Which finding is most characteristic of antisocial personality disorder?

Which finding is most characteristic of antisocial personality disorder?

• A. Splitting
• B. Lack of empathy
• C. Preoccupation with details
• D. Impulsiveness

Answer: (B)

The central idea here is the interpersonal deficit that defines antisocial personality disorder: a marked lack of concern for or understanding of others' feelings, often with a callous disregard for harming them. This absence of empathy helps explain why individuals with the disorder may exploit or harm others without remorse. Among the options, lacking empathy best captures this core interpersonal trait that distinguishes antisocial personality disorder from other conditions. For contrast, splitting is a feature more associated with borderline personality disorder, preoccupation with details points to OCD, and impulsiveness can appear in many disorders but isn’t as defining as the empathy deficit.

The central idea here is the interpersonal deficit that defines antisocial personality disorder: a marked lack of concern for or understanding of others' feelings, often with a callous disregard for harming them. This absence of empathy helps explain why individuals with the disorder may exploit or harm others without remorse. Among the options, lacking empathy best captures this core interpersonal trait that distinguishes antisocial personality disorder from other conditions. For contrast, splitting is a feature more associated with borderline personality disorder, preoccupation with details points to OCD, and impulsiveness can appear in many disorders but isn’t as defining as the empathy deficit.