Psychiatrists use a variety of tests to diagnose psychopaths. These tests include the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI). The PPI is a self-report measure of psychopathic traits. It is based on a series of questions designed to measure the extent to which a person’s behavior is consistent with the diagnosis of psychopathy. Psychopaths are considered to have a low level of empathy, a lack of remorse, and a callous disregard for the feelings and needs of others. They are also characterized by an absence of guilt, shame, or remorse for their actions. The most commonly used test for diagnosing a personality disorder is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV-TR) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).
What are the symptoms of a sociopath? What do they look like? How do you know if you have one of these people in your life? Several signs you should look out for? Do they need to get help for my sociopathy? Here are some answers to some of those questions: What Are the Symptoms of A Sociopath? Several signs and symptoms can be seen in someone who is diagnosed with a mental disorder. Some of them include A tendency to lie, cheat, steal, lie to others, be deceitful and manipulative, have an inflated sense of their importance, feel entitled to things they don’t deserve, lack empathy for others, and have no remorse or guilt for what they have done. A person who has a high degree of narcissism, egocentricity, grandiosity, and an inability to accept responsibility for his or her actions, is likely to be a narcissist. Narcissists tend to believe that they are better than everyone else and that others are inferior to them. This can lead them to feel superior to other people and to act in a way that makes them feel good about themselves. People who are narcissists are often arrogant, boastful, and possessive and possessiveness is often expressed in ways that make it seem as if the other person is not worthy of love or respect. In some cases, people with narcissistic personality disorders may be able to manipulate others into doing things for them that are not in their best interest, such as giving them money, gifts, sex, drugs, alcohol, or other things of that nature. Other people may find it difficult to relate to someone with this type of personality because they do not see them as being in control of themselves or their lives, but rather as having the power to do whatever they want. If you suspect that you or someone you know may have this disorder, you may want to talk to your doctor about it. What Do You Need to Know About Sociopathy? The term “sociopathy” is derived from the Greek words for “selfishness” and “lack of conscience.” The word “psychopath” was coined by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow in his book, “The Hierarchy of Needs” (Maslow, 1948). For someone to meet the criteria for being a psychopath, he or she must be: 1. Selfish. 2. Lacking empathy. 3. Lack of guilt. 4. Callous. 5. Unemotional. 6. Irrational. 7. Manipulative. 8. Impulsive. 9. Reckless. 10. Delusional. 11. Paranoid. 12. Borderline. 13. Histrionic. 14. Antisocial.