Differences between antisocial and asocial personality

Although antisocial and asocial personality are often confused in common parlance, the truth is that these are two very different ways of being: the first is considered pathological since it is associated with harm to other people (antisocial behaviors), while asociality refers to the lack of interest in the interaction.

In this article we will describe in detail what they consist of and What is the difference between antisocial and dissocial personality?. For this, we will base ourselves mainly on the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV psychological manual, as well as on contributions from other experts.

• You may be interested in: "Differences between extraverted, introverted and shy people"

What is antisocial personality?

Antisocial personality is considered a type of chronic psychological disorder. The DSM-IV picks it up as "Antisocial Personality Disorder". within the categoryPersonality disorders”; in the case of the ICD 10 it is included among the “Specific personality disorders”.

Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by recurrent behaviors involving contempt and/or

violation of the rights of other people. According to the DSM-IV, at least 3 of the following diagnostic criteria must be met:

• Repeated breach of laws that can lead to arrests.
• Lies and dishonest behavior with the aim of obtaining benefits or pleasure.
• Impulsiveness and lack of planning for the future.
• irritability and aggressiveness manifested in physical and/or verbal aggression.
• Lack of concern for their own safety and/or that of others.
• Maintained irresponsibility; for example, inability to meet economic and work obligations.
• Absence of remorse regarding harmful behaviors.

In order to diagnose antisocial personality disorder the person must be at least 18 years old, as well as that some of the criteria described have been present since the age of 15 or earlier.

• Related article: "Antisocial Personality Disorder: causes, symptoms and treatment"

Conduct disorder as an early manifestation

Before the age of majority, persistent antisocial behaviors are classified under the label “Conduct Disorder”, which the DSM-IV includes in the category "Attention deficit disorders and disruptive behavior", in turn one of the sections of the macrocategory “Disorders with onset in infancy, childhood or adolescence”.

Diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder also focus on violation of other people's rights. In particular, the criteria are categorized into four blocks: aggression against people and animals (physical cruelty, armed robbery, etc.), destruction of property (p. and. arson), fraud or theft, and serious violations of regulations.

conduct disorder It is considered the precursor of antisocial disorder, more serious since it occurs in more advanced stages of development. The earlier symptoms appear (“Childhood Onset Conduct Disorder”), the more likely it is that are severe and that are maintained into adulthood as antisocial disorder of personality.

Defining asociality

The term "asocial" is used to describe people who are not interested in social interaction Or they prefer to be alone. It is a non-pathological characteristic characteristic, above all, of people very introvertedAlthough in today's society, dominated by extroverted personalities, it is often seen as problematic.

hans eysenck proposed that the degree of extraversion of people depends on the activity of the central nervous system, specifically the ascending reticular activating system (SARA). Extroverted people have a low arousal level, so they require a lot of external stimulation; the opposite happens with introverts.

In this sense, it seems likely that many people classified as asocial are simply very introverted, to the point that external stimulation, including that of a social nature, becomes more or less unpleasant for them. Environmental factors can also influence the development of this type of personality, on the other hand.

As it is not a pathology, the diagnostic manuals do not include any “asocial personality disorder”, as is the case with the antisocial disorder. However, some psychological disorders are clearly related to a lack of social interest and a lack of pleasure in interacting with other people.

• You may be interested in: "The 4 differences between shyness and social phobia"

Related psychological disorders

There are several personality disorders included in the DSM-IV that are markedly characterized by asociality. In particular, schizoid personality disorder is defined as a pattern of behavior in which the tendency to isolation, emotional coldness, apathy and lack of interest in social relationships.

Schizotypal disorder is also related to asociality, although in this case the lack of contact Social anxiety is due more to social anxiety (which does not diminish with familiarity) and behaviors extravagant. In schizophrenia, which is related to this and the preceding disorder, similar asocial signs may occur.

People with avoidant personality disorderOn the other hand, they would like to interact more but are overwhelmed by anxiety and fear of making a fool of themselves. Avoidant disorder is considered an extreme manifestation of social phobia (or social anxiety), in which asocial behaviors can also occur.

• Related article: "Avoidant Personality Disorder: extreme shyness?"

What is the difference between them?

There are certainly few similarities between these two personality types; The frequent confusion between antisociality and asociality is fundamentally due to the superficial resemblance between the two words, rather than the fact that they share characteristics.

Specifically, the word "antisocial" is commonly used to describe asocial behaviors, that is, related to a lack of interest in social relationships. However, the concept of the antisocial personality refers to actions against the company and those who compose it, not to the passive rejection of social interaction.

The prefix "anti-" means "opposed to", "against" or "preventing"; Thus, literally, antisocial people are those who oppose social norms and/or who act against others. On the other hand, the prefix "a-" indicates negation or absence (we could translate it as "without"), so that asociality would be the lack of social interaction.

In any case, and since these are two different personality dimensions, antisociality and asociality do not have to exclude each other. In fact, it is relatively common for people with antisocial disorder to feel a certain degree of rejection of social interaction, in a way that we could describe as misanthropic.