Understanding Psychology Distinctions between Criminal Sociopaths and Psychopaths

Theresa Lowry-Lehnen RGN, BSc (Hon’s) Specialist Nurse Practitioner, PGCC,

Dip Counselling, Dip Adv Psychotherapy, BSc (Hon’s) Clinical Science, PGCE (QTS), H. Dip. Ed, MEd, MHS Level 9 Emotional Intelligence (assessor), PhD Psychology

Forensic psychologists, psychiatrists and criminologists use the terms ‘sociopathy’

and ‘psychopathy’ interchangeably. Leading experts disagree on whether there are

meaningful differences between the two conditions.

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5 APA,

2013), lists both sociopathy and psychopathy under the heading of Antisocial

Personality Disorders (ASPD). These disorders share many common behavioural traits

which lead to the confusion between them. Key traits that sociopaths and psychopaths

share include:

A disregard for laws and social mores

A disregard for the rights of others

A failure to feel remorse or guilt

A tendency to display violent behaviour

In addition to their commonalities, sociopaths and psychopaths also have their own unique

behavioural characteristics. Sociopaths tend to be nervous and easily agitated. They are

volatile and prone to emotional outbursts, including fits of rage. They are likely to be

uneducated and live on the fringes of society, unable to hold down a steady job or stay in

one place for very long. It is difficult but not impossible for sociopaths to form attachments

with others. Many sociopaths are able to form an attachment to a particular individual or

group, although they have no regard for society in general or its rules. In the eyes of others,

sociopaths will appear to be very disturbed. Any crimes committed by a sociopath, including

murder, will tend to be haphazard, disorganized and spontaneous rather than planned.

Psychopaths, on the other hand, are unable to form emotional attachments or feel real

empathy with others, although they often have disarming or even charming personalities.

Psychopaths are very manipulative and can easily gain people’s trust. They learn to mimic

emotions, despite their inability to actually feel them, and will appear normal to

unsuspecting people. Psychopaths are often well educated and hold steady jobs. Some are

so good at manipulation and mimicry that they have families and other long-term

relationships without those around them ever suspecting their true nature.

When committing crimes, psychopaths carefully plan out every detail in advance and often

have contingency plans in place. Unlike their sociopathic counterparts, psychopathic

criminals are cool, calm, and meticulous. Their crimes, whether violent or non-violent, will

be highly organized and generally offer few clues for authorities to pursue. Intelligent

psychopaths make excellent white-collar criminals and "con artists" due to their calm and

charismatic natures.

The cause of psychopathy is different than the cause of sociopathy. It is believed that

psychopathy is the result of “nature” (genetics) while sociopathy is the result of “nurture”

(environment). Psychopathy is related to a physiological defect that results in the

underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions.

Sociopathy, on the other hand, is more likely the product of childhood trauma and

physical/emotional abuse. Because sociopathy appears to be learned rather than innate,

sociopaths are capable of empathy in certain limited circumstances but not in others, and

with a few individuals but not others.

Psychopathy is the most dangerous of all antisocial personality disorders because of the

way psychopaths dissociate emotionally from their actions, regardless of how terrible those

actions may be. Many prolific and notorious serial killers, including the late Ted Bundy and

John Wayne Gacy, and Dennis Rader are unremorseful psychopaths. Psychopathic killers

are manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal and amoral behaviour without empathy or

remorse and view their innocent victims as inhuman objects to be tormented and violated

for their amusement.

References

• American Psychiatric Association (2013), Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental

disorders, 5th Edition, Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.

• American Psychiatric Association (2000), Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental

disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision: DSM-IV-TR, Washington, DC: American Psychiatric

Publishing.

Theresa Lowry-Lehnen

RGN, BSc (Hon’s) Specialist Nurse Practitioner, PGCC, Dip Counselling, Dip Adv Psychotherapy, BSc (Hon’s) Clinical Science,

PGCE (QTS), H. Dip. Ed, MEd, MHS Level 9 Emotional Intelligence (assessor), PhD Psychology