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- 12. Unorthodox and Weird New episode Jun 9, 2024
- A 19-year-old woman vanishes, and the suspect is a former high school classmate.
- 11. I Slept With a Knife New episode Jun 2, 2024
- A missing 18-year-old's clothes are found burned in a trash can behind a suburban house.
- 10. S6 E10 New episode Jun 2, 2024
- Some of the most dangerous killers in modern history exhibit common psychopathic traits.
- Superficial Charm & Charisma. Psychopaths can be very charming, charismatic, and persuasive people. This can be especially so with female psychopaths, who are more social and emotional than their male counterparts.
- Unnecessary Cruelty or a Mean Streak. Once the superficial charm and charisma wear off, a psychopath will often demonstrate moments of cruelty or meanness.
- Lies, Exaggerations, & Dishonesty. Many psychopaths are prone to pathological lying. They may exaggerate the truth to get their way, inflate their ego, or get others to think, feel, or do what they want them to.
- Lack of Accountability & Playing the Blame Game. Psychopaths commit some of the cruelest, most violent, and most heinous acts in society. However, they rarely take responsibility for their actions.
- They're charming—superficially. A common psychopath characteristic is charm. And don't assume that charm goes hand-in-hand with confidence or arrogance.
- They try to manufacture negative reactions. Another sign of a psychopath is the propensity to create chaos. Psychopaths intentionally cause chaos, then sit back, play innocent, and blame you for reacting.
- You catch them in lies—repeatedly, and with no clear motive. Lying is a common psychopath characteristic. Psychopaths lie constantly, even when the truth would be a better story—even when there's absolutely no reason to lie.
- They seem incapable of guilt or shame. Normal people feel intense remorse when they do things that psychopaths do (lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate).
- Overview
- Common Psychopath Traits
- Is There a Psychopath Test?
- Signs of a Psychopath
- Psychopath vs. Sociopath
- Causes of Psychopathy
- Psychopaths and Violence
- Treatment for Psychopaths
- Coping With a Psychopath
- A Word From Verywell
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The term "psychopath" is used to describe someone who is callous, unemotional, and morally depraved. Although not an official mental health diagnosis, it is often used in clinical and legal settings to refer to someone who often is egocentric, antisocial, lacking remorse and empathy for others, and often has criminal tendencies.
Many psychopathy characteristics overlap with symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, a broader mental health condition used to describe people who chronically act out and break rules. But only a small number of individuals with antisocial personality disorder are considered to be a psychopath.
Learn psychopath characteristics, the history of the term, and how to recognize if someone might be a psychopath. We also cover the differences between sociopath vs. psychopath, available treatments, and things you can do to cope with this type of person.
Psychopathic behavior varies greatly from one individual to another. Some are sex offenders and murderers, while others may be successful leaders. It all depends on their traits. It’s also important to distinguish between a psychopath and someone with psychopathic traits.
It’s possible to exhibit psychopathic traits without being an actual psychopath. People with psychopathic traits don’t necessarily engage in psychopathic behavior. Only individuals with psychopathic traits who also exhibit antisocial behavior are considered to be psychopaths.
Psychopathic traits commonly include:
•Antisocial behavior
•Narcissism
•Superficial charm
While there may be plenty of free "psychopath tests" floating around on the internet, two that are used most often are the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPL).
•Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R): The PCL-R is a 20-item inventory that assesses whether an individual exhibits certain traits and behaviors that could indicate psychopathy. It’s intended to be completed with a semi-structured interview and a review of available records, such as police reports or medical information. This psychopath test is often used to predict the likelihood that a criminal may re-offend, as well as their capacity for rehabilitation.
Superficial Charm
Psychopaths are often likable on the surface. They’re usually good conversationalists and share stories that make them look good. Psychopaths may be funny and charismatic as well.
Need for Stimulation
A psychopath loves excitement. They like to have constant action in their lives, and they frequently want to live in the "fast lane." Quite often, a psychopath's need for stimulation involves breaking rules. They may enjoy the thrill of getting away with something, or they might even like the fact that they could "get caught" at any moment. Consequently, psychopaths often struggle to stay engaged in dull or repetitive tasks, and they may be intolerant of routines.
Pathological Lying
Psychopaths tell lies to look good and get out of trouble. They also tell lies to cover up their previous lies. So, they have difficulty keeping their stories straight sometimes as they forget what they’ve said. If challenged by anyone, a psychopath will simply change their story again or rework the facts to fit the situation.
While "psychopath" and "sociopath" are sometimes used synonymously, they have different meanings and different patterns of traits and behaviors. What's the difference between psychopath vs. sociopath?
•Psychopaths lack a conscience and don't feel empathy for others. They may pretend to care, but often maintain a normal facade to cover up cold-hearted or even criminal behaviors.
•Sociopaths may experience limited empathy and remorse for their actions. They struggle to maintain normal behaviors and routines and can be impulsive and overly emotional. A sociopath may recognize that their actions are wrong but find ways to rationalize their impulsive and harmful behaviors.
How Sociopaths Are Different From Psychopaths
Early research on psychopathy suggested that it often stems from issues related to parent-child attachment. Emotional deprivation, parental rejection, and a lack of affection were all thought to increase the risk that a child would become a psychopath.
Studies have found a link between maltreatment, abuse, insecure attachments, and frequent separations from caregivers. Some researchers believe that these childhood issues can trigger psychopathic traits.
But other researchers suggest it may be the other way around. Kids with serious behavioral problems may end up with attachment issues because of their behavior—their misconduct might push adults away from them.
It’s likely that psychopathic traits stem from several factors, such as genetics, neurological alterations, adverse parenting, and maternal prenatal risks (such as exposure to toxins in utero).
Some literature suggests that a psychopath may be more likely to be violent than the general population. Many studies have linked psychopathic traits to violence. Court systems may evaluate a criminal's psychopathic tendencies as a way to predict the likelihood that they will commit further violent acts.
Whether psychopaths can be treated is a widely debated issue. Some researchers report that treatment doesn’t help. Others argue that specific treatments can reduce certain behaviors, such as violence.
A 2018 review of the literature found that many of the studies conducted on treatment effectiveness only applied to specific populations, such as sex offenders. So, the treatments that work with that population may not work for other psychopaths.
Similarly, female psychopaths may require a different approach. In general, they tend to be less violent than men, so their treatment might be slightly different.
The same literature review found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be effective in some cases. But further research is needed to identify which cognitive restructuring strategies work best and how to use them with specific populations.
Most psychopaths don’t want to change because they don’t see any need. They remain convinced that other people are wrong instead of them. As a result, it’s usually those around them who are searching for coping strategies. After all, being around a callous, unemotional person is tough.
Whether you think your friend, boss, or relative might be a psychopath, their behavior can take a serious toll on your psychological well-being if you’re not careful.
A psychopath often displays traits and behaviors that are cold, manipulative, antisocial, and narcissistic. These tendencies have been linked to early childhood experiences, including maltreatment, rejection, and lack of parental affection, however, the exact causes are not well-understood.
People with psychopath traits may have an increased risk for violence and criminal behavior, but not all psychopaths are violent criminals. Treatments such as CBT may help reduce certain psychopathic behaviors and traits.
14 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1.Merriam-Webster. Psychopath.
2.Kiehl KA, Buckholtz JW. Inside the mind of a psychopath. Sci Am Mind. 2010;21(4):22-29. doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0910-22
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Jan 9, 2019 · Psychopath and sociopath are common terms, but you can't be diagnosed as “a psychopath.” ... Other possible signs of ASPD include a tendency to engage in behavior that’s reckless, impulsive ...
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- What percentage of people are psychopaths?Psychopaths exist across cultures and ethnic groups. It has been estimated that approximately 1 percent of males and 0.3-0.7 percent of females cou...
- When does psychopathy begin?An individual may exhibit early characteristics associated with psychopathy—called “callous-unemotional traits”—as early as childhood (before age...
- What causes someone to become a psychopath?Like other personality traits, psychopathic traits are substantially influenced by genetics , though research suggests that non-genetic factors...
- How is a psychopath diagnosed?The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) are the tests used by clinicians and forensic psycholog...
- Can a psychopath be cured?A high score on an established measure of psychopathy signals traits (such as callousness) that could pose a serious obstacle to successful therap...
- How do I know whether I’m a psychopath?The classic adage is that if you have to ask whether you’re a narcissist , you aren't. Not so with psychopathy. Some suspect that they have the co...
- What is the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?The terms “psychopath” and “sociopath” are often used interchangeably, but a “sociopath” refers to a person with antisocial tendencies that are asc...
- What is the difference between psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder?Antisocial personality disorder overlaps with psychopathy, but is not the same condition . A person can meet the criteria for antisocial personali...
- Is there more than one kind of psychopath?One conception of psychopathy separates “primary psychopathy” and “secondary psychopathy,” with the latter type showing more anxiety and emotio...
Oct 7, 2021 · How to Recognize Traits of Psychopathy: 5 Ways. Disregard for others. Lies and manipulation. Aggressiveness. Impulsiveness. Lack of remorse. Diagnosis. Next steps. The term psychopath is used ...
Feb 20, 2024 · Signs of a Psychopath. Psychopathy is not diagnosed in the DSM-5, but antisocial personality disorder is. An individual is not usually classified as having psychopathic tendencies until they are 18 years old. However, signs tend to become apparent around the age of 15. The following are signs of a psychopath: Lack of empathy; Charming; Manipulative
