16 questions that doctors use to figure out if you're a sociopath

In June, Joseph Gibbons, a former MIT lecturer, was found guilty of filming himself while robbing a New York bank in what he claimed was an art project. He took $1,000, and now faces up to three years in prison.

In the art world, Gibbons is best-known for his 2002 film, "Confessions of a Sociopath," which was named as one of the Best Films of the Year by Artforum magazine.

The nature of Gibbons' art is that you can never be sure whether Gibbons really is a sociopath, or whether he is just playing a role. The fact that he also allegedly robbed a bank in Rhode Island and took $50,000 suggests a mixture of the two.

One of the best books about sociopathy is "Confessions of a Sociopath; A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight," written by pseudonymous author M.E. Thomas. She describes what it's like to be a sociopath - someone who lacks the ability to feel or sympathize with others.

Sociopaths can be sexy and beguiling; they take risks the rest of us don't and come across as bold and exciting. Socially, they are often leaders, the life and soul of the party.

The downside is that they regard others to be used, don't feel sympathy, empathy or guilt, and are often one step away from becoming what psychologists used to call psychopaths: criminally vindictive types whose only motivation is to take advantage of weaker people.

Psychologists have changed the definition of sociopathy several times over the decades. It used to be called being a "psychopath." Sociopath is the newer term. The first researcher to name the concept of psychopathy was Dr. Hervey Cleckley in 1941. Cleckley noted that psychopathy was difficult to diagnose precisely because it presents itself without the obvious symptoms of mental disorder. Psychopaths and sociopaths are often a bit too rational.

Here are Cleckley's 16 characteristics. Ask yourself if they apply to you.