was it ever confirmed that he was ? He stabs people in the back and is really good with words ( based on the prime version) and has no conscience that adds up to a sociopath what do you think ?
Personally, I think all his antics, treachery and the hilarious abuse he gets hides a very insecure, very damaged person deep down. It's kinda like Waspinator. Starscream might think of himself as a tragic figure, but to most of us, he's just a court jester who suffers for our enjoyment.
Just because he doesn't do them on purpose doesn't mean he's not the jester. Same thing with Waspinator, he always was more a victim of circumstance rather than doing his wacky stunts on purpose, so both characters are basically jesters to us, they basically drag themselves down unconsciously and basically get abused so we as an audience can laugh. In fact, I always considered Starscream to be like sort of similar to Jack Benny's onscreen persona: greedy, egotistical and basically the butt of all jokes (especially if you look at episodes like Microbots and The Immobilizer, where Starscream basically has moments where he practically embarrasses himself without even wanting to do it).
His friendship with Skyfire indicates that he's not a sociopath. Plus, despite all his treachery, he always seemed to believe in the Decepticon cause and wanted the faction as a whole to succeed. He just felt that he was best suited to be leader, despite all evidence to the contrary. So like most Decepticons, his main problem is an overinflated ego and sense of superiority. If you want an example of a true sociopath, look at Tarantulas. Dude was a friggin monster.
Important Disclaimer: I am a psychology major, but I am not a licensed psychologist. Take all of the following with a grain of salt. Paging Dr. Rung.... "Sociopath" is not a diagnoseable mental illness. Both it and its somewhat more famous counterpart, psychopathy, are more-or-less covered by the DSM-5 diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). In order to get the diagnosis, a person (or alien robot, in this case), they must meet the following criteria: A. Disregard for and violation of others rights since age 15, as indicated by one of the seven sub features: Failure to obey laws and norms by engaging in behavior which results in criminal arrest, or would warrant criminal arrest Lying, deception, and manipulation, for profit or self-amusement, Impulsive behavior Irritability and aggression, manifested as frequently assaults others, or engages in fighting Blatantly disregards safety of self and others, A pattern of irresponsibility and Lack of remorse for actions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) The other diagnostic Criterion are: B. The person is at least age 18, C. Conduct disorder was present by history before age 15 D. and the antisocial behavior does not occur in the context of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) There are many Starscreams, all of whom behave slightly differently. However, with the exception of Armada Starscream, who could clearly feel remorse, it's safe to say that most Starscreams meet the diagnostic criteria as well as an alien robot with a confusing aging process can. Even in the context of someone in a highly aggressive military culture, Starscream fails to obey laws and norms; he's constantly scheming to overthrow his leader and repeatedly tries to kill him. If nothing else is a crime for Decepticons, this clearly is. His lying, deceit, and manipulation are legendary. His impulsive behavior can be seen in his repeated attempts to overthrow Megatron with no real strategy (which also demonstrates a disregard of his own safety), and he never shows remorse. As for sociopathy, as the term is commonly used in the wider field of psychology. : Traits of a sociopath Sociopaths are characterized by volatile behavioral patterns. These individuals often demonstrate emotional outbursts and a lack of self-control. Sociopaths can form attachments to other individuals and in general, enjoy being around other people although they have no regard for rules put in place by society. For individuals already genetically vulnerable to these behaviors, sociopathy is set in motion by specific environmental factors such as a troubled childhood, traumatic interpersonal relationships or a history of abuse. Traits of a psychopath In contrast to sociopathy, psychopathic behavior result more from genetics or congenital injury (such as a head injury at birth), than from environmental factors. Psychopaths are extremely manipulative and can easily gain other’s trust, however they do not form attachments to others. Individuals with psychopathic traits lack empathy and therefore feel no remorse when causing harm to another individual. Their actions are often preplanned and the crimes they commit are often highly organized and meticulous. Psychopaths are usually deemed more dangerous than sociopaths because they show no remorse for their actions due to their lack of empathy. Both of these character types are portrayed in individuals who meet the criteria for antisocial personality disorder. While we don't know all of Starscream's history in any major version, according to this definition of the terms (take note that these definitions, although often used, are not accepted by everyone), Prime Starscream seems to be a sociopath. While he does plot and scheme, and he is manipulative, he is incredibly emotional, very volatile, and eventually forms a friendship of sorts with Knock Out, as well as genuine loyalty to Megatron. Most other Starscreams (particularly G1, Cybertron, and Animated) are psychopaths; having the glib charm, manipulative tendencies, and lack of any real close interpersonal relationships that characterize those who are commonly known as psychopaths. (G1 cartoon Screamer was friends with Skyfire, but their relationship came across as rather toxic, with Starscream constantly berating and shooting his "friend".) However, I would argue that there is also another diagnosis that fits all Starscreams who are not Armada Starscream (or Energon Starscream, but he was a total nonentity): Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). To qualify for a diagnosis of NPD, one needs to meet the following criteria: A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following: 1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements). 2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. 3. Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions). 4. Requires excessive admiration. 5. Has a sense of entitlement (i.e., unreasonable expectation of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations). 6. Is interpersonally exploitative (i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends). 7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others. 8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her. 9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors and attitudes. Starscreams usually display all of these! NPD and ASPD are frequently comorbid (that is, they're often found in the same individual), and most Starscreams appear to qualify for both these disorders. So, the answer to the question is: Prime Starscream is a sociopath; most other Starscreams are actually psychopaths, and, except for Armada Starscream, they would likely all be diagnosed with ASPD and NPD. Remember, "sociopath" is not something you can be diagnosed as! So, he is, he's not, and he has another disorder. Thanks to: The Difference Between Sociopathy and Psychopathy Antisocial Personality Disorder DSM-5 301.7 (F60.2) - Therapedia https://www.psi.uba.ar/academica/ca...ica_tr_personalidad_psicosis/material/dsm.pdf What are the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)? And previous research.
How mutual and healthy their friendship is something that could certainly be debated, yes; my position that it was toxic is not the only one that can be held. If the friendship is genuine, it would probably be the only reason one could consider G1 Starscream to potentially be a sociopath rather than a psychopath. (See the definitions above for more on that.) Regardless, he'd still probably be diagnosed with ASPD and NPD, though (neither diagnosis entirely precludes concern for one individual, and, unlike sociopathy or psychopathy, they can actually be diagnosed). Beliefs in one's own superiority, and a lack of empathy and remorse for one's allies, both of which Starscream displays with a good degree of consistency, make it hard to imagine him not qualifying for either. Strictly speaking (though this is a very common mistake; I've seen it all the time and made it myself before), Tarantulas would probably be considered a psychopath rather than a sociopath, due to his utter lack of concern for anyone or anything and his generally meticulous nature. But yes, he is a far more extreme psychopath than G1 cartoon Starscream would be. The fact that they would both receive a diagnosis of ASPD simply shows some of the current vagueries in our diagnostic system where personality disorders are concerned. Thanks!
Also, for the sake of comparison (and because I'm a huge nerd): -BW Megatron would definitely have ASPD and NPD; he's the textbook psychopath. -BW Tarantulas would certainly be diagnosed with ASPD. He's also clearly a psychopath, but the extent to which he would qualify for NPD might be up for debate. (He's quite arrogant, but not nearly as grandiose as BW Megatron or most Starscreams.) -G1 Megatron would qualify for ASPD; however, I'd hazard a guess and say that he's closer to a sociopath than a psychopath, if only because he seems to have SOME regard for his troops. (How much is up for debate.) -BW Terrosaur would have NPD and prooobably ASPD as well; he's a sociopath. -Prime Knock Out has NPD, but I don't think he has ASPD. His deceptive and violent actions are too limited in the context of his highly warlike race.
Starscream is simply free and self interested. Ive had people work for me with the same personality: High energy, intense, self interested, go which ever direction they want to on an hour by hour basis, would stab others in the back but hugely loyal at the same time, no real long term strategy or direction beyond their own self interests. People would try and categorise them as narcissistic, psychotic or sociopathic but they aren't. Normally they make the best directors when along side a very very strong leadership (MD/CEO) personality.
You are correct, the people you are describing here may not-and likely do not- have NPD or ASPD. People can be highly self-interested, ambitious, and hard to control without having the utter self-absorption or the coldness towards others that characterize ASPD (or sociopathy, or psychopathy) and NPD. Both have a generally accepted prevalence rate of around 1-7%; they're not going to be the majority of the population. Furthermore, people can have some symptoms of a condition like NPD without having the full-blown disorder. Psychology, at present, is unfortunately not an exact science. However, Starscream is not simply an ambitious, slightly unscrupulous employee...as the examples shown below suggest, he displays a callousness and grandiosity that goes above and beyond even that of most of his peers, who are already members of a very violent culture. He's not entirely comparable to the people being described here. Again, you are correct: the employees you describe don't fit all of the necessary criteria. However, it is imporant to note that "sociopath" doesn't necessarily mean pure evil; neither does "narcissism" mean that one is cartoonishly self-absorbed. While there are people like that, most people display symptoms more subtly. Starscream, specifically, is a good example of both (at least in some continuities; in others he's considerably closer to the traditional psychological profile of a narcissistic psychopath). I would actually agree with you that most Starscreams are not sociopaths per se but rather would be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and be classed as psychopaths, which is not, contrary to the popular (and frustrating) usage of the terms, an exact synonym for sociopath. Just being successful and out of prison does not necessarily preclude someone from being diagnosed with NPD or ASPD; not all "psychopaths" are serial killers or criminals. However, I would find it hard to accept an argument that Starscream specifically does not have ASPD or NPD. For example: -In "The Ultimate Doom", Starscream comes very close to blowing up an entire planet; showing literally no concern for the billions of human lives- or the lives of HIS OWN ALLIES-which will be extinguished in the process. He also displays no signs of remorse for any of this. Even by Decepticon standards, this is extreme, and would probably qualify him as having ASPD even by his own cultural standards. (I would suspect that casually blowing up the leader of the army/empire, plus a half dozen or so of his most effective troops, is illegal as far as Decepticons are concerned.) -In Transformers #50 of the US Marvel Comic, Starscream slaughters over fifty Autobots and Decepticons for no particular reason at all; again, this is extremely violent even by presumed Decepticon standards. Prior to this, in issue #49, he managed to manipulate Ratbat's Decepticons and Scorponok's Decepticons into fighting each other without having to fire a single shot on his own, all so that he could obtain the Underbase, gain absolute power, and go on a mass-murdering spree for no adequately explained reason. -In "The Revenge of Bruticus", he is willing to let the Earth, most of his fellow Decepticons, and all of humanity be vaporized if Megatron does not declare him leader. Admittedly, he's not directly responsible for the Earth's plight here and is instead taking advantage of opportunity, but still! To quote him, "I WILL rule the universe...even if I am the only one LEFT in the universe!" Since the keystone of narcissism is an over-inflated belief in one's self-importance, I would say that this quote, combined with his actions, would be enough to qualify G1 Starscream as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It's hard to have a more over-inflated self opinion than to believe that you deserve to rule the entire universe even at the cost of EVERYTHING THAT LIVES IN THAT UNIVERSE. -In "Starscream's Brigade", Starscream breaks the Combaticons, who were "political prisoners" of Megatron, out of personality component jail in order to orchestrate a mutiny. This serves as a good example not only of his treachery and manipulative ability but also of the way he is willing to break the laws established by an extraordinarily violent culture. Granted, knowing Megatron, the Combaticons probably weren't much worse than any other Decepticons, but the fact that Starscream is willing to free them against Megatron's will goes a long way to show his willingness to disobey laws and his lack of concern for consequences; both of which are common symptoms of ASPD/psychopathy. And, as a final note unrelated to NPD or ASPD (sociopathy and psychopathy), anyone trying to categorize Starscream, or, more importantly, your employees, as psychotic would be VERY incorrect. Psychosis is a mental state characterized by a break from reality (such as having delusions or hallucinations). Psychotic episodes can occur during extreme episodes of Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder, in some people with various forms of dementia, and in disorders such as Schizophrenia. They do not often occur in people diagnosed with personality disorders such as NPD (though it's not impossible). Starscream could not be called "psychotic" because he has never displayed any hallucinations or delusions (his "delusions of grandeur" are probably not quite extreme enough to be considered a break from reality), and, assuming that your employees also do not display these symptoms, they could not be properly described as psychotic either.
When I first read the title of the thread, that was going to be my first guess. I'm not a psychologist by any means but I've read up quite a bit on narcissism. I'm pretty sure I'm married to one.
