On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:01:36 -0800, "Stupidman Hughes the Troll"
<BillHughes@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
You still Lose Stupidman Hughes!
ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
People who cannot contain their urges to harm (or kill) people
repeatedly for no apparent reason are assumed to suffer from some
mental illness. However, they may be more cruel than crazy, they may
be choosing not to control their urges, they know right from wrong,
they know exactly what they're doing, and they are definitely NOT
insane, at least according to the consensus of most scholars (Samenow
2004). In such cases, they usually fall into one of three types that
are typically considered aggravating cir***stances in addition to
their legal guilt -- antisocial personality disorder (APD), sociopath,
or psychopath -- none of which are the same as insanity or
psychosis. APD is the most common type, afflicting about 4% of the
general population.
Sociopaths are the second most common type, with the American
Psychiatric Association estimating that 3% of all males in our society
are sociopaths and Stout (2005) estimating 4% of the
population. Psychopaths are rare, found in perhaps 1% of the
population.
Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is practically synonymous with
criminal behavior, but as with all distributions of a disease or
whatever in a population, it is probable that the majority of people
with this particular affliction arelaw-abiding.Aging,
overinvolvements, and/or relation****ps might hold sway over the
control (or lack of control) in these kind of people, and although
approaching the study of offenders from a relation****p & personality
disorders point of view may or may not be productive, Dr. Drew is
probably an adequate source of information on such matters
Dr. Drew's theory (and one with wide ramifications since he pretty
much defines an antisocial tendency as thinking about one's self
first) is that women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline
personality disorders, tend to be attracted to and hook up with men
who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder and that
such match-ups may or may not be dysfunctional. On the other hand,
the field of criminology tends to treat APD as so synonymous, in fact,
with criminal behavior that practically all convicted criminals
(65-75%) have it, with criminologists often referring to it as a
"wastebasket" category.
Antisocials come is all shapes and sizes, and psychologists consider
the juvenile version of it to be a juvenile conduct disorder. The main
characteristic of it is a complete and utter disregard for the
rights of others and the rules of society. They seldom show anxiety
and don't feel guilt. Although many people would hope that there's
an effective treatment, there's really no effective treatment for
them other than locking them up in a secure facility with such rigid
rules that they cannot talk their way out. A full list of APD traits
would include:
List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits.
Sense of entitlement;
Unremorseful;
Apathetic to others;
Unconscionable behavior;
Blameful of others;
Manipulative and conning;
Affectively cold;
Disparate understanding;
Socially irresponsible;
Disregardful of obligations;
Nonconforming to norms;
Irresponsible.
Antisocial Personality, Sociopathy and Psychopathy
whereas the DSM-IV "clinical" features of Antisocial Personality
Disorder (with a person having at least three of these
characteristics) are:
Clinical Symptoms for an Antisocial Personality Disorder Diagnosis
1. Failure to conform to social norms;
2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness;
3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead;
4. Irritability, aggressiveness;
5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
6. Consistent irresponsibility;
7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from
another person.
Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the
person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes
like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely
neutralize or negate any sense of conscience or future time
perspective. Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs
and desires - selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme
Everything and everybody else is mentally twisted around in their
minds as objects to be used in fulfilling their own needs and desires.
They often believe they are doing something good for society, or at
least nothing that bad. The term "sociopath" is frequently used by
psychologists and sociologists alike in referring to persons whose
unsocialized character is due primarily to parental failures
(usually fatherlessness) rather than an inherent feature of
temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly distinguishes
between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a
psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way).
However, this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there
are at least four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated,
aggressive, and dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by
their lack of conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or
be loved; aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and
dyssocials by an ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those
rules are the wrong rules. As Stout
(2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following to be defined
as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits include:
List of Common Sociopathic Traits
Egocentricity;
Callousness;
Impulsivity;
Conscience defect;
Exaggerated ***uality;
Excessive boasting;
Risk taking;
Inability to resist temptation;
Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the opposite ***;
Lack of interest in bonding with a mate.
Psychopathy is a concept subject to much debate, but is usually
defined as a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral
characteristics including egocentricity;
impulsivity;
irresponsibility;
shallow emotions;
lack of empathy,
guilt, or remorse;
pathological lying;
manipulativeness;
and the persistent violation of social norms and expectations.
The crimes of psychopaths are usually stone-cold, remorseless killings
for no apparent reason. They cold-bloodedly take what they want
and do as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.
In many ways, they are natural-born intraspecies predators who
satisfy their Antisocial Personality, Sociopathy and Psychopathy
lust for power and control by charm, manipulation, intimidation, and
violence. While almost all societies would regard them as criminals
(the exception being frontier or warlike societies where they might
become heroes, patriots, or leaders), it's im****tant to distinguish
their behavior from criminal behavior. As a common axiom goes in
psychology, MOST PSYCHOPATHS ARE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES
BUT NOT ALL ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES ARE PSYCHOPATHS.
This is because APD is defined mainly by behaviors (Factor 2
antisocial behaviors) and doesn't tap the affective/interpersonal
dimensions (Factor 1 core psychopathic features, narcissism) of
psychopathy. Further, criminals and APDs tend to "age out" of crime;
psychopaths do not, and are at high risk of recidivism. Psychopaths
love to intellectualize in treatment with their half-baked
understanding of rules. Like the Star Trek character, Spock, their
reasoning cannot handle any mix of cognition and emotion. They are
calculating predators who, when trapped, will attempt escape, create
a nuisance and danger to staff, be a disruptive influence on other
patients or inmates, and fake symptoms to get transferred, bouncing
back and forth between institutions.
The common features of psychopathic traits are:
List of Common Psychopathic Traits
Glib and superficial charm;
Grandiose sense of self-worth; Need for stimulation;
Pathological lying;
Conning and manipulativeness;
Lack of remorse or guilt;
Shallow affect;
Callousness and lack of empathy;
Parasitic lifestyle;
Poor behavioral controls;
Promiscuous ***ual behavior;
Early behavior problems;
Lack of realistic, long-term goals;
Impulsivity;
Irresponsibility;
Failure to accept responsibility for own actions;
Many short-term marital relation****ps;
Juvenile delinquency;
Revocation of conditional release;
Criminal versatility.
In addition to these most well-known types, there have been
criminologists who have put forward additional constructs.
They are only mentioned here because of their relevance to
serial criminals, and the interesting similarity in the way they
compare to the FBI's "disorganized - organized" typology.
EPISODIC AGGRESSION AND SOCIOPATHY COMPARED
Disorganized Episodic Aggression,
Organized Sociopathic Hatred,
Ritualistic behavior Superficial charm and "good" intelligence,
Attempts to conceal mental instability,
Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational behavior,
Compulsivity,
Absence of "nervousness" or psychoneurotic manifestations,
Periodic search for help unreliability,
Severe memory disorders,
Inability to tell the truth, untruthfulness and insincerity,
Antisocial Personality,
Sociopathy and Psychopathy,
Suicidal tendencies,
Lack of remorse or shame,
History of committing assault,
Inadequately motivated antisocial behavior,
Hyper***uality and abnormal ***ual behavior,
Poor judgment and failure to learn by experience,
Head injuries,
Injuries suffered at birth,
Pathological egocentricity and incapacity for love,
History of chronic drug or alcohol abuse general,
Poverty in major affective reactions,
Parents with history of chronic drug or alcohol abuse,
Specific loss of insight,
Victim of childhood physical or mental abuse,
unresponsiveness in general interpersonal relations,
Result of an unwanted pregnancy,
fantastic and uninviting behavior with and
sometimes without drink,
Product of a difficult gestation for mother,
Suicide rarely carried out,
Unhappiness in childhood resulted in inability
to find happiness,
*** life impersonal,
Trivial,
Poorly integrated,
Extraordinary cruelty to animals,
Failure to follow any life plan,
Attraction to arson without homicidal interest,
Symptoms of neurological impairment,
Evidence of genetic disorder,
Biochemical symptoms,
Feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy,
Personality (thinking errors).
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER
Antisocial Personality, Sociopathy and Psychopathy was on
violence and a list of violent acts (fighting, cruelty to others,
cruelty to animals). The current DSM-IV approach essentially
says that anything which is not sociopathy, psychopathy or
dyssocial personality disorder is antisocial personality disorder
but there is considerable overlap.
The diagnostic possibilities are endless; there are at least 3 million
possible variations of symptoms on at least 62 different measurable
items.
Ongoing research is quite prolific into the factor or principal
components analysis of APD characteristics. Most forensic experts
believe there are 3-4 factors (groupings of symptoms).
One factor involves symptoms that cluster around what might be called
a Lack of Planning (promiscuous, irresponsible, impulsive traits and
behavior).
Another factor clusters around the notion of Disregard for Others.
A third factor is clearly related to Adult Criminality.
A fourth factor is clearly related to Juvenile Delinquency.
Impulsivity appears to be a prototypical (core) feature, but it can
take many forms. Definitions of impulsivity are numerous -- a tendency
to act without reflection; dysfunctional information processing; a
tendency for risk taking; sensation seeking; and an inability to
sustain attention. Rating scales are easily available to measure
these.
The incidence of APD is twice as high for inner-city residents than in
small towns or rural areas, and five times higher in males than in
females. It affects people in all social cl*****, but if someone
with APD is born into a family of wealth and privilege, they will
usually manage to eek out a successful business or political career.
Poorer people with APD tend to wind up in state prison systems.
Since African-Americans are seven times more likely to be represented
in state prison systems, it's tempting to speculate the incidence of
APD among African-Americans is high.
However, there are most likely other causes of crime among
African-Americans (like unemployment and racism). The fact is that
most of the current prison population, white or black, shares the APD
diagnosis. All it takes is a juvenile record, an adult offense career,
aggressivity, impulsivity, a checkered work history, and/or lack of
demonstrable repentance.
These can be easily found in almost any prison inmate's dossier.
One of the things closely related to APD is the comorbidity of
alcoholism and narcotic addiction. Some of the criteria for a
substance abuse disorder are very similar: theft, hazardous
behavior, failure to fulfill role functions in home, school, and work.
A strong correlation exists between substance abuse and factor 2
(antisocial behaviors) of the psychopathy construct. APDs
with a drug addiction have some serious substance abuse problems --
the kind that lead to death by overdose or accident within five years.
Are APD and narcotic addiction part of the same disorder, does one
lead to the other, or are they are spuriously linked together? From
what little research there is, it appears that most of the time, APD
precedes narcotic addiction, although some of the time, addiction
leads to APD behaviors. People with such comorbid characteristics
also usually have undiagnosed other Axis I and Axis II disorders.
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOPATH
Antisocial Personality, Sociopathy and Psychopathy neighborhoods of
Los Angeles, our society has always produced sociopaths who are quite
often the products of illegitimacy, broken homes, and a lack of any
bonding with male or societal authority.
Some 70% of sociopaths come from fatherless homes. Father absence
produces many consequences similar to the symptoms of sociopathy --
early, precocious ***uality; antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward
the opposite ***; lack of interest in bonding with a durable, stable
mate; aggressive acting-out; excessive boasting; and risk-taking
behavior. Some 30% of children today are born out-of-wedlock, and
another 30% live in divorced homes. These conditions - a
problem of unsocialization - produce sociopathy. Furthermore,
sociopaths tend to reproduce themselves, that is, they produce more
than own their share of illegitimate offspring themselves.
So what is a sociopath? You won't find criteria in the DSM IV or
official psychiatric nomenclature, but the construct refers to the
largest subgroup of APDs. Most are males, but an increasing number are
female. They have otherwise normal temperaments (as opposed to
psychopaths who have abnormal temperaments).
Some are aggressive, fearless sensation seekers, and others are
Machiavellian manipulators. A Machiavellian is a personality type who
is a cross between an antisocial personality and a narcissist, and
someone who also has an extremely high sense of entitlement.
The one thing that all sociopaths have in common is that they are "too
much" to handle for their parents or anyone else. It's common to refer
to them as unsocialized, but the dyssocial sociopath does socialize to
the mores and values of a dyssocial outgroup, like a gang
Let's explore the four (4) subtypes of sociopaths:
COMMON SOCIOPATHS are the largest subtype and have a weak or
unelaborated conscience. They are not ashamed by the same things as
you or I would be ashamed of. They are like feral children grown up,
taking pleasures and gratifying impulses at every op****tunity or
temptation. They especially enjoy and take pride in bending or
breaking the rules. As teenagers, they are often runaways. As adults,
they are often geographically mobile, living in shelters, or taking
advantage of welfare systems. They are experienced shoplifters.
They have quite active *** lives. They are usually of average
intelligence, but don't do well in school and never seem to break
out of low-paying dead-end jobs. Nevertheless, they seem genuinely
happy with their lives, unburdened by any sense of negative self-worth
or the fact that they have not been a functional, contributing member
of society.
ALIENATED SOCIOPATHS have never developed the ability to love,
empathize, or affiliate in real life with another person.
They will show more emotion toward their pet or a personal artifact
than toward a person. Or, they may hate animals and live out their
emotional life by watching TV, (identification with soap opera
characters is a common pattern).
Dating and marriage relation****ps will be very barren and empty.
They won't get along with the neighbors. They live in a shell.
They have a cold, callous attitude toward human suffering or any
social problem in the society they live in. They just don't care
because it's outside their range of empathy. Most will believe they
are justified in this because they feel they were cheated in some way
themselves by society, and a few will be more than happy to rant and
rave about it to anyone who listens. They are chronic complainers, and
underneath it all, they would like to see nothing better than all of
society destroyed.
AGGRESSIVE SOCIOPATHS derive strong, yet nonperverse gratification
from harming others. They like to hurt, frighten, tyrannize, bully,
and manipulate. They do it for a sense of power and control, and will
often only drop subtle hints about what they are up to. They polish
their aggressive, domineering manner in such a way to disguise any
intimidation others might feel.
They seek out positions of power, such as parent, teacher, bureaucrat,
supervisor, or police officer. Their style is one of passive
aggression as they systematically go about sabotaging the ideas of
others to get their ideas in place. In their spare time, they like to
hunt or occasionally do sadistic things like find stray dogs and cut
them up. They are usually effective at getting their way, and are
especially vindictive if resisted or crossed. They don't follow the
social norm of reciprocity like others do.
DYSSOCIAL SOCIOPATHS identify and hold an allegiance with a dyssocial,
outcast, or predatory subculture. Any subculture will do, as long as
it runs counter to established authority. They are capable of intense
loyalty, and even a feeling of guilt and shame, within such limited
circles. They seem to continually fall upon bad luck and bad
companions, however. While they will constantly complain that none of
this is their fault, behind it all is a kind ofself-defeating
mechanism in the poor choices they made themselves.
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHOPATH
Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or
development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who
represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and
untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and
emotionless.
The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age 50 or so,
then tapers off. Their emotionlessness reflects a detached, fearless,
and possibly dissociated state, revealing a lower autonomic nervous
system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what motivates them
- control and dominance possibly - since their life history will
usually show no bonds with others nor much
rhyme to their reason (other than the planning of violence).
They tend to operate with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of
entitlement, an insatiable appetite, and a tendency toward sadism.
Fearlessness is probably the prototypical (core) characteristic (the
low-fear hypothesis). It's helpful to think of them as high-speed
vehicles with ineffective brakes. Certain organic (brain)
disorders and hormonal imbalances mimic the state of mind of a
psychopath.
There are four (4) different subtypes of psychopaths. The oldest
distinction was made by Cleckley back in 1941 between primary and
secondary. However, we'll explore the other two subtypes first:
DISTEMPERED PSYCHOPATHS are the kind that seem to fly into a rage or
frenzy more easily and more often than other subtypes. Their frenzy
will resemble an epileptic fit. They are also usually men with
incredibly strong *** drives, capable of astoni****ng feats of ***ual
energy, and seemingly obsessed by ***ual urges during a large part of
their waking lives. Powerful cravings also seem to characterize them,
as in drug addiction, kleptomania, pedophilia, any illicit or illegal
indulgence. They like the endorphin "high" or "rush" off of excitement
and risk-taking.
The serial-rapist-murderer known as the Boston Strangler was such a
psychopath.
CHARISMATIC PSYCHOPATHS are charming, attractive liars. They are
usually gifted at some talent or another, and they use it to their
advantage in manipulating others. They are usually fast-talkers, and
possess an almost demonic ability to persuade others out of everything
they own, even their lives. Leaders of religious sects or cults, for
example, might be psychopaths if they lead their followers to their
deaths. This subtype often comes to believe in their own fictions.
They are irresistible.
PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS do not respond to punishment, apprehension,
stress, or disapproval. They seem to be able to inhibit their
antisocial impulses most of the time, not because of conscience, but
because it suits their purpose at the time. Words do not seem to have
the same meaning for them as they do for us. In fact, it's unclear if
they even grasp the meaning of their own words, a condition that
Cleckley called "semantic aphasia." They don't follow any life plan,
and it seems as if they are incapable of experiencing any genuine
emotion.
SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHS are risk-takers, but are also more likely to be
stress-reactive, worriers, and guilt-prone. They expose themselves to
more stress than the average person, but they are as vulnerable to
stress as the average person. They are daring, adventurous,
unconventional people who began playing by their own rules early in
life. They are strongly driven by a desire to escape or avoid pain,
but are unable to resist temptation. As their anxiety increases
toward some forbidden object, so does their attraction to it. They
live their lives by the lure of temptation.
Hare's PCL-R 20-item checklist is based on Cleckley's 16-item
checklist, and the following is a discussion of the concepts in the
PCL-R:
1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging,
charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the
least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath
never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social
conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.
2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities
and self-worth, selfassured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart.
Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human
beings.
3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need
for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and
doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low
self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they
get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of
time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or
routine.
4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form,
they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme
form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous,
manipulative, and dishonest.
5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to
cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from
Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness
is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and
suffering of one's victims.
6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the
losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned,
dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic.
This item is usually demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.
7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of
feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open
gregariousness.
8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people
in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and
exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of
motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete
responsibilities.
10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability,
annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;
inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
11. PROMISCUOUS ***UAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial
relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of ***ual
partners; the maintenance of several relation****ps at the same time;
a history of attempts to ***ually coerce others into ***ual activity
or taking great pride at discussing ***ual exploits or conquests.
12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviors prior to age 13,
including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, ***ual
activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away
from home.
13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent
failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic
existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated
and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation,
frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering
the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and
reckless.
15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfill or honor
obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on
loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing
to honor contractual agreements.
16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to
accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low
conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic
manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate
others through this denial.
17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATION****PS -- a lack of
commitment to a long-term relation****p reflected in inconsistent,
undependable, and unreliable commitments in life, including
marital.
18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behavior problems between the ages of
13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of
antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous,
ruthless tough-mindedness.
19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or
other conditional release due to technical violations, such as
carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.
20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses,
regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them;
taking great pride at getting away with crimes.
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