compared to a normal brain.

The concept of psychopathy originated in the 1800s to describe individuals that consistently failed to conform to societal norms and exhibited antisocial behavior that did not fit the concept of mental illness of the time period. While, psychopathy was a common term used to describe individuals suffering from this disorder other descriptions were coined such as “Pinel’s term “manie sans delvie” meaning mania without delirium in the 1700s, to describe patents whose ‘affective faculties were disordered’” or Pritchard’s term “moral insanity” (Ogloff 520). In the 1930’s Partridge argued that psychopathy was a social rather than a mental disorder and proposed that the concept of sociopathy be introduced as a more accurate description. The American Psychological Association adopted Partridge’s term for their Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel in 1952. However, in 1968 the American Psychological Association changed the diagnostic label from sociopath to “personality disorder, antisocial” for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel – II that continued through to the DSM - III in 1980 and the DSM - III-R in 1987 and the DSM - IV in 1994. Today the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel categorizes antisocial personality disorder as a personality disorder and it is named as such. Unfortunately, not much research has been conducted

Of all the psychiatric disorders, none are more chilling to the world then the psychopaths and sociopaths. These two disorders, categorized as antisocial personality disorders, bring about the absolute worse people and killers that the world has ever known. The infamous serial killers, the people who do the unimaginable, were all psychopaths. The ability of these people to do what they do and know that what they are doing is wrong, is perhaps one of the most chilling and shocking characteristic of these people. Psychopaths and sociopaths are very often thought by most to be the same disorder, yet they are different when classified by many psychiatric researchers. The people classified as psychopaths and sociopaths are separated by one main difference, and that is if they were born with a lack of the ability to empathize or if they were affected as children in a traumatic environment. Although both of these horrible disorders derive from a different area, the reality is that they are unpredictable, undetectable and most importantly, they can be very dangerous.

The biology and environment play a huge role in these offender’s lives. The interaction between neurological and having a disadvantaged environment can put them at a higher risk of becoming an offender. These offenders can be seen as psychopaths because of the factors that are a play. Throughout their childhood they begin to have antisocial conduct. Then during adolescence they begin to have cumulative consequences and in adulthood they start to commit criminal behavior.

When you hear the words sociopath or psychopath you usually know right away that the person with that disorder is a killer and needs to be put away in jail. But have you ever wondered where that disorder comes from. Research shows that psychopath tends to be the result of genetics. Studies have shown that a psychopath usually has an underdeveloped brain that is responsible for impulse control and emotions. Sociopathy tends to come from a childhood trauma or some type of physical, emotional abuse, which is why sociopath is more of an environment disorder. When a sociopath commits a murder, it is usually a disorganized event or its rather spontaneous than planned. A sociopath can be really attached to a group or an individual which makes them dangerous because they have no regard for society or its rules. When it comes to the crimes of a psychopath they tend to be planned and they always have a contingency plan in place. Another major difference between a sociopath and a psychopath is that a psychopath is always cool and calm unlike a sociopath. This allows a psychopath to leave few clues when it comes to authorities investigating the crimes. When it comes to society psychopaths are more dangerous than sociopath. The reason for that is that psychopaths have no guilt when it comes to them committing their crimes. When committing a crime, they suffer no emotional repercussions and that allows them to continue with murdering people.

Doctors use a simple test to predict psychopathy called a Psychopathy Checklist-Revised or known as the PCL-R test. This is a checklist that has twenty items on it that included: glibness or superficial charm, grandiose sense of self-worth, need for stimulation/proneness to boredom, pathological lying, conning or manipulative, lack of remorse or guilt, shallow affect, callous and lack of empathy, parasitic lifestyle, poor behavioral controls, promiscuous sexual behavior, early behavioral problems, lack of realistic, long-term goals, impulsivity, irresponsibility, failure to accept