Victoria University psychology Professor Marc Wilson found that people with psychopathic tendencies tend to spend more time on social networks. Specifically, they tend to post more highly edited selfies in an attempt to network and get more ambitious and coveted roles.
Key traits
Some of the red flags that someone is a psychopath include a lack of empathy, a charming personality to fool others, disorganisation, a tendency to blame others, a lack of fear, and being cold-hearted. “Making a clinical diagnosis of psychopathy is rather hard, actually,” Erikson said.
Instead, psychopathy is characterised by an extreme lack of empathy. Psychopaths may also be manipulative, charming and exploitative, and behave in an impulsive and risky manner. They may lack conscience or guilt, and refuse to accept responsibility for their actions.
They speak slowly and quietly.
They don't emphasize emotional words like other people do. Their tone remains fairly neutral throughout the conversation. Researchers suspect they craft a calm demeanor intentionally because it helps them gain more control in their personal interactions.
There is no single known cause of psychopathy. Genetics, trauma, brain structure, exposure to violence during childhood, and environmental conditions are possible contributing factors. Research about effective treatments for psychopathy is ongoing.
A psychopath often displays traits and behaviors that are cold, manipulative, antisocial, and narcissistic. These tendencies have been linked to early childhood experiences, including maltreatment, rejection, and lack of parental affection, however, the exact causes are not well-understood.
An intense fear of abandonment, separation, or rejection. Precarious yet intense relationships with “black and white” thinking – idealizing someone one moment and devaluing them the next. Fluctuating, unstable identity with inconsistent goals and values. Seeing the self as overly flawed or nonexistent.
The PCL-R and related tests are sometimes referred to as “psychopath tests.” A score above a 30 on the PCL-R has sometimes been used to determine that someone is “a psychopath.” However, psychopathy is a spectrum trait, no matter what scale is used to measure it.
Psychopathy is a personality construct characterized by superficial charm, shallow emotions, lack of empathy, lack of guilt or remorse, irresponsibility, impulsivity, deceitfulness, and persistent antisocial behaviors (Hare, 2006).
Psychopaths are at least periodically aware of the effects of their behavior on others and can be genuinely saddened by their inability to control it. The lives of most psychopaths are devoid of a stable social network or warm, close bonds.
Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, says to take a peek at their relationships. “Psychopaths don't have any really close friends or family members that they have good relationships with,” she says, “but they have lots of acquaintances and 'connections.
Psychopaths, relative to non-psychopaths, are impaired on social exchange reasoning. Psychopaths also exhibit traits, including poor behavioral controls and impulsivity, that suggest they may be insensitive to cues for when to enact appropriate precautions.
Psychopathy positively correlates with talkativeness and dominance (Manson et al., 2014; Rimé et al., 1978). Psychopaths tend to excessively use jargon and poorly integrated phrases; they also have troubles adhering to one train of thought (Gillstrom & Hare, 1988).
Psychopaths often engage in criminal, cruel, or socially irresponsible behavior, including lying, stealing, or being violent or abusive toward others. Because psychopaths have no empathy for a person's needs or rights, they also feel no remorse—even when their actions harm others.
Twin analyses revealed significant genetic influence on distinct psychopathic traits (Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality).
According to a study published in the Journal of Personality in April, it was found that psychopaths tend to be attracted to others who have psychopathic tendencies. The study titled “Do Psychopathic Birds of a Feather Flock Together?” used 696 men and women of many different backgrounds and ethnicities.
Although sociopathy and psychopathy cannot be diagnosed until someone is 18, one of the hallmarks of both conditions is that they usually begin in childhood or early adolescence. Usually, the symptoms appear before the age of 15, and sometimes they are present early in childhood.
One of the psychopaths' most significant weaknesses is their lack of empathy. This makes it difficult for them to form deep emotional connections with others. They may not fully understand or care about the consequences of their actions on those around them, making them callous and detached.
Compared to non-psychopaths, studies suggest that psychopaths make significantly less eye contact. This applies to both eye contact frequency and duration. Eye contact avoidance doesn't only occur while listening during in-person interaction.
Some psychopaths may show a slight smirk on their face when they say sorry. Some may follow their so-called “apology” by criticizing you for being too sensitive.
If you think you might be dating a psychopath, here's some bad news: They may not leave you alone when you break up. According to a new study in Personality and Individual Differences, psychopaths and narcissists are out to benefit from their relationships long after they're over.