What is the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?

Question

I have an assignment for my college pysch class. I have done alot of reasearch and I really can't find much of a difference between the two. Is there a difference in your opinion and if so what is it?

Answer 1

A sociopath is afflicted with a personality disorder marked by antisocial behavior.

A psychopath has an antisocial personality disorder, manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior without empathy or remorse.

Psychopath was a term for people with "antisocial" behavior or tendencies. Nowadays, the disorder is labeled as sociopathic and the person who is sociopathic is a psychopath. So, the terms have become interchangeable.

Answer 2

Psychopaths are generally born with the condition. Sociopaths are made a sociopath because of bad circumstances.

Answer 3

A sociopath can be very charming and manipulative and they have no conscience. They sometimes appear normal. A psychopath has more trouble maintaining normal functioning and keeping up appearances. The psychosis sometimes breaks through. When the psychotic episode is over and sometimes it is not a permanent break with reality they can feel sorry about what they did or what has happened. P.S. Don't judge others, mental illness can happen to anyone. Everyone has a few quirks and bends. And many recover. Except sociopaths don't usually recover, the prognosis is very poor for them , they usually wind up in jail or dead.

Answer 4

A psychopath thinks the clerk at 7-11 was sent from Mars to implant fillings in his teeth and spy on him.

A sociopath thinks the same way, but blows the clerk away and takes out 20 other people along with him.

Answer 5

Pscychopath- a person with a condition characterised by lack of empathy or conscience, poor impulse control, and manipulative behaviors.

Antisocial personality disorder (APD or ASPD) is a psychiatric diagnosis that interprets antisocial and impulsive behaviors as symptoms of a personality disorder. Psychiatry defines only pathological antisocial behavior; it does not address potential benefits of positive antisocial behavior or define the meaning of 'social' in contrast to 'antisocial'.

Professional psychiatry generally compares APD to sociopathy and psychopathic disorders.

Just look at the root words-

Psych (of the mind), Socio (of or dealing with society/social skills), Pathos (suffering)

Answer 6

a psychopath is a demented crazy person. . That will go out in public places. If he or she Murders he will seek out the public population in general..

a sociopath is a demented crazy person ..That avoids public places. Stay at home and be crazy. If he murders .he Or she Usually does it when someone comes to his home .

Answer 7

a psychopath follows what his own conception of reality is, without reference to any external moral guidance. a sociopath follows what he/she perceives to be the guidance of some limited external directive.

for example, many people we take as normal may technically be psychopaths, since they have their own independent conception of right and wrong. and a gang member is often a sociopath, because he conceives of alliances with a limited group, and war with the rest of us.

Answer 8

there is a big difference! a psychopath is someone who has totally lost contact with reality. a lot of murders, especially those who just kill and kill more, are in this category. a socialpath is generally one who just doesn't seem to get along in society. they are usually loners and have a hard time keeping a job, etc. does this help?

Answer 9

there really isn't much of a difference at all except the pyschopath is more capable of murder and savage crimes and turn ons. A sociopath is just conscienceless about emotional situations.

Answer 10

From a former psych major: the words are usually used interchangeably in every day society, which doesn't help...

Here's the best definition I found: