Psychopath vs. Sociopath

Thrillers often depict lead antihero's as psychopaths or at least as having some psychopathic tendencies. For some, this becomes the initial selling point for the film itself, such as Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). However, the more calculated (and usually less violent) criminal is often a sociopath that is mistaken for a psychopath. The similarities are many yet the subtle difference are often over looked and can lead to confusion.

Psychopath: A person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behaviour.

Sociopath:  A person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behaviour.

Both psychopaths and sociopaths are thought be caused by genetic fault and environmental factors. Psychopaths lean towards hereditary whereas sociopaths lean more toward the environmental aspect. 

Psychopaths suffer from a lack of empathy (the ability to share and understand the feelings of others) as well as being highly impulsive and erratic, which has the potential to lead to opportunistic criminal behaviour and excessive risk taking. Its also thought that those with psychopathic tendencies struggle to build and maintain any true form of normal relationship. 

Infamous psychopath Ted Bundy (1946-1989) raped and murdered and molested the bodies of numerous young women in American through 1974 till 1978. Despite the brutality of his crimes, Bundy was often described as educated, charming and handsome. Bundy was thought to have a future in politics, and had a major in psychology. Bundy screamed innocence until his death sentences became imminent, when he then pleaded guilty.

  'Killer Looks'

American Psycho (2000) is thought to be loosely based upon Ted Bundy; it depicts an investment banker with a psychopathic alter ego who acts upon his fantasises of raping, murdering and mutualising women. 

"I think my mask of sanity is about to slip"

Sociopaths tend to be antisocial with controlled behaviour, they have the tendency to take calculated criminal risks such as fraud. They are often superficially normal in social relationships, and often seen as social predators.

Sociopaths are less openly depicted in thrillers; it may be argued that The Narrater /Tyler Durden in Fight Club is a sociopath however he is more commonly thought to suffer from disassociate identity disorder meaning his behaviour is due to a split personality, and not superficiality /alter ego.