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.

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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.”

Psychiatrists' opinion

There are many circumstances that contribute to the development of deviation. Experts say that it may be associated with biological reasons, characteristics of upbringing, or a certain way of thinking. There are two concepts - antisocial behavior and antisocial. How are they different? Many scientists associate these phenomena with the presence of mental disorders. Psychiatrists distinguish two types of individuals with such deviations. According to this point of view, antisocial individuals include:

1. People who have isolated themselves from society. They have a special inner world. There is almost no contact with others. The experiences of such individuals, their emotions, attachments are not manifested externally and are unknown to others. The isolation of such individuals does not cause them suffering. Low-income people with this disorder become vagabonds. The rich are gaining a reputation as eccentric eccentrics.
2. Persons who are unable to establish contacts with others. They cannot function normally in society and experience great suffering as a result. Such an individual perceives any interaction as torture. Therefore, he tries with all his might to hide from others. Others notice oddities in a person’s behavior (excessive shyness, unceremoniousness, ridiculous actions) and also instinctively avoid communication. As a result, the antisocial personality is deprived of friendship and romantic relationships. Such people are forced to spend a lot of time at home and not go anywhere. They worry about being unable to realize themselves at work or start a family.

These personality types do not have a negative impact on society.

According to psychiatrists, cases of antisocial behavior are characterized by a negative impact on others. Such manifestations include delinquency and criminal behavior. Experts explain such deviations as the development of a serious mental illness.

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.

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/

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.

Types of antisocial behavior in people of puberty

The types of this deviation include:

1. Nicotine addiction. A teenager starts smoking to feel like an adult. Money that parents give for other purposes is used to buy cigarettes. Addiction to nicotine is associated with unpleasant symptoms (feeling sick, coughing, dizziness). But despite this, adolescents quickly develop addiction and develop dangerous pathologies.
2. Addiction to alcohol.
   Today it is often found among young people. In many companies, drinking is considered an integral attribute of adult life and fun. Alcoholism in people of adolescence develops quickly due to the immaturity of the body.
3. Drug use.
4. Vagrancy. It arises as a way of withdrawing from society, avoiding problems at school and family.
5. Violations of a sexual nature. This is a group of diseases that includes intimate contacts between persons of the same sex, attraction to animals, fetishism, and display of genitals in public places.
6. Suicide attempts. This form of antisocial behavior in adolescents occurs as a result of the death of close relatives, failures in their personal lives, loneliness, and addictions.
7. Fears and beliefs about the presence of a physical disability. These deviations contribute to the teenager’s isolation from his peers and isolation.
8. Strange hobbies, fantasies.
9. Gambling addiction.
10. Offenses.

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.

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.

What else to read on the topic?

What is deviant behavior? Why do we need someone else’s opinion? Do independent and self-sufficient people exist in nature?
The article was published in the issue 03/04/2018 Updated 07/22/2020 Signs of problems of an antisocial personality Lack of any moral standards and deceit Insensitivity to other people and their suffering Contempt and hidden hatred for everyone around Lack of ability to plan and control oneself Impulsivity and cruelty from minimal stimuli The desire to use and manipulate everyone Lack of regret for your actions A feeling of triumph if you managed to “make someone else a fool” The belief that “everyone is just as deceitful and manipulative as I am” False self-justification and rationalization of one’s crimes

A psychopathic personality (sociopathic, antisocial personality) is the most difficult to communicate with both in everyday life and in therapy. Sociopaths are people who completely ignore social and even legal norms in their actions and aspirations. Deception, manipulation, deceit, fraud and dishonesty in relation to other people are the main ways of communicating with other people that are familiar to a sociopath. Conscience, humanity, guilt are words that belong to a “foreign” and incomprehensible vocabulary. People with a sociopathic personality type believe that everyone is motivated only by personal gain, and believe that others do not break the law only out of cowardice and stupidity. The psychopath believes that all means are good to achieve the desired goals, which are usually sadistic pleasure or personal enrichment, and is often convinced that all people are built in the same way. In the table above you can see the signs of an antisocial personality.

Suffering other people as a result of their own actions does not cause any remorse in people with an antisocial personality; they tend to intimidate the victims of their crimes rather than feel guilt towards them. Being caught in his deception, the sociopath lies even more, and psychological knowledge (for example, ideas about the reasons for his actions, which are associated with early violence against himself) is used by such a person not to contact his own painful feelings, but to manipulate others.

With complete insensitivity to the pain and suffering of others, antisocial individuals sometimes show amazing sensitivity and empathy for finding others’ “weak points,” but only in order to use the mental wounds of others for their own purposes. The few emotional experiences that a sociopath can quite sincerely express are outbursts of anger and irritation, sometimes very poorly controlled by him in cases where his manipulations fail and the desired goals are not realized. Impulsivity and the absence of any reflection and reflection on their own feelings, which push them to antisocial actions, are a distinctive feature of their psychology. The ability to bear one's feelings rather than express them in action, as well as the ability to understand and name one's experiences, is almost completely absent.

The only thing that can be helpful in dealing with a sociopath is honesty and strict boundaries. Always striving to destroy any structure, such a person immediately seeks to corrupt it, and the only possibility for change for such a person exists only if such attempts fail, and he understands that another person can be guided by something completely incomprehensible to him - humanity.

In the psychological work that takes place with such a person, which is very unlikely, we are faced with a psychologically extremely traumatic childhood, in which empathy on the part of the parents for the pain and suffering of such a child was completely absent, or the parents neglected to care for the child, paying off his psychological needs with gifts , and words in such families were used only to manipulate another family member, and not to express feelings and the need for care.

Basic internal conflict Use, deceive, lie to others / Be used Peculiarities of the idea of ​​others All are selfish, manipulative and dishonest Peculiarities of the self-image I can and have the right to do whatever I want Basic emotions Anger, envy Basic defense mechanisms Desire for omnipotent control, identification with the aggressor Subtypes Aggressive; passive-parasitic

Antisociality

(from ancient Greek - against, and lat. sociālis - public) - a negative attitude towards social norms or standards of behavior, the desire to counteract them [1][2][3]. Including the traditions of a particular social group of people.

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.

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.

Precautionary measures

Prevention of the development of asociality in children and adolescents includes the following tips:

• take care of the baby’s emotional state;
• become a positive example for your child, promote a healthy lifestyle and correct values;
• create intra-family trusting relationships;
• If necessary, attend psychological consultations in a timely manner.

Now you know what people with antisocial behavior are like. This does not mean that it is necessary to isolate yourself from communication with such individuals. It would be much more correct to put an antisocial person on the right path, to help him socialize, if this is in your power.

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].