Glossary: Psychopathy and Psychopathic Personality

Today's Friday • 11 mins read

Psychopaths are not always a Hollywood trope of the calculating villain. The majority of them live as ordinary people in society, doing normal things.

You might have met a psychopath in your office, or in your friendly social circle, and been floored by their charm.

Inside, psychopaths are complex personalities. For one, they harbor an emotional coldness. They also have “fear-blindness,” which drives them to act impulsively without caring for the consequences. Once you recognize their typical traits, you wonder if psychopaths are aware of their true nature.

This alphabetical glossary unpacks the lexicon of psychopathy from both a scientific accuracy and the raw realities survivors often describe.

A

Affect (Psychology) – Emotional states, often shallow or blunted in psychopathy, leading to a facade of normalcy masking inner detachment.
Aggression – Hostile or violent actions, frequently instrumental (goal-directed) in psychopaths rather than reactive.
Aggressive Behavior – Patterns of hostility or intimidation, common in psychopathic youth and tied to rule-breaking tendencies.
Amygdala – Brain region for emotional processing; dysfunction in this area contributes to fearlessness and empathy deficits in psychopathy.
Antisocial Behavior – Persistent rule-breaking and disregard for others’ rights, a hallmark that overlaps with but extends beyond psychopathy.
Anxiousness – Notably low in primary psychopathy, reflecting emotional stability or “stress immunity” rather than vulnerability.
Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) – A tool for assessing psychopathic traits in youth, focusing on callousness and impulsivity.
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) – DSM-5-TR diagnosis defined by a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of others’ rights with at least three of seven behavioral criteria, age ≥18, evidence of conduct disorder before 15, and not exclusively during schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
ASPD vs. Psychopathy: ASPD emphasizes observable behavioral deviance, whereas psychopathy adds core interpersonal–affective traits; DSM‑5’s Section III AMPD trait model aligns more closely with psychopathy than the Section II ASPD criteria in prediction studies.
Arrogant and Deceitful Interpersonal Style – PCL-R facet of superficial charm, grandiosity, and manipulation to exploit social bonds.

B

“Bad Loser” – Colloquial term referring to an inability to accept defeat gracefully, and responding to another’s victory with explosive reactions.
Black and White Thinking – Rigid, extreme views without gray areas, fueling intolerance and moral absolutes.
Bold Interpersonal Style – Confident, socially dominant demeanor masking maladaptive traits in the DSM-5 psychopathic variant.
Boldness – A triarchic model trait of fearlessness, high self-assurance, and thrill-seeking, often adaptive in non-criminal contexts. Marked by social dominance, emotional resilience, and venturesomeness that may appear adaptive yet contribute to risk in certain contexts.
Bullying – Coercive intimidation to assert power, prevalent in psychopathic workplace dynamics.
Burnout – Exhaustion induced in victims or colleagues through relentless emotional demands and manipulations.

C

Callous and Unemotional Traits – Childhood indicators of psychopathy, marked by low empathy, low guilt, and shallow affect that in DSM-5 are formalized under the “with limited prosocial emotions” specifier for conduct disorder in youth.
Callous/Lack of Empathy – PCL-R item for emotional coldness, indifference to others’ pain, and instrumental harm.
Callousness – Core deficit in caring for others’ welfare, enabling exploitation without qualms.
Charming – Superficial allure used to disarm and manipulate, a key entry point for psychopathic influence.
Childhood Trauma – Environmental risks like abuse or neglect that may exacerbate genetic predispositions to psychopathy.
Clinical Profile of Psychopathic Behaviors – Cleckley’s 16 traits from “The Mask of Sanity,” including superficial charm, unreliability, and egocentricity.
Cognition – Impaired social and moral reasoning processes, tied to prefrontal and amygdala dysfunctions.
Cognitive Functions – Moderated by psychopathic traits, affecting emotional competence under stress.
Coldheartedness – Extreme meanness blending boldness with cruelty and lack of guilt, often environmentally triggered.
Conduct Disorder (with LPE) – Youth diagnosis of rule-violating behavior, with the specifier “limited prosocial emotions” requiring at least two of lack of remorse, callousness, unconcerned about performance, or shallow/deficient affect for 12 months across settings.
Con Artist – Archetype of the charming deceiver who cons for gain, embodying psychopathic versatility.
Conflict – Heightened interpersonal clashes in teams led by psychopaths, eroding cohesion.
Conning and Manipulativeness – PCL-R trait of deceitful exploitation, ruthless and unconcerned with victims’ suffering.
Consumptive Modeling – Energetic vampirism: draining others’ resources with low ethics, akin to parasitic dependence.
Corporate Culture – Toxic environments shaped by psychopaths, fostering bullying and low morale.
Criminal Versatility – PCL-R item for diverse offenses, with pride in evading detection.
Criminality – Strong link to psychopathy, especially in impulsive or organized crime.

D

Dark Triad – Cluster of psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, sharing manipulative callousness.
Deficient Affective Experience – PCL-R factor of remorse absence, shallow emotions, and irresponsibility.
Defenses (Projection, Denial, etc.) – Mechanisms like blaming others or rationalizing harm to evade self-reflection.
Delinquency – Youth antisocial acts, a predictor of persistent psychopathic criminality.
Detachment Domain – Low withdrawal in DSM-5 psychopathy, enabling bold social engagement.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) – Handbook omitting “psychopath” but approximating via ASPD.
Disinhibition – A triarchic model trait of impulsivity, poor planning, and urge control failures. Indicates high impulsivity, weak restraint, and poor emotion regulation linked to externalizing risk.
Dissociality – ICD-11 replaces categorical PDs with a severity rating plus trait specifiers; dissociality indexes callousness, lack of empathy, and disregard for others within the unified “personality disorder” framework.
Dissocial Personality Disorder (DPD) – Legacy ICD-10 categorical label F60.2 that listed “psychopathic” and “sociopathic” as synonyms; superseded conceptually by ICD-11’s dimensional model.
Domestic Violence – Callous perpetration tied to Factor 1 traits, often without remorse.
Dual Personality – Presenting contrasting facades to different audiences for strategic gain.

E

Early Behavioral Problems – PCL-R item for pre-13 issues like lying, theft, or aggression.
Egotism – Self-serving exploitation via deception or coercion, fueling psychopathic gain.
Empathy – Profound deficit, especially emotional, allowing harm without emotional recoil.
Empathy Deficits – Inability to read facial or vocal cues, core to manipulative prowess.
Emotionally Shallow – PCL-R superficial feelings, lacking depth in joy, sorrow, or bonds.
Exaggerated Portrayals – Media stereotypes of psychopaths as villains, amplifying public misconceptions.

F

Failure to Accept Responsibility for Own Actions – PCL-R denial of accountability, blaming victims or fate.
Fearless Dominance – Low fear paired with assertiveness, a boldness subtype aiding leadership facades.
Fearlessness – Reduced threat response, enabling risky behaviors without anxiety.
Financial Abuse – Controlling resources to foster dependency, a parasitic extension.

G

Gaslighting – A form of psychological manipulation that makes a target doubt perception, memory, or judgment; common tactics include countering, withholding, trivializing, denial, and diverting.
Genetic Factors – Moderate heritability, especially for callous-unemotional traits in psychopathy.
Glibness/Superficial Charm – Interpersonal style often referenced in psychopathy assessments that emphasizes smooth, insincere social presentation, with engaging talk masking insincerity.
Grandiosity – Inflated self-view, boundless egoism distinct from vulnerable narcissism.
Grandiose Sense of Self-Worth – PCL-R arrogance, bragging, and superiority beliefs.
Guilt – Absent moral distress post-harm, unburdened by ethical weight.
Grandiosity – Exaggerated self-importance, fueling predatory confidence.

H

Hare Psychopathy Checklist – Seminal 20-item tool scoring traits from 0-40 for diagnosis.

I

ICD‑11 Personality Disorder Model – Dimensional system that codes severity (mild, moderate, severe) and specifies trait domains such as dissociality, disinhibition, detachment, negative affectivity, and anankastia, replacing multiple categorical PD labels.
Impulsivity – Rash, unplanned actions without consequence consideration, PCL-R staple.
Instrumental Aggression – Calculated violence for gain, psychopathy’s predatory edge.
Integrity, Lack Of – Moral flexibility, dishonesty as a default for self-advancement.
Interpersonal Abuse – Thriving under toxic supervision due to stress resilience.
Interpersonal Factor – PCL-R interpersonal deceit and grandiosity cluster.
Irresponsibility – PCL-R chronic unreliability in obligations or plans.
Irresponsible Lifestyle – Impulsive, sensation-driven existence without long-term vision.

J

Juvenile Delinquency – PCL-R youth crimes reflecting antagonism and exploitation.

L

Lack of Empathy – The inability to feel or understand others’ pain. Core affective deficit that is central to psychopathy constructs and represented by the ICD-11 dissociality trait domain.
Lack of Realistic, Long-Term Goals – PCL-R aimlessness, nomadic failure to plan ahead.
Lack of Remorse or Guilt – PCL-R indifference to victims’ suffering. A central ASPD criterion and part of the DSM-5 LPE specifier for conduct disorder.
Low Anxiety – Emotional flatline, no nervousness in high-stakes scenarios.
Loyalty, Conditional – Fealty only when beneficial, discarded otherwise.
LPE – Limited Prosocial Emotions, a term used in the context of conduct disorder to describe a lack of empathy or remorse in individuals, often associated with antisocial behaviors.

M

Machiavellianism – Dark triad kin: cunning manipulation for power.
Manipulative – Influencing emotions or actions covertly for personal ends.
Many Short-Term Marital Relationships – PCL-R pattern of fleeting, unstable partnerships.
Mass Murderer – Extreme archetype of unchecked psychopathic violence.
Meanness – A triarchic model trait of cruelty, disdain for attachments, and exploitation. Indicates lack of empathy and predatory exploitativeness, reflecting aggressive resource seeking without regard for others.
Moral Values, No – Dismissal of ethics as weakness for the masses.
Malignant Narcissism – Overlap with grandiosity, fearless predation.

N

Narcissism – Dark triad egocentrism, amplifying psychopathic self-focus.
Negative Affectivity Domain – Low anxiousness in DSM-5 psychopathy model.
Negative Ego – Untamed self leading to narcissistic-psychopathic pathologies.
Neurobiological Model – Brain dysfunctions (amygdala, prefrontal) explaining traits.
Never Admits Guilt/Responsibility – Absolute refusal to own wrongs.

O

Only Goal Is to Get What He Wants – Selfish drive overriding all else.
Orbitofrontal Cortex – Dysfunctional area impairing moral decision-making.
Organized Crime – Psychopathic forte, leveraging versatility and charm.
Overt Narcissism – Obvious grandiosity in psychopathic displays.

P

Parasitic Lifestyle – Dependence on others without reciprocation. Psychopaths (and narcissists) prefer to live parasitic lifestyles, where they exploit others for personal gain without feeling guilt or remorse. This behavior is characterized by a lack of responsibility and a tendency to manipulate others to fulfill their own needs.
Parentification (Emotional Parentification) – Rare reversal where the child enables the psychopathic adult. Parentification, in general, refers to the situation where children take on adult responsibilities inappropriately, which can lead to various negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety.
Pathological Lying – Compulsive, effortless deceit without motive.
PCL-R (Psychopathy Checklist-Revised) – Gold-standard 20-item forensic tool. Clinician-rated 20-item instrument scored 0–40 using interview and file review; organized into broad factors and intended for trained use in forensic and clinical research contexts, not as a DSM/ICD diagnosis.
PCL:SV (Screening Version) – Abbreviated PCL-R for rapid assessments.
PCL:YV (Youth Version) – Adolescent adaptation of PCL-R.
Personal Infallibility – Believes they are always right. Unshakable conviction in personal flawlessness, with dismissal of evidence or feedback as irrelevant.
Poor Behavioral Controls – PCL-R anger outbursts and hasty aggression.
Poor Sense of Humor – Inability to appreciate wit beyond sarcasm.
Power Hungry – Insatiable control cravings over people and outcomes.
Predatory Dominance – Believes the strong have a right to destroy the weak, justified as seeing vulnerability as an invitation for exploitation.
Prefrontal Cortex – Impaired regulation of impulses and emotions.
Primary Psychopathy – Innate, low-anxiety subtype versus secondary.
Promises Something for Nothing – Empty vows to lure without intent.
Productivity – Undermined in psychopathic-led groups via chaos.
Promiscuous Sexual Behavior – PCL-R casual, coercive encounters.
Psychiatric Morbidity – Elevated disorders among psychopathic prisoners.
Psychopathic Traits – Spectrum from boldness to meanness, workplace perils.
Psychopathy – A research construct characterized by interpersonal–affective detachment alongside disinhibited/antisocial tendencies; not a formal DSM or ICD diagnosis and commonly operationalized using instruments like the PCL‑R.
Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) – Hare’s original, basis for revised versions.
Psychoticism – Overlap in bold, disinhibited antisociality.

R

Reactive Abuse – Victim’s provoked response mistaken for equivalence.
Revocation of Conditional Release – PCL-R repeated parole violations.
Rumination – Absent in psychopaths, unlike guilt-plagued others.

S

Scapegoating – Blaming others to deflect from own flaws.
Secondary Psychopathy – Environmentally induced, anxious subtype.
Self-Centered Antagonism – Disdainful exploitation of vulnerabilities.
Serial Killer – Archetype of escalating, remorseless violence.
Serotonin – Imbalances linked to impulsive aggression.
Shallow Affect – Reduced emotional depth and superficial emotions, no deep bonds. Referenced in psychopathy assessments and within DSM-5’s LPE specifier language.
Sociopathy – Environmentally shaped antisociality, akin but distinct. An informal synonym historically used for antisocial/dissocial presentations; not a DSM diagnosis, and in ICD‑10 appeared as a synonym under F60.2.
Splitting – Defense seeing others as all-good or all-bad.
Staff Turnover – High rates in psychopathic-led organizations.
Stress Immunity – Resilience to abuse, aiding survival in toxicity.
Superficial Charm – Engaging veneer hiding predatory intent.
Supply – Admiration harvested like narcissists, but colder.

T

Trauma bond (traumatic bonding) – Strong attachment formed under power imbalance with intermittent punishment/reward, empirically linked to abusive relationship dynamics over time. Expect durable attachment feelings and return risk after separation; intermittent maltreatment and dominance are central mechanisms.
Triarchic Model – Boldness, meanness, disinhibition framework. An integrative framework defining psychopathy in terms of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition, with validated self-report measures such as the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM).
Triangulation – Pitting parties against each other for control.

U

Unemotionality – PCL-R factor of flat affect and detachment.

V

Victim Blaming – Shifting fault to targets of harm.

W

Withdrawal – Low in psychopathy, favoring bold engagement.

For more related terms, read Glossary: Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).

• • •

√ Also Read: 4 Types of Psychopaths: Traits of Psychopathy Explained

√ Please share this if you found it helpful.