History

• Mental patients were once diagnosed simply as being disturbed or suffering from delirium. In the 19th century, French scientist Phillpe Pinel described a condition in certain patients as "insanity without delirium," a forerunner of psychopathy. Pyschiatrist Hervey Cleckley wrote extensively in "The Mask of Sanity" (1941) about the nature, thinking process, and comportment of psychopaths. Among other innovations, he proposed the idea that there were many levels of psychopathy. Psychopathy is not just a phenomenon in the western world--the Yupik Eskimos coined the term "kunlangeta" to describe a man who consistently lied, misled others and cheated.
  
  

Symptoms

• The fundamental similarity among psychopaths is what's roughly described as a "moral emptiness"; the typical psychopath lacks a conscience that guides his actions and makes him aware of other people's emotions. Whereas people are normally considerate of others' feelings, property, or well-being and thus can curb impulsive actions for selfish gain, a psychopath is uses people for his own benefit without a second thought.
  
  Psychopath are typically repeat criminal offenders, and much of the research about them is done while they are in prison. A psychopath is often aware of his shortcomings (which to him are not shortcomings) and can disguise them under a sane exterior The common perception of a psychopath as a chilly personality is a myth; researchers have found that they are warm, charming and talkative as a way of warding off suspicion about their inner nature. They are the typical con men.
  
  

Diagnosis

• Patients are diagnosed on a scale known as the PCL-R or Psychopathy Checklist as developed by Canadian scientist Robert Hare. This twenty-question survey judges patient responses about their criminal, manipulative or otherwise antisocial behavior (the answers are judged against what is known about their history to avoid being misled). Those who score 30 or higher on the test are generally considered to be psychopaths. A person need not be a killer or repeat criminal to fall somewhere on the antisocial personality spectrum. Some successful businessmen and world leaders have this disorder, which explains the remorseless reactions some may exhibit after committing fraud or manipulating others for personal gain.
  
  

Nature vs. Nurture

• The term sociopath was coined in the 1930s by the psychologist G.E. Partridge during an era of progressive and liberal perspectives in judging mental deficiencies, when nurture was blamed more than nature. This flew in the face of Cleckley's writings that psychopathy grew out of a neurological abnormality and that the brain of a psychopath was deficient in the areas that control impulses and empathy. Since the 1960s, the condition has been categorized as antisocial personality disorder. The majority of scientists and geneticists believe that, as Cleckley theorized, psychopathy is in no small part a biological trait.
  
  

Current Diagnosis

• In the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition (DSM-IV), which is the current standard in diagnosing psychiatric conditions, both sociopaths and psychopaths fall under the umbrella term of antisocial personality disorder. Currently this is considered a spectrum disorder (similar to autism). If the common perception (or misperception) about sociopaths is that they are "less intense" or "less dangerous" versions of psychopaths, it can be inferred that these people fall on the lower end of the spectrum, score lower on the PCL-R, and perhaps display fewer violent tendencies. There is debate in the psychiatric community about the current system of diagnosis, with critics claiming that lumping all types under this diagnostic umbrella doesn't allow for the nuances in this complex disorder.