How psychopathic traits relate to everyday life
People with higher levels of positive psychopathic traits, such as boldness and social influence, are more likely to hold leadership roles and work in high-risk professions.
Source
Correlates of psychopathic personality traits in everyday life: results from a large community survey
What they did
Researchers administered a brief, online version of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised to 3388 participants recruited through a science magazine. The survey consisted of 56 items that measured distinct dimensions of psychopathic traits: fearless dominance, self-centered impulsivity, and coldheartedness. Participants also provided demographic information and answered questions about their occupation, leadership experience, religious beliefs, and political views to determine how these traits relate to everyday functioning.
What they found
The researchers found that individuals with higher scores in fearless dominance were more likely to hold leadership positions and work in physically high-risk occupations like law enforcement or firefighting. Self-centered impulsivity and coldheartedness were linked to non-religious beliefs, with non-believers reporting slightly higher levels of these traits than religious individuals. Additionally, overall psychopathic traits showed weak but positive correlations with political conservatism and were slightly elevated in European participants compared to North American participants.
The limits
What it doesn't show
Because this study used a cross-sectional design, it cannot prove that having psychopathic traits causes someone to choose certain careers or reject religion. The sample was drawn from readers of a science magazine, making it highly educated and potentially not representative of the general population. Additionally, all data relied on self-reports, which means results could be influenced by participants exaggerating their accomplishments or managing their impressions. The study also cannot distinguish whether high-risk jobs cultivate these traits over time or if individuals with these traits simply self-select into those professions.
Key terms
- Fearless Dominance
- A dimension of psychopathy characterized by physical and social boldness, stress immunity, and an absence of anxiety.
- Self-Centered Impulsivity
- A dimension of psychopathy marked by egocentricity, reckless behavior, a lack of planning, and a tendency to blame others.
- Coldheartedness
- A trait defined by a severe lack of empathy, guilt, social emotion, and deep connections to others.
- Response Penetration
- The extent to which a personality trait manifests in a wide variety of real-world behaviors and life choices.
- Taxometric Studies
- Statistical analyses used to determine whether a psychological condition represents a distinct category or a continuous dimension.
Flashcards
Want these cards to stick?
Save the deck to NoteFren and study it with spaced repetition.
Quiz yourself
What do taxometric studies suggest about the nature of psychopathic traits in relation to normality?
Common questions
Does scoring high on fearless dominance mean someone is a psychopath?
No, psychopathic traits exist on a spectrum, and high fearless dominance represents boldness and stress resilience, which can be adaptive and are common in many non-clinical individuals.
Are people in business or law more likely to have psychopathic traits?
The study's exploratory findings showed that business professionals scored slightly higher on overall psychopathic traits and self-centered impulsivity than mental health professionals, though the differences were small.
How did the researchers ensure participants were answering honestly?
They used an inconsistency scale to flag and exclude individuals who gave random, careless, or contradictory responses to similar questions.
Why did the researchers focus on a community sample instead of prisoners?
They wanted to explore how psychopathic traits influence normal, everyday life experiences like career choice and religion, which are difficult to study in incarcerated populations.
More on Personality