Sociopath vs. Psychopath

This post is actually coming from a direct question from a student in one of my classes. I felt I didn't answer her as best I could, so I thought I would take the time, after gathering my thoughts correctly, to put this topic to rest. First of all, "sociopath" is an actual psychological term used my clinical psychologists, whereas psychopath is not.

Sociopath: the more common label for an individual with antisocial personality disorder (see post on ANTISOCIAL). This is an individual who acts with no conscience. While most people think of serial killers and the sick, twisted individuals portrayed on shows such as Criminal Minds or and of the Law and Order franchises, they are not necessarily homicidal. Most sociopaths are simply extremely selfish--Freud might say they were almost 100% id-driven. They have a tendency to say and do whatever they want without a care for the impact on others. They may borrow or steal money without batting an eye. They may injure someone and not think twice about it. They may impose their will and/or bully someone else into submission for their own convenience. Yes, they may resort to killing and/or torture for the pleasure it brings them, but this type of behavior represents only a small proportion of the sociopaths out there.

Psychopath: using the term psychopathology as a springboard, a psychopath is just a person who exhibits abnormal behavior of any kind. Psychopathology is the study of abnormal behavior. This can include any type of psychological disorder (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, dissociative disorders, etc.) or even just someone who "acts weird" in comparison to a subset of the population, such as someone who dresses differently or has an odd way of speaking. Popular media would have you believe that all psychopaths are homicidal as well, but this simply isn't the case. In fact, much like the term "insanity," psychopath is more an invention of culture than an actual scientific, psychological term. The majority of behaviors that fall under psychopathology are actually self-inflicting harmful behaviors. Individual psychopaths very rarely represent harm to others. The greatest chance of being hurt by a psychopath is either a schizophrenic currently experiencing a psychotic episode that incorporates others in some form of delusion or hallucination, or a sociopath with homicidal tendencies, as mentioned above.

That brings me to a "bonus" term for this entry--psychotic.

A psychotic disorder is one in which an individual has a break with the shared view of reality. Organic psychoses such as dementia are caused when parts of the brain begin to deteriorate, leading to malfunctioning of reason and a person's difficulty with sorting out fact from fiction. In the case of schizophrenia (this is NOT multiple personalities!), the individual may suffer from hallucinations--inaccurate or false sensations and perceptions--and/or delusions--false beliefs that are held even in spite of evidence to the contrary. There are other symptoms such as disordered speech patterns, personality disintegration, and disorganized emotional responses that can be found in some forms of schizophrenia. Unlike a sociopath (or antisocial personality disorder), however, most schizophrenics generally do not pose a direct intentional threat to others around them. In fact, they do not live the majority of their lives in one solid state of a psychotic episode, but rather, tend to experience moments to true lucidity between psychotic episodes, especially when under the care of a physician with medical treatment. While schizophrenia is one of the most severe psychological disorders, the actual percentage of the population who can be diagnosed with it is extremely small. In addition, medical and psychological science has come a long way in helping individuals with the disorder control some of the more severe symptoms so that they are able to function in "normal" society on a day-to-day basis.

ANTISOCIAL

So many people use this term to describe extreme introverts. However, this is not what "antisocial" means.

Antisocial: to work against society. An antisocial individual is particularly selfish, has no regard for others, and has a tendency to step over people on their way to achieving their own personal wishes. An antisocial actually enjoys interacting with other people, for the sole purpose of getting what they want. It is very difficult to con someone if you don't interact with them.

Introvert: an individual who gathers their energy through quiet contemplative, solo activities. Introverts prefer their own company, though they do have friends. The friendships are few, but very meaningful and rich, and valued very much by the introvert. While introverts may socialize with other people, it taxes their reserved energy. They will need quiet time alone to recharge their batteries before venturing out again.

Nonsocial: an individual who wants nothing to do with society. These people either disdain human contact or have extreme anxiety related to social activities or social interaction of any kind.

When most people refer to an "antisocial" individual (e.g. "Why are you going to the party if you are so antisocial?") they are usually thinking of a nonsocial who wants nothing to do with other people. A nonsocial may go to social gatherings, but these are usually the "wallflowers" that you see avoiding eye contact at all costs. An introvert will attempt to engage in conversation with one or two individuals with whom they are familiar and comfortable or, barring this, will actively observe the other people at the gathering. A nonsocial will bury themselves in their cellphones, e-reader, etc. until they can slink away to the solitude of their homes. An antisocial will try to persuade anyone at the party to give them something (usually conning them out of money, favors of a sexual or nonsexual nature, etc.) that they want at that time. The antisocial has no conscience, either, so they may have no qualms about breaking hearts or insulting people at the party. Being good actors, they may be the life of the party or the "perfect" guest until they grow tired of it, then they will move on to new hunting grounds where they can find fresh victims to exploit.