nobodyguy 2009-07-10 22:24:43

.......k?

allmadnessallthetime 2009-10-13 19:29:05

Psychopathy (pronounced /sa%u026A%u02C8k%u0252p%u0259%u03B8i/
[1][2]) is a psychological construct that describes chronic disregard for ethical principles and antisocial behavior.[3][4] The term is often used interchangeably with sociopathy.[5] This is a commonly made mistake. Sociopathy is no longer a correct term to use, and when it is used it actually refers to what is considered Antisocial Personality Disorder. Psychopaths are not diagnosed because there is no current diagnostic criteria in the DSM-IV-TR. Instead, labeling a person a psychopath would be done through a forensic measurement such as the Hare PCLR-2, and would refer to the set of behavioral and emotional characteristics that person has (This would be similar to labeling someone an extrovert - they are not diagnosed as extroverts). In the ICD-10 diagnosis criteria, the terms antisocial/dissocial personality disorder are used.

The term is used as a definition in law, for example, "psychopathic personality disorder" under the Mental Health Act 1983 of the UK as well as to denote a severe condition often related to antisocial or dissocial personality disorder as defined by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R).[6] The term "psychopathy" is often confused with psychotic disorders. It is estimated that approximately one percent of the general population are psychopaths.[7][8][9][10]

The psychopath is defined by an uninhibited gratification in criminal, sexual, or aggressive impulses and the inability to learn from past mistakes.[11][12][13] Individuals with this disorder gain satisfaction through their antisocial behavior and lack remorse for their actions.