Psychopathy and Sociopathy

Psychopathy and Sociopathy are anti-social personality disorders. While both these disorders are the result of an interaction between genetic predispositions and environmental factors, psychopathy is used when the underlying cause leans towards the hereditary. Sociopath is the term used when the antisocial behavior is a result of a brain injury or belief system and upbringing. In recent years, the term psychopath has acquired a specific meaning and the condition is now more widely understood. 

Psychopaths are born with temperamental differences such as impulsiveness, cortical under-arousal, and fearlessness that lead them to risk-seeking behavior and an inability to internalize social norms. On the other hand, sociopaths have relatively normal temperaments; their personality disorder being more an effect of negative sociological factors like parental neglect, delinquent peers, poverty, and extremely low or extremely high intelligence. 

Anti-social personality disorder results in extremely violent acts. Though psychiatrists often consider and treat sociopaths and psychopaths as the same, criminologists treat them as different because of the difference in their outward behavior. 

Psychopath:

Suffers from: Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD); lack of empathy or conscience, delusional.

Origin of illness: Psychologists generally use the term psychopathy to imply an innate condition of the individual. It's derived from the nature part of the nature vs. nurture debate.

 Predisposition to Violence: High

Impulsivity:  Varies; generally low

Behavior: Controlled

Criminal behavior: Tendency to participate in schemes and take calculated risks to minimize evidence or exposure.

Criminal Predispositions: Tendency for premeditated crimes with controllable risks, criminal opportunism, fraud, calculated or opportunistic violence.

Social relationships: Unable to maintain normal relationships. Values relationships that benefit themselves. May hurt family and friends without feeling guilty.

Sociopath:

Suffers from: Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).

Origin of illness: The term sociopathy generally implies that environmental factors, such as upbringing, have played a role in the development of the ASPD.

Predisposition to Violence: Varied

Impulsivity: High

Behavior:  Erratic

Criminal behavior:  Tendency to leave clues and act on impulse.

Predispositions:   Tendency for impulsive or  opportunistic criminal behavior, excessive risk taking, impulsive or opportunistic violence

Social relationships: Tendency to appear superficially normal in social relationships, often social predators. Can empathize with close friends or family; will feel guilty if they hurt people close to them.

In the eyes of the Courts there is no difference - Birdy