Test to see if you re a psychopath


Psychopathy Test - Am I a Psychopath?

Psychopathy Test - Am I a Psychopath?
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Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD — By Psych Central Staff on November 18, 2020

Instructions

This quiz is designed to help give you some idea about whether or not you may be a psychopath or sociopath, or have psychopathic tendencies. This quiz is not meant to diagnose psychopathy or tell you definitively whether or not you’re a psychopath. But it will give you a pretty good idea, based upon the research. For each item, indicate how much you agree or disagree with the statement. Take your time and answer truthfully for the most accurate results.

This online screening is not a diagnostic tool. Only a trained medical professional, like a doctor or mental health professional, can help you determine the next best steps for you.

A person suffering from psychopathy is something that mental health professionals might typically diagnose as antisocial personality disorder. Someone with this kind of personality disorder typically experiences four (4) or more of the following symptoms: failure to conform to social norms; deceitfulness; impulsivity; irritability and aggressiveness; a reckless disregard for other people’s safety; consistent irresponsibility; and a lack of remorse.

Learn more: Symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Many people confuse psychopathy with sociopathy. These are pop psychology terms whose meaning are not well-defined by researchers, but you can understand the differences between a psychopath and a sociopath here.

Learn more: Why Do People Become Psychopaths?

Treatment of Antisocial Personality Disorder

While psychopathy doesn’t completely align with antisocial personality disorder, the two are similar enough to suggest treatment options might also be similar. You can learn more about the treatment options here.

Ready to start therapy? Our Find a Therapist resource may help.

Last medically reviewed on November 17, 2020

FEEDBACK:

Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD — By Psych Central Staff on November 18, 2020

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Differences Between a Psychopath & Sociopath?

Perceptions Aside: Differences Between a Psychopath & Sociopath?
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Medically reviewed by Nathan Greene, PsyD — By Jenna Fletcher — Updated on July 30, 2021

You may have heard the words “sociopath” and “psychopath” used to describe a person living with antisocial personality disorder. Here’s what they really mean.

Society has sensationalized words like “sociopath” and “psychopath.” Many folks wrongly conjure up images of irritational, temperamental individuals or coldhearted people with no emotion. Thanks to portrayals in books and movies, many folks have skewed views about what the difference actually is and what it means to live with such a mental health condition.

There are nuanced differences between the two terms, and in learning them, you might get a clearer understanding of what antisocial personality disorder — the actual clinical condition — actually is.


The difference between a psychopath and sociopath is often unclear, since both are more pop culture terms for antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) than actual clinical terms.

In general, psychopathic behaviors often otherwise appear typical except the person might use charm and charisma to manipulate others. On the other hand, a person with sociopathic behaviors may be more erratic and more likely to get angry, which can cause them to have disruptions to their daily lives.

When people sayStereotypes they’re typically presuming
Sociopathhot-tempered, lack of empathy, devoid of guilt or shame, ambivalent to consequences, manipulative
Psychopathcold-blooded, violent, devoid of morals, incapable of love, calculating

It can be hard to tell the difference between sociopathic behavior and psychopathic behavior. If you’re concerned that you or a loved one may be showing signs of it but you aren’t sure, you can try this quiz to see if you or your loved one shows signs of psychopathic behavior.

Mentalhealth.gov says antisocial personality disorder is a mental health condition where a person shows a pattern of manipulating or violating other people’s rights. A person living with antisocial personality disorder may or may not have a history of criminal behavior.

Symptoms may include:
  • breaking the law repeatedly
  • leveraging the ability to act witty and charming
  • manipulating other people’s emotions and using flattery
  • problems with substance misuse, relationships, or work
  • no regard for the safety of self and others
  • frequent arrogance or anger
  • often stealing, lying, and fighting — with justifications for their actions
  • not showing remorse or guilt for their actions
Brain differences

Growing evidence suggests that certain differences in the structure of a person’s brain may be reliable landmarks for antisocial personality disorder.

In a 2017 study, researchers found notable differences in the structures of white matter in the brains of people with antisocial personality disorder.

White matter is brain tissue made of nerve fibers that connect nerve cells and help brain regions communicate. People with ASPD were shown to have differences in white matter connected to regions that impact consequential and impulsive behaviors.

In 2020, researchers published a report in The Lancet Psychiatry detailing how people living with antisocial personality disorder have noted differences in their conduct over decades and showing MRI evidence of brain structure commonalities.

The findings could potentially help with further understanding of the disorder as well as more aptly diagnosing the condition.

You may have heard a lot of different theories about how antisocial personality disorder works and presents in others. You might find some of these myths and facts about antisocial personality disorder surprising.

Myth: Are they always violent?

Fact: People living with antisocial personality disorder are not always violent. They also may not break the law.

Unfortunately, some common symptoms of the disorder can cause a person to have trouble keeping a job or maintaining long-term relationships.

Myth: Do they have a conscience?

Fact: The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines conscience as:

  • sensitive regard for fairness or justice
  • conformity to what one considers to be correct, right, or morally good
  • the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good

It would be a blanket assertion to say people with antisocial personality disorder “don’t have a conscience.” No two people present any mental disorder in the exact way or with all of the accepted symptoms. Experiences and manifestations are across a spectrum of severity, frequency, and opportunity.

What we do know is that an older study from 2006 noted up to 51% of people living with the disorder feel no remorse for their actions. More recent information states that the disorder is classified as acting in a socially irresponsible way with no remorse.

Not everyone who’s dealing with antisocial personality disorder will consciously go out of their way to cause harm to others. In fact, people living with the condition can often develop coping skills and learn more about empathy when working with a compassionate therapist.

Myth: Can you tell from childhood who might grow up to be a sociopath or psychopath?

Fact: No one knows precisely who will develop antisocial personality disorder, though there are some clues scientists are looking into.

Researchers haven’t identified the exact reasons why some people develop antisocial personality disorder. However, they do suspect that both environmental and genetic factors may play a role.

Also of interest, children diagnosed with conduct disorder have a high likelihood of developing antisocial personality disorder as an adult. Research shows that children living with conduct disorder who have “limited prosocial emotions” particularly have a higher chance for developing antisocial personality disorder as an adult.

Myth: If avoiding blame and grandeur are part of antisocial personality disorder, nobody would ever agree they need help, right?

Fact: People living with antisocial personality disorder often have difficulty when it comes to relationships. This can affect their ability to maintain employment, have a happy romantic relationship, or strong familial relationships.

If you or a person you’re close to are living with antisocial personality disorder, you or they may not recognize the contributing factors worsening their lived experience. American Addiction Centers notes that people living with a personality disorder often blame others for their issues but will most often seek help for related issues, such as:

  • substance misuse
  • legal issues
  • relationship struggles
  • problems at work

Chris Ulmer is a former special needs instructor whose passion project interviewing kids with disabilities and neurodiverse people blossomed into a YouTube platform with more than 2 billion views. Here’s his conversation with a young man who manages antisocial personality disorder.

Pop culture often uses the terms sociopath and psychopath interchangeably to describe someone who actually has antisocial personal disorder. There are many myths about people with antisocial personality disorder.

If you or someone you’re close to is living with antisocial personality disorder, a compassionate therapist can help you or them develop coping skills and empathy.

Last medically reviewed on July 24, 2021

10 sourcescollapsed

  • Antisocial personality disorder. (2017).  
    mentalhealth.gov/what-to-look-for/personality-disorders/antisocial-personality-disorder
  • Antisocial personality disorder and addiction: Signs & treatment. (2021).  
    americanaddictioncenters.org/personality-disorders/antisocial
  • Carlisi CO, et al. (2020). Associations between life-course-persistent antisocial behaviour and brain structure in a population-representative longitudinal birth cohort.    
    thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(20)30002-X/fulltext
  • Fisher KA, et al. (2021). Antisocial personality disorder. 
    ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546673/
  • Goldstein RB, et al. (2006). Lack of remorse in antisocial personality disorder: sociodemographic correlates, symptomatic presentation, and comorbidity with axis i and axis ii disorders in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.  
    pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16769304/
  • Jiang W, et al. (2017). Reduced white matter integrity in antisocial personality disorder: A diffusion tensor imaging study.  
    ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5320449/
  • Mokros A, et al. (2020). Subtypes and variations of psychopathic disorders.
    onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781119159322.ch5
  • Psychopath vs. sociopath. (2021).  
    goodtherapy.org/blog/Psychopath-vs-Sociopath
  • Raypole C. (2019). Understanding antisocial personality: The stigma tied to aspd.  
    goodtherapy.org/blog/understanding-antisocial-personality-the-stigma-tied-to-aspd-0510197
  • Tuck N, et al. (2021). Cultivating conscience: Moral neurohabilitation of adolescents and young adults with conduct and/or antisocial personality disorders.
    onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bioe.12849

FEEDBACK:

Medically reviewed by Nathan Greene, PsyD — By Jenna Fletcher — Updated on July 30, 2021

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Psychopathy test

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This test is also available in these languages:

The Hare Psychopathy Scorecard (PCL-R) is one of the most well-known questionnaires used to determine the level of psychopathy. Usually, it is used to detect psychopathic or antisocial tendencies in a person. Psychopaths ruthlessly manipulate others using charisma, deceit, and cruelty to achieve their goals. This test relies on the Hare Psychopathy Scorecard, but also uses factor analyses.

Do you or someone you know have psychopathy traits? For each following statement, indicate how much it concerns you or the person you have chosen.

Question 1 of 20

There were times when this person was cruel to others.

Doesn't apply. Partially concerned / don't know. Concerns.

PROCEED BACK

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The IDR-PCT Test © is the property of IDR Labs International. The primary study is by FBI counsel and criminal psychologist Robert D. Hare. The IDR-PCT uses Hare's research, however this test is not directly related to this researcher and is not identical to Hare's Psychopathy Scorecard (PCL-R). This test is in no way affiliated with Robert Hare, his colleagues or their respective institutions. This test does not infringe any proprietary rights.

The Psychopathy Scorecard is widely used to detect signs of psychopathy. The questionnaire does not cover all possible types of psychopathy and is not intended for respondents who are trying to get around the system and go beyond human psychology. Contrary to popular belief, the psychopathy score sheet is not the only method for identifying signs of psychopathy. According to another theoretical source, which is used in such psychiatric manuals as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the results of the psychopathy scorecard are largely consistent with narcissistic, emotionally unstable and antisocial personality types. To learn more about these personality types, please take our Personality Disorder Quiz.

Although this test is designed to detect signs of psychopathy, it should not be confused with other similar tests developed by alternative organizations. However, all tests of this type are designed to determine the level of a person's psychopathy according to research in the Western world. The IDR-PCT © test is the property of IDR Labs International. The primary research belongs to criminal psychologist Robert D. Hare. The developers of this free test are graduates who have had experience with numerous personality tests and have also worked professionally with personality typology tests. The results of our online psychopathy test are provided "as is" and should not be construed as providing professional or certified advice of any kind. For more information about our online test, please see our Terms of Service.

A test that will check if you are a psychopath? :)

This article was created by user Onedio. There were no changes from the editorial side. You can also create your own articles on our website.

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marinerys1 Onedio user

We all experience stress, anger and rage every day. And, of course, all these negative emotions deal serious blows to our psyche.

So, in this test, we will check if you are a psychopath for an hour? :)

1.

Go ahead!! Imagine that a friend told you that one of your friends talks a lot about you behind your back. What will be your reaction?
I'll think about it for an hour, then I'll forget
My revenge will be terrible and bitter!
What do I care? Let them keep chatting
I'll go and ask, what the hell is it?

2. Are you easily angered?

Unfortunately yes :(
Not exactly, but there are things I can't stand!
No easier than most people
I am quite sentimental. Maybe that's why it's easy...

3. What type of people do you hate more?

Vulgar people
Who have no respect for others
Stupid people
"Cold" people

4. Your friend came to visit with his son. The child cannot sit still, runs around the house and destroys everything around. What is your reaction?

I'll try to find something to keep him busy
I won't pay any attention. He's a child!
I won't see that it's a child! I'll shout.
..
I'll calmly tell you to behave more calmly

5. What did you see in this picture just by looking at it?

Crocodile
Hand
Mountain and sea
People in a boat

6. Someone commented on your social media post in a very unflattering tone. How do you do?

I will answer sharply
I will delete the comment
I will laugh and pass by
I will immediately block the scoundrel

7. Which on-screen psychopath do you have more sympathy for?

To Ramsey Bolton
To Dexter Morgan
To Hannibal Lecter
To Theodore Bagwell
To Pablo Escobar

You are an absolute psychopath!!!

ocdn.eu

There is no doubt about that. And yes, we are even a little afraid to tell you this, because who knows how you might react? What if you now get up and smash an innocent phone or computer? Or will you go yell at someone? ..

A little more, and you have a chance to become an absolute psychopath!

But at this stage, not everything is so bad.


Learn more