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Sociopathic Personality Essay

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Ed Gein, Elizabeth Bathory, Jeffery Dahmer, and Jack the Ripper are all famous serial killers that unmercifully killed their victims and by no coincidence were all victims themselves of antisocial personality disorder. The essential feature of the antisocial personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and the violation of, the rights of others. This pattern begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood (Dual Diagnosis and the Antisocial Personality Disorder). One heart-wrenching characteristic people with this disorder have is the lack of remorse for their victims or anyone involved. The exact causes of antisocial personality disorder are still unknown, but are believed to be hereditary or from …show more content…

Just as the diverse manifestations of ASP may divert attention from the underlying disorder, focusing on a single cause risks overlooking the possibility that ASP results from combinations of factors. The sociologist blames poor living conditions found in deteriorating inner cities or rural backwaters. The psychologist regards ASP as a learned behavior that impressionable children pick up from bad parents. The psychiatrist views the disorder as hereditary and biologically mediated. The psychoanalyst sees inconsistent parenting in early childhood as having lifelong effects. This list is something of a caricature, but it underlines the fact that ASP probably has multiple causes (102)." Although we lack the knowledge to name the exact causes of this disorder, we know enough to suggest factors that may contribute to the development.

"The hereditary-environment debate is hardly new, especially in psychiatry, but revolutionary progress in genetics today weighs one side of the equation more heavily than ever before. Genes tied to traits like novelty-seeking, aggression, and sexual orientations have been proposed, sometimes raising furious controversy. Even characteristics with obvious genetic links are often more complex than many tend to think. Genetics may set the potential, but environmental factors like diet and family upbringing may determine whether that potential is ultimately reached (103)."
Some scientists have speculated

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