Antisocial personality: definition, types, signs, methods of behavior correction

For a certain group of people, the dominant and most frequently manifested personal motives are the lack of morality, a sense of responsibility, and also interest in others. The behavior of such a person almost completely satisfies only his needs.

In the medical and psychological literature, such a personality is designated by the terms “antisocial,” “psychopathic,” or “sociopathic.” It is worth noting that these concepts cannot be entirely identified with a person’s criminal orientation. Additionally, the term "antisocial personality" is not a medical diagnosis. This is just a certain psychological type of person who has a problem with morality. Such people have practically no conscience. And if an ordinary person from childhood begins to understand that people’s behavior has some limitations, and that everyone has to deny themselves pleasure from time to time for the sake of the interests of others, then antisocial types take into account only their own desires. They always behave impulsively, striving to immediately achieve their goals.

Psychopathic antisocial personalities are very different from those around them. They are given more courage and opportunities. They constantly take risks and break rules, doing things that others simply cannot do. At the same time, a person who is an antisocial personality is very interesting and bright. Others are drawn to him. And anyone who met such a person on his way will never be able to forget him.

An antisocial personality, or sociopath, is not at all a frightening maniac holding an ax in his hands. Such people can perfectly imitate the normality recognized in society. Nevertheless, direct contact with an antisocial personality threatens us with a ruined life and psychological trauma. This is why it is so important to recognize such a person at the very beginning of interaction with him.

Definition of the concept

How can you briefly describe antisocial personality? Experts currently classify sociopathic disorder as a mental pathology. This distortion is associated with disturbances in the relationship between the human super-ego and the ego. The first of them, which is a critical authority, may be either not fully formed or too harsh, that is, punitive. In addition, the ego ideal, which is part of the superego, in such people, as a rule, contains identifications directed against social ties.

Psychologist N. McWilliams describes an antisocial sociopathic personality through the prism of an expressed need for a sense of power over other people. This manifests itself in the form of a desire to influence and manipulate others. This allows the antisocial personality to rise above other people. Many experts note that such a person lacks the capacity for human affection.

Read also

Sources used:

• https://shkolazhizni.ru/psychology/articles/93513/
• https://psicoterapia.ru/antisotsialnaya
• https://wiki2.org/ru/antisociality
• https://ru.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/antisocial
• https://samopoznanie.ru/articles/antisocialnye_lichnosti/

Professional orientation

The degree of social adaptation of such an individual may vary. To define it, A. Aykhron introduced the concepts of obvious delinquency, as well as latent. As for the first option, in this case the person exhibits antisocial actions. In the second, a similar state exists, but does not appear outwardly.

For an antisocial personality, illegal motivation and committing crimes are not at all necessary conditions. For example, such people may be representatives of highly respected professions. These are surgeons, judges and teachers who, more than others, show a tendency to control and pressure. In this case, there is a combination of their individuality with the interests of society.

The Scientific Explanation of Sociopath Behavior

In psychoanalysis, the antisocial personality type is considered from the point of view of a person’s inability to resolve his internal conflicts. Such people deliberately break ties with reality and escape from internal reality by committing prohibited actions, which are often prosecuted by law and suppressed by the state.

The main psychological defense of sociopathic people is their omnipotent control. In addition, they use projective identification, acting out and a wide variety of dissociative processes.

Nevertheless, the ability to exert pressure is of primary importance in such people. It is she who protects them from shame. This especially applies to rude psychopaths.

When delinquent behavior occurs, antisocial individuals often project their personal negative qualities onto society. For them, the world around them begins to look much worse than it really is.

Sociopaths' lack of conscience speaks not only of their defective superego. This trait clearly indicates a lack of primary mutual attachments to people. For sociopaths, the main value of the person next to them lies in their explicit or unconscious agreement to endure “cracks.”

Find a psychologist in your city

Proven specialists with higher psychological education

AustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanArmeniaBelarusBelgiumBulgariaGreat BritainHungaryGermanyGreeceGeorgiaEgyptIsraelSpainItalyKazakhstanCanadaCyprusKyrgyzstanLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgMexicoMoldovaNew ZealandPolandRussiaRomaniaUSATurkeyUzbekistanUkraineFinlandFranceCzech Republic SwitzerlandSwedenEstoniaJapan

Select city AktauAktobeAlmatyAtyrauIssykKaragandaKokshetauKostanayKyzylordaNur-SultanPavlodarPetropavlovskRidderRudnySemeyTaldykorganTarazTekeliTurkestanUst-KamenogorskShymkentEkibastuz

How to recognize an antisocial personality?

The main thing to remember about such people is that they are prone to breaking rules. And absolutely any. Of course, such an ability helps them create something new, earn money, promote a service or product, and also boldly go down a path that other people did not take because of their fear or embarrassment. Nevertheless, a similar trait manifests itself in sociopaths when established rules and norms are violated.

Let's look at some examples that indicate the main typological signs of an antisocial personality:

1. Failure to comply with agreements. In short, the antisocial personality has a lot of problems with this. The fact is that antisocials are very afraid of being trapped by circumstances and being held responsible for something. That is why they will try not to make any promises, keeping silent, giving vague answers, dodging and cunning, or simply not complying with the agreements. Sometimes sociopaths still keep their promises. However, they do this until they receive personal benefit from it.
2. Failure to comply with traffic rules. An antisocial driver can be identified from afar. He drives his car very dangerously, speeding through the streets and cutting off other cars. Such drivers park exactly where they see fit.
3. Adultery. Antisocials very often cheat on their significant other or deceive their partner in some other way. In a relationship, a sociopath necessarily has a desire to be used. It is simply impossible for them to build personal connections based on mutual respect and interest. Antisocial individuals will always try to deceive, manipulate and deceive.
4. Lack of devotion to loved ones. Friendship and cooperation among such people are based purely on considerations of their own benefit. If there is interest, the antisocial will always be nearby. But as soon as a person is no longer needed, he will immediately betray, betray and leave.
5. Failure to comply with ethical standards. An antisocial person is not embarrassed by the fact that he is deceiving someone and that his actions may have harmful and dangerous consequences for others. For example, this could be promoting yourself as an expert in a certain field. Moreover, a sociopath will not even have the necessary education.
6. Breaking laws. Such people most often become criminals.
7. Ignoring the psychological boundaries of others. Antisocials can always put a person in an awkward position, read his correspondence, enter a room without knocking, disrupt other people's plans, force others to do something they don't want.

Nature has endowed sociopaths not only with a tendency to break rules, but also with high intelligence. Thanks to their abilities, such people may well become swindlers and successful businessmen, wonderful PR people and journalists, gigolos, thieves and police officers. In other words, such talent is applicable in a wide variety of areas. And not necessarily destructive. For example, antisocial individuals make excellent police officers. After all, in order to successfully catch criminals, you need to think like them.

On the other side…

Antisocial traits in themselves are not inherently harmful. They are bad when there are too many of them. There are good things about them too:

• These people do not wait for opportunities, but create them themselves. They boldly turn the world in the direction they need and know how to achieve their goals.
• If you don't have antisocial traits at all, then you won't get along with those who do. And there are many of them.
• Ingenuity, the ability to go beyond the standard and familiar.
• Such people are independent of other people's opinions. They have freedom, drive, the ability to be themselves and not limit themselves in desires or actions. They know how to relax and enjoy life.
• Antisocial traits (courage, perseverance) help to earn money and be successful in your business.
• The ability to take care of yourself, protect yourself, defend your interests.

Well, the ability to quickly get to the right place is also a very useful thing.

Character traits

Let's consider the main signs of an antisocial personality. Such people have the following characteristics:

1. Very charismatic. People easily fall in love with such people, because their appearance and behavior are designed to arouse the interest of others. Sociopaths seem bright and unforgettable, extraordinary and successful.
2. Most often they belong to wealthy strata of society. And this is not at all because they were spoiled by money, but because of their well-developed ability to benefit. Sociopaths take from the world whatever they want, meet influential people and acquire the necessary connections. Their main goal is power, as well as expensive things and money, in a word, everything that elevates them above others.
3. Their revenge is much stronger than their resentment. Sometimes a complete stranger comes under attack, who has not even done anything wrong to the antisocial person. However, she is already beginning to take revenge in advance. For example, an antisocial husband will hit his wife if she does not serve him dinner on time. At the same time, he will be completely confident that he is right. After all, he was offended! The sociopath won’t even think of relating his actions to what happened.
4. Risk-prone. It seems that the antisocial personality has practically no instinct of self-preservation. Often such people are partial to dangerous hobbies and adventures, alcohol, drugs and gambling. From the outside it seems that they do not value their own life at all or believe that they will certainly emerge victorious from all situations. And this despite the fact that those who are nearby are suffering or in danger.

It is worth noting that it is sociopaths who most often purchase convertibles in order to drive them only in the warm season. They will be able to shock you on the first date and be etched in your memory forever. Only asocials, without a stable income, will buy the most expensive clothes. It’s also not worth it for a long time to guess what type of personality the lady belongs to, who, without a twinge of conscience, will hang herself on other people’s husbands in the presence of their wives. Yes, all this relates to describing the character of an antisocial personality.

What are the types of psychopaths?

The types of psychopaths identified in psychiatry differ in the characteristics of their manifestations and the degree of their severity. Determining the type of psychopath will allow people who are forced to contact him to smooth out rough edges in communication.

Hysterical psychopath

The hysterical or hysterical psychopathic personality type is more often observed in women. Such patients strive by any means to get into the spotlight. The lack of a positive assessment of their creative and working qualities becomes the cause of uncontrollable and inadequate emotional reactions.

An acute reaction to any criticism makes it difficult to interact with such a person. Hysterical psychopathic individuals often use their ugliness or attractive appearance, constantly deceiving and flattering to achieve their goals. They often throw fake tantrums.

Schizoid psychopath

People with this type of disorder have congenital schizophrenic personality traits. Such people are characterized by an inadequate assessment of current events and their role in them. They can behave unpredictably. There is no harmony and naturalness in behavior. Often the speech of such people does not agree with their facial expressions. Speech is often characterized by pathos and ornateness; in some patients, on the contrary, it becomes inexpressive and meager.

They may exhibit inconsistent behavior. Often such people are withdrawn and do not trust others. They often become vagabonds because... cannot exist in society. It is not uncommon for such people to be creative, but their work is difficult to understand. Increased daydreaming and inability to cope with life's difficulties are possible.

Paranoid psychopath

This form of disorder is accompanied by the emergence of suspicions regarding the presence of insidious plans among others in relation to the patient. Suspicions of bad intentions prevent people suffering from this form of psychopathy from building normal personal and work relationships.

Individuals suffering from this disorder are observant and meticulous. They often show an unhealthy interest in other people's personal lives and emotions. With this form of the disorder, patients have a tendency to pathological jealousy and the formation of overvalued ideas.

Asthenic psychopath

Asthenic psychopaths are distinguished by a tendency to increased irritability, rapid mental exhaustion and attacks of anger. Among this type there are hypochondriacs, who are distinguished by excessive neuropsychic excitability, increased fatigue, apathy, lethargy and lack of initiative.

In addition, there are enthusiastic asthenics in whom the personality is captured by individual interests. Such people are quick-tempered and irritable. They quickly get tired, which leads to the onset of apathy. Often there are patients characterized by increased impressionability. They are often too sensitive and insecure to take any action.

Dissocial psychopath

People suffering from this form of pathology have all the signs of underdevelopment of higher moral feelings. They often do not adhere to any social norms and often lead a criminal lifestyle. Such patients live according to the “here and now” principle, without worrying about the future. They are almost incapable of self-restraint and self-control. They lack willpower.

Sociopaths and society

Antisocial personalities can perfectly masquerade as “normal” people. That is why they do not shy away from society and are even drawn to it. However, despite the fact that such people immediately attract attention and look charming, you should not be deceived. After all, their charisma is just an external mask, which they put on and take off quite easily.

Most often, sociopaths speak in broad generalizations. In their speech you can constantly hear the following phrases: “Everyone knows...”, “Everyone believes...”, etc. This is how sociopaths transmit rumors. If you clarify: “Who is everyone?”, then they point to only one source, presenting his words as the opinion of society as a whole. For such people it is natural. After all, sociopaths consider society to be a huge enemy camp that is opposed to them.

In addition, antisocials like to spread bad news, make malicious and critical remarks, devalue, and also suppress. Such people are called “bad messengers,” “rumour-mongers,” and “gossips.” It's interesting that sociopaths don't deliver good news. They also don't make approving remarks.

When transmitting messages and news, antisocials tend to change their content only for the worse. They delay good news and let through only bad news, often flavored with their own inventions.

Most often, such a person is surrounded by intimidated friends and relatives. Even if they are not driven to real madness. However, their behavior in life is flawed, and they usually do not achieve success and fail. People close to antisocials are not able to show stable results in school or in treatment. The thing is that they are under an overwhelming influence, which is why they quickly get sick or lose the advantages that their acquired knowledge gives them.

People close to antisocials do not feel any improvement in their condition during therapeutic treatment. In addition, they respond poorly to rehabilitation measures. It is simply useless to teach and treat people close to asocials. Friendly participation will not help them either.

A lot of mentally ill people are only insane because of their association with sociopaths. For the same reason, it is difficult for them to recover. At the same time, it is almost impossible to meet an antisocial personality among patients in psychiatric hospitals. Only their relatives and friends are in these institutions.

Antisocial personalities like to choose the wrong targets. For example, if a tire is punctured, the culprit will not be a nail, but a satellite or other non-existent source. And the reaction to the loudly turned on radio of the neighbors is to kick their own cat, etc.

It is difficult for a sociopath to complete the cycle of his actions. That is why he is surrounded by unfinished business.

Antisocial individuals who take the path of crime, as a rule, will freely admit to committing their most terrible atrocities if they are forced to do so. At the same time, they do not feel any responsibility for what they have done. This is where the antisocial orientation and social danger of the criminal’s personality lies. After all, his actions have nothing to do with his own decision or choice. The sociopath's explanation is that it "just happened." These people do not feel the connection that always exists between cause and effect. Thus, they never have a feeling of shame or remorse.

The support of the antisocial personality is enjoyed only by those groups that are engaged in destruction. In relation to those people who strive for improvement and constructive action, while creating communities, such a person experiences indignation and rage, often attacking them.

The antisocial has virtually no sense of ownership. He believes that people's idea that one of them is capable of owning anything is just a hoax, an invention and a pretense. In his opinion, nothing can be someone's property.

Qualities of antisocial behavior

Ts. P. Korolenko, N. V. Dmitrieva, according to DSM-IV, identify the following negative qualities of persons with antisocial behavior [5]:

1. frequent leaving home and not returning at night;
2. tendency to physical violence, pugnacity with weaker peers;
3. cruelty to others and cruelty to animals;
4. knowingly damaging property belonging to others;
5. targeted arson;
6. frequent lies caused by various reasons;
7. tendency to theft and robbery;
8. the desire to involve people of the opposite sex in violent sexual activity.

After the age of 15, carriers of antisocial disorders exhibit the following symptoms[5]:

1. difficulties in learning associated with failure to prepare homework;
2. difficulties in production activities due to the fact that such persons often do not work even in cases where work is available to them;
3. frequent, unjustified absences from school and work;
4. frequent leaving work without real plans related to further employment;
5. non-compliance with social norms, antisocial actions of a criminal nature;
6. irritability, aggressiveness, manifested both in relation to family members (beating one’s own children) and in relation to others;
7. failure to fulfill their financial obligations (they do not repay debts, do not provide financial assistance to needy relatives);
8. lack of planning of your life;
9. impulsiveness, expressed in moving from place to place without a clear goal;
10. deceit;
11. lack of loyalty to others with the desire to “shift” the blame onto others, to put others at risk, for example, by leaving open electrical wiring that is dangerous to life. Failure to comply with safety regulations when working at risk to life. The desire to engage in risky driving that puts others at risk.
12. lack of activities related to caring for one’s own children. Frequent divorces.
13. lack of remorse for harm caused to others.
14. Anxiety and fear are not present, so they are not afraid of the consequences of their actions.

Ts. P. Korolenko, N. V. Dmitrieva note that the desire of adults to punish persons with antisocial behavior “is accompanied by unfulfilled promises not to repeat such behavior”[5].

Sociopathic criminals

People who commit illegal acts are divided by criminologists into separate typological groups. A similar classification exists according to the nature of their antisocial orientation. Existing value orientations are also considered. The personality type of the criminal according to the nature of the antisocial orientation is:

1. Selfish. In this case, there is more than just a desire for enrichment. Important for such a person are the means leading to achieving the goal. This type of personality includes persons who commit fraud, robbery, robbery, theft and other types of theft, which include official crimes.

2. Violent. This type of personality includes people who have committed rape, hooliganism, murder, etc. The motives for committing such crimes are revenge, jealousy, etc.

3. Neglecting the duties assigned to a person according to a contract or law.

Reasons for the development of sociopathy

Today there is no exact answer to the question of where antisocial personalities come from.

Psychologists put forward three versions of such reasons:

• environment and family;
• heredity;
• head trauma or stress suffered in childhood.

According to most experts, the main cause of the disease is genetic defects. However, what specific disorder causes sociopathy is unknown.

Signs of psychopathy

Psychopathic deviations are accompanied by a number of symptomatic manifestations. People suffering from the disorder are not capable of long-term relationships. Pathology is often manifested by the desire to establish relationships only with those people who can bring material benefit. The patient deliberately ignores existing norms of behavior. The following signs may indicate the presence of this disorder:

• superficial charm;
• hypertrophied sense of self-esteem;
• rancor;
• short sleep duration;
• pathological deceit;
• outbursts of rage;
• inconsistency in actions;
• frequent change of place of work;
• sexual depravity;
• inability to assess the degree of danger;
• frequent change of character masks;
• accusing the opponent of shortcomings and lies at the slightest dispute;
• own set of moral laws;
• presence of high intellectual abilities;
• charm and visual attractiveness;
• out-of-the-box thinking.

Psychopaths are characterized by attacks of groundless jealousy, irresponsibility and impulsiveness. Such individuals often try to sow chaos and discord around them, because... By quarreling other people, they get pleasure from it. They lead a parasitic lifestyle. They cannot be relied upon in an emergency.

In men

Men suffering from psychopathy are distinguished by thoughtful tactics of behavior in society. They often hide or smooth out facts to their advantage. The behavior of a psychopath in most cases is hypocritical, so in public and in the family they are 2 different people.

Among women

A psychopath is characterized by emotionality and hot temper. Such women are unbalanced. Despite their outward goodwill, psychopaths are extremely hostile towards others. Especially often their aggression is directed at other women, communication with whom cannot bring them material benefit. The patient is dismissive of the feelings and problems of her family.

Patients suffering from this disorder have too much selfishness. It begins to appear in adolescence. Despite her attractiveness in the eyes of men, such a woman is not able to experience feelings of love and affection. Such women often build relationships on cold calculation, leaving their partner as soon as personal interest is realized or a better candidate appears. The patient is not able to love even her children. They are often the ones who suffer the most from her words and actions.

In children

Psychopathy can have different manifestations in childhood, because During this period, the child is just learning to communicate with others. Some children already at an early age acquire the skills to manipulate the feelings of others and show signs of selfishness. In other cases, children with this disorder have difficulty communicating with peers. They gradually hone their manipulation skills. Possible behavioral problems.

The process of asocialization

Living in a society, every person internalizes its values, norms and rules. But the antisocial personality considered in sociology is one who neglects everything that is aimed at the normal functioning and stabilization of the state and relations between people. At the same time, she pays more attention to negative attitudes, roles and behavioral stereotypes. The ongoing process of a person’s assimilation of antisocial antisocial norms leads to a deformation of the connections that exist in society. The consequence of this is the destabilization of the state.

The process of a person’s assimilation of antisocial antisocial norms can proceed in two ways. The first of them arises at one or another stage of development of a person who is under the influence of a criminal group, a yard company or a negative microenvironment. This process is called “desocialization”. In this case, instead of positive values ​​and norms, a person establishes new ones - negative ones.

There may also be a delay in socialization. This process is expressed in the individual’s untimely assimilation of positive patterns of behavior and norms prescribed by society.

Portrait of a harmonious and successfully realized psychopath

A successful and self-fulfilling psychopath is a person who leads an active and eventful lifestyle. For example, a journalist writing from the “hot spots of the planet”, from regions affected by war or natural disasters, or an athlete involved in extreme sports.

Among peaceful professions, there have always been many psychopaths in the ranks of emergency doctors. But the government's attempts to strictly regulate the medical field, subject it to accountability and force doctors to act strictly according to instructions, may lead to the fact that psychopaths will be forced to migrate to other areas of activity, and we will be left without good doctors and without emergency ambulances.

Psychopaths can successfully realize themselves in business if they have a free work schedule and the logic of this business is such that there is a place for justified risk and periodic but varied intensive efforts with a victorious outcome.

The golden age for psychopaths was the era of great geographical discoveries, travel and adventure. Among them were many successful adventurers, fearless leaders and heroes. Exciting adventure novels could be written based on the life story of a self-realized psychopath.

Treatment

What are the methods to combat sociopathy? It is worth noting that such a disorder cannot be completely cured, because such a person considers his behavior normal and does not see any shortcomings in it.

It is only possible to conduct psychotherapy for an antisocial personality with correction of the manifestation of the disorder. In this case, a person acquires the ability to take into account the wishes of loved ones and comply with the norms of behavior prescribed by society.

We looked briefly at the antisocial personality and its characteristics.

Description

Antisociality

differs from
asociality
in that in the second case the individual treats social norms with indifference and misunderstanding and does not seek to counteract them [4].

A. L. Wenger o[4].

Razumovskaya, and also that “antisocial behavior manifests itself not only in the external behavioral side, but also in changes in value orientations and ideas, that is, in the deformation of the system of internal regulation of individual behavior”[3].