All posts tagged: traits

Dark personality traits and love styles differ in partnered and single individuals

Dark personality traits and love styles differ in partnered and single individuals

Published by José

Married or cohabiting participants score lower on traits associated with the so-called “Dark Triad” of personalities—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy—compared to their single counterparts, according to new research study published in the journal Heliyon. Additionally, partnered individuals tend to favor passionate and altruistic love styles, while singles gravitate toward more playful, obsessive, and pragmatic attitudes. These results shed light on how personality and romantic attitudes are related to relationship dynamics. Romantic relationships are a cornerstone of human life, but not everyone approaches or sustains relationships in the same way. Romantic relationships are a central aspect of human life, yet the psychological factors that affect whether someone forms and maintains a committed partnership are not fully understood. By examining Dark Triad personality traits and love styles, the researchers sought to gain deeper insight into the personal attributes that shape romantic outcomes. “Romantic relationships are fundamental to human experience, shaping individuals’ emotional well-being and societal structures. Our interest was piqued by the complex interplay between personality traits, particularly those in the Dark Triad, and attitudes towards love. Exploring …

Individuals with dark traits have a heightened connection to certain types of fictional characters

Individuals with dark traits have a heightened connection to certain types of fictional characters

Published by José

A new study published in Psychology of Popular Media sheds light on why some people are drawn to morally ambiguous fictional characters, such as villains and antiheroes. The research suggests that antagonistic personality traits like Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and everyday sadism—collectively known as Dark Tetrad traits—are associated with admiring and identifying with these types of characters. This association appears to reflect how individuals view their own values, motivations, and personalities in relation to these fictional figures. Fictional heroes, antiheroes, and villains play a central role in popular media, captivating audiences with their moral clarity, ambiguity, or outright malice. Previous studies have established that people are often drawn to characters who share traits with themselves, but much of this research has focused narrowly on single types of characters or excluded key personality traits like everyday sadism. This study sought to expand on that foundation. “Fiction is a big part of a lot of people’s lives, and a lot of people have pretty personal relationships with their favorite fictional characters. What draws certain individuals to certain characters?” …

Women exhibit less manipulative personality traits in more gender-equal countries

Women exhibit less manipulative personality traits in more gender-equal countries

Published by José

A new study exploring how gender equality relates to Machiavellianism—a personality trait characterized by manipulation, exploitation, and deceit—has revealed a surprising trend: countries with higher gender equality tend to exhibit larger differences between men’s and women’s scores on this trait. While men’s Machiavellian tendencies remained stable regardless of national gender equality, women were less likely to endorse such traits in more egalitarian societies. The findings have been published in the International Journal of Personality Psychology. The study sought to address a longstanding question in psychology: why do men consistently score higher on Machiavellianism than women? Previous research has shown this pattern is persistent across cultures, yet the factors contributing to the gap remain unclear. The researchers behind the new study hypothesized that cultural and societal structures, particularly gender equality, might influence the magnitude of this difference. Building on the concept of the “gender equality paradox,” which posits that greater equality can sometimes amplify psychological and behavioral differences between men and women, the researchers aimed to test whether this phenomenon extended to Machiavellianism. “As a psychologist …

Dark personality traits linked to “virtuous victim signaling” and exploitation of accusations

Dark personality traits linked to “virtuous victim signaling” and exploitation of accusations

Published by José

Researchers have replicated and expanded a prior study to investigate the role of dark tetrad traits in “virtuous victim signaling.” Across three studies,, the findings confirmed that narcissism and Machiavellianism are linked to this signaling strategy. They also revealed that sadism, while unrelated to signaling itself, plays a role in exploiting accusations against others for personal satisfaction. The results were published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. The dark tetrad refers to a group of personality traits that are socially aversive and often associated with manipulation, exploitation, and harm to others. These traits include narcissism (an inflated sense of self-importance and entitlement), Machiavellianism (a manipulative and cynical approach to relationships and social influence), psychopathy (a lack of empathy and impulsive antisocial behavior), and sadism (a tendency to derive pleasure from causing harm to others). Together, these traits can drive behaviors that exploit social and moral norms for personal gain, often at the expense of others. Virtuous victim signaling combines the display of two types of signals—victimhood and virtue—to elicit sympathy, aid, or social advantages. …

Study examines link between psychopathic traits and emotional memory

Study examines link between psychopathic traits and emotional memory

Published by José

Psychopathic traits were not significantly associated with recall or recognition of emotional or neutral stimuli, according to a recent study published in the journal Memory. Psychopathy is characterized by interpersonal, affective, and lifestyle traits, such as a lack of empathy and impulsivity. In this work Rheanna J. Remmel and colleagues clarified how psychopathic traits might influence memory for emotional events, a function typically heightened by emotional valence. Despite existing evidence linking psychopathy to impaired emotional processing, the relationship between psychopathy and emotional memory remains unclear, with previous studies offering conflicting results. The authors were motivated by findings that individuals with psychopathic traits might show diminished preferential recall for emotional stimuli, which could impact learning from negative experiences and social bonding. The researchers recruited 82 male inmates from a county jail, ranging in age from 18 to 59 (average age of ~ 29 years). Psychopathic traits were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV), which evaluates interpersonal, affective, and behavioral components of psychopathy. Memory abilities were measured using the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV (WMS-IV), which included …

People with psychopathic traits fail to learn from painful outcomes

People with psychopathic traits fail to learn from painful outcomes

Published by José

A recent study published in Communications Psychology reveals that individuals with higher psychopathic traits show reduced sensitivity to pain, which affects their ability to learn from painful consequences. The researchers found that people with elevated psychopathic traits tend to revert quickly to initial beliefs after experiencing pain. This new insight could help us understand why individuals with these traits often struggle to adapt their behavior despite negative consequences. People with psychopathic traits frequently ignore the negative consequences of their actions, likely due to differences in how they process punishment. Past studies have indicated that psychopathy is associated with both an insensitivity to punishment and an excessive drive toward reward, but this study aimed to explore the computational learning processes specifically related to pain. Pain can serve as a powerful teaching signal, so understanding how reduced pain sensitivity influences learning in people with psychopathic traits could shed light on the mechanisms behind their often harmful decision-making. “One of the hallmarks of psychopathy is aggressive, exploitative behavior with little regard for the wellbeing of others,” said study …

Trump biopic is riddled with perfect examples of a man with the ‘dark triad’ of personality traits

Trump biopic is riddled with perfect examples of a man with the ‘dark triad’ of personality traits

Published by skeptic

The Apprentice is a thought-provoking and chilling film that depicts a young Donald Trump on his journey from naive, malleable, nepo-baby to cold, dark and narcissistic businessman. During the film, Trump, meets his mentor and father figure, Roy Cohn. Cohn shapes his young apprentice (reminiscent of Palpatine and a young Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars), teaching a young Trump his “three rules of life” and the power of deception and misinformation. Trump has been critical of the film, calling it a “politically disgusting hatchet job”. Regardless of the authenticity of the film’s depictions, as an expert in psychology, I was struck by how perfect its illustration of some the darker sides of human psychology were. Psychological research in the past 20 years has highlighted that certain personality traits are indicative of the dark side of human behaviour, such as callous manipulation – a grandiose sense of self-importance, and a lack of empathy. Pyschologists Delroy Paulhus and Kevin Williams found evidence to suggest that three personality traits, known now as the “dark triad”, existed which exemplified …

9 Traits Of People Who Get Offended Way Too Easy, According To Psychology

9 Traits Of People Who Get Offended Way Too Easy, According To Psychology

Published by skeptic

There are certain traits of people who get offended way too easy. Perhaps it’s a result of someone’s actions, but usually, it’s because they don’t like the words someone is speaking. People like this become especially offended if they are criticized. They take criticism to heart and allow their emotions to get the better of them, affecting the people around them as well. According to research from the journal Emotion, emotional regulation is great for building financial success and well-being. Unfortunately, easily offended people miss out on this when they become frazzled instead of taking a deep breath and keeping an open mind. Here are 9 traits of people who get offended way too easy, according to psychology 1. They’re overly self-conscious Nicoleta Ionescu | Shutterstock Those who cannot come to grips with their own insecurities get offended way too easily. They believe that if they dodge people’s criticism, it will make their shortcomings easier to bear. But it’s a losing game, as defensiveness doesn’t prevent their unwanted thoughts. Feeling trapped, they become increasingly sensitive and …

6 Rare Traits Of Men Who Make Excellent Second Husbands, According To Renowned Psychologist

6 Rare Traits Of Men Who Make Excellent Second Husbands, According To Renowned Psychologist

Published by skeptic

During or after divorce is a very common time to seek counseling. People are in a state of transition, and they want to ensure that their post-divorce life doesn’t have as many missteps and false starts as their married life.  They especially want to guard against getting into another unhappy or unfulfilling relationship. For parents, dating can feel particularly fraught, because the relationship between your next partner and your kids is a paramount concern.  RELATED: 4 Little Things Men Look For In Women Post-Divorce Here are 6 rare traits of men who make excellent husbands: 1. Flexibility  If you are co-parenting your kids (or single-parenting them), the first and foremost trait you need in a potential partner is flexibility. You will have to cancel dates and change plans, based on your kids’ needs.  If your partner takes cancellations personally, or cannot roll with the punches, it will make a relationship virtually impossible. Not to mention, as a parent, it is very hard to be attracted to an adult who acts childish or sulky. According to …

Narcissistic traits propel unattainable aspirations

Narcissistic traits propel unattainable aspirations

Published by José

Researchers have discovered that individuals with higher levels of narcissism, particularly those exhibiting traits of agentic extraversion, are more likely to set unrealistic future goals. The new findings have been published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. Narcissism is a multifaceted personality trait with three main dimensions: agentic extraversion, antagonism, and narcissistic neuroticism. Agentic extraversion includes traits like dominance and the desire for admiration; antagonism involves aspects like entitlement and manipulativeness; and narcissistic neuroticism encompasses sensitivity to criticism and insecurity. The new study aimed to explore how these traits influence individuals’ propensity to set unrealistic goals, expanding on previous research that primarily focused on the more grandiose aspects of narcissism. “Pathological narcissism is highly stigmatized and poorly understood. I aim to conduct research that improves our understanding of narcissism, with the ultimate goal of informing psychotherapeutic treatments,” said study author Ellen F. Finch, a PhD candidate in clinical science at Harvard University. “I grew interested in goal setting, specifically, because there is lots of anecdotal evidence that people who score high in narcissism set …