Which feature is characteristic of antisocial personality disorder?

• A. Excessive shyness and fear of social interactions
• B. Delusions of persecution
• C. Lack of empathy and manipulative behavior
• D. Obsessive-compulsive rituals

Answer: (C)

Antisocial personality disorder is defined by a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others, often with deceit and manipulation used to achieve personal gain. A central feature is a lack of empathy—little concern for how one’s actions affect others—and a tendency to manipulate people without remorse. This combination reflects a stable, long-standing way of interacting with others and a pattern that typically begins in adolescence and persists into adulthood.

That lack of empathy and manipulative behavior helps distinguish it from other problems. Excessive shyness and fear of social interactions point more to social anxiety or avoidant personality disorder; delusions of persecution suggest a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia or delusional disorder; obsessive-compulsive rituals are characteristic of OCD.