Similarities/Differences between a Sociopath and Psycopath?
In: 83
Those terms have been deprecated by the DSM-5 (basically a guide for diagnosing mental disorders), and Antisocial Personality Disorder is used instead. Someone previously diagnosed as a sociopath or psychopath would be classified as ASPD.
In pop culture, both of them are characters traits that are defined by a lack of remorse, but the sociopath is classically represented as violent, while the psychopath is classically represented as a cunning manipulator.
Let me clarify, in case I wasn’t obvious, that these are **fictional representations** of ASPD.
[removed]
[removed]
[removed]
Neither are official medical terms, they are both generically “antisocial personality disorders”.
Generally though a sociopath is someone who acts selfishly without regard for anyone else but they are not deliberately hurting someone – they just don’t care. A psychopath is usually described as someone acting without a clear personal motive and who often harms others intentionally.