The Wasp Trap explores research into psychopaths and the possibility of developing an assessment to conclusively determine if an individual falls into this category. The term “psychopath” refers to an individual who possesses a constellation of personality traits including a lack of empathy and remorse, impulsiveness and risk-taking, an inflated sense of self-worth, and willingness to manipulate others for one’s own gain. Psychopaths often possess a superficial charm and the ability to effectively conceal their lack of empathy. Georgina epitomizes this aspect of psychopathy because she presents as elegant, composed, and charismatic, making it nearly impossible for the other characters to consider her to be capable of violence or manipulation.

While sociopaths and psychopaths share a disregard for social norms and a lack of empathy for others, sociopaths tend to be more impulsive and erratic, while psychopaths are deceptive and better at mimicking a normal emotional range. In recent years, some individuals have pushed for lessening of stigmatization around these experiences; for example, Patric Gagne published Sociopath (2024), a memoir exploring her life as an individual who feels little to no empathy for others.

Psychopathy is not listed in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (often known as the “DSM-5”). It did appear in the first two editions of the manual but was replaced by “antisocial personality disorder” in the DSM-3. This shift was largely prompted by the recognition that it was difficult or impossible to objectively diagnose many of the traits associated with psychopathy; antisocial personality disorder places a stronger emphasis on the behavioral aspects of psychopathy, such as aggression, impulsiveness, and violations of others’ rights, but only minimally on personality characteristics like callousness, remorselessness, and narcissism. Although an individual cannot formally be diagnosed as a psychopath, assessments of psychopathic characteristics are often significant in criminology and criminal justice investigations, and a number of tools and checklists exist to assess the degree to which an individual possesses traits associated with psychopathy. Some studies estimate that about 1.2% of US adult men and 0.3% to 0.7% of US adult women are considered to have clinically significant levels of psychopathic traits (DeAngelis, Tori. “A broader view of psychopathy.” American Psychological Association, 1 Mar. 2022).