Research published in PLOS One has pinpointed a significant link between dark personality traits — such as sadism and psychopathy — and the tendency to engage in online trolling, a form of negative online interaction known for disrupting and provoking internet users. Surprisingly, however, the study found that experiencing social exclusion does not significantly increase one’s motivation to troll.
The internet has evolved into a vast place for social interaction — where anonymity can bring out the worst in people. Trolling, or the act of deliberately upsetting or provoking others online, has been a particular point of concern for its harmful effects on individuals’ well-being. Prior research has associated trolling behavior with the so-called Dark Tetrad of personality — Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism.
However, the nuanced relationship between these traits, the impact of social exclusion, and the role of humor in trolling behaviors has remained less understood — prompting a more in-depth investigation.
Curiosity about trolling motivated the researchers to replicate previous findings linking the Dark Tetrad to the concept itself — while exploring the effect of social exclusion on the willingness to troll. From there, they aimed to investigate how different humor styles might relate to trolling behavior. Their goal was to shed light on the psychological profiles of internet trolls and the situational factors that might influence their behavior, which would provide insights that could help mitigate the impact of trolling on online communities.
The researchers recruited 1,026 German-speaking participants and assessed their personality traits, humor styles, and general trolling behavior through surveys. Participants were then randomly assigned to either a social inclusion or exclusion scenario using the Cyberball paradigm — a virtual game designed to simulate social interaction and exclusion.
The Cyberball paradigm simulates an online ball-tossing game where participants are led to believe they are playing with other study participants. In reality, the “players” are programmed, allowing the researchers to control the inclusion and exclusion conditions precisely. Participants in the inclusion condition received the ball ten times out of 30 tosses, while those in the exclusion condition received it only once, enabling the researchers to explore the effects of social exclusion on trolling behavior.
Following the Cyberball task, participants were prompted to assess their immediate inclination to engage in trolling behavior.
The researchers found a positive correlation between the Dark Tetrad personality traits and trolling behaviors. Each of these dark personality traits—sadism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism — showed a significant positive relationship with the propensity to engage in trolling behavior. This underscores the notion that individuals who possess these darker personality aspects are more inclined to engage in online behaviors aimed at disrupting or provoking others.
The study also uncovered significant association between aggressive humor and trolling behavior. This suggests that individuals who prefer humor that enhances the self at the expense of others are more likely to engage in trolling activities. Interestingly, a positive correlation was also observed between self-defeating humor and trolling, indicating that those who make fun of their own weaknesses or faults might also participate in trolling.
Contrary to expectations, the researchers found no significant overall effect of social exclusion on immediate trolling motivation. This challenges the assumption that experiencing social exclusion would directly increase an individual’s motivation to engage in trolling behavior. The researchers speculated that the Cyberball manipulation may not have been impactful enough, or that a single instance of exclusion might not necessarily provoke immediate aggressive reactions.
The research offers valuable insights. But there are some limitations to consider, including the study’s reliance on self-reported data and the potential for social desirability bias. Additionally, the participant pool’s demographic makeup and cultural context—predominantly female and German-speaking—may limit whether or not these findings apply to other populations.
The study, “Troll story: The dark tetrad and online trolling revisited with a glance at humor,” was authored by Sara Alida Volkmer from the Technical University of Munich, along with Susanne Gaube from LMU Munich, Martina Raue from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Eva Lermer from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences.