A recent publication in the Journal of Family Violence reveals that individuals with certain “dark” personality traits are more likely to accept the use of gaslighting tactics in intimate relationships. The study also found gender differences, with men generally more accepting of these tactics, a trend significantly influenced by primary psychopathy and vulnerable narcissism.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where one person sows seeds of doubt in a victim, making them question their own memory, perception, or sanity. The term originates from the 1938 play “Gas Light” where a husband manipulates small elements of his wife’s environment and insists that his wife is mistaken or misremembering when she points out these changes. This kind of manipulation can make the victim feel confused, anxious, and powerless.
This study aimed to identify the personality traits that correlate with the acceptance of gaslighting tactics, thereby providing insights into who might be more likely to employ these tactics in intimate relationships. They were particularly interested in a cluster of traits known as the Dark Tetrad.
The Dark Tetrad refers to a group of four personality traits — narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism — that are characterized by tendencies toward self-centeredness, manipulation, callousness, and a penchant for causing harm to others. These traits are socially aversive and are often linked with antisocial behavior.
To conduct the study, the researchers recruited a diverse sample of 315 Australian participants via an online platform known as Cloud Research. This platform is often used for academic studies and enables researchers to gather a wide range of participants quickly and efficiently. The sample included individuals aged 18 to 82 years, with a balanced representation of genders and a majority identifying as heterosexual and unmarried.
The participants completed several psychometric tests designed to measure their levels of the Dark Tetrad traits. These included the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, the Brief Pathological Narcissism Inventory, the Two-Dimensional Machiavellianism Scale, and the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale.
To assess the acceptance of gaslighting tactics, the researchers developed a new instrument called the Gaslighting Questionnaire. This tool was refined through exploratory factor analysis, a statistical method used to identify underlying relationships between measured variables. The questionnaire comprised items that described various scenarios typical of gaslighting (e.g., “Person A says Person B has a bad memory if Person B catches Person A telling a lie”) and asked participants to rate the acceptability of these behaviors.
The results demonstrated that all the Dark Tetrad traits exhibited positive correlations with the acceptance of gaslighting tactics, indicating that individuals who score higher on these traits are more likely to find such manipulative behaviors acceptable. This broad correlation suggests a general propensity among those with these traits to endorse or engage in psychological manipulation.
However, the researchers found that not all traits contributed equally. Specifically, primary psychopathy, Machiavellian tactics, and sadism were significant predictors of the acceptance of gaslighting tactics, with sadism emerging as a particularly strong predictor.
Primary psychopathy, characterized by emotional detachment and a lack of empathy, showed a strong association with the acceptance of gaslighting. This finding aligns with the nature of gaslighting, which often requires a calculated approach to manipulate another person’s perception of reality. Individuals high in primary psychopathy may be particularly adept at and comfortable with employing such tactics due to their inherent lack of concern for others’ feelings.
Machiavellian tactics, which involve manipulation and exploitation to achieve one’s ends, also predicted acceptance of gaslighting. This is consistent with the manipulative and strategic components of Machiavellianism, suggesting that those who view interpersonal relationships as opportunities for manipulation see gaslighting as a viable tactic to control or influence their partners.
Sadism’s strong predictive power in the context of gaslighting acceptance underscores the maladaptive pleasure that individuals high in this trait derive from the psychological distress of others. Gaslighting’s inherent goal to destabilize and disorient its victims likely appeals to sadistic individuals, who find the turmoil they create satisfying.
The researchers also found significant gender differences in the acceptance of gaslighting. Men were generally more accepting of gaslighting than women, and this difference was significantly influenced by primary psychopathy levels.
Furthermore, vulnerable narcissism, which includes sensitivity to criticism and insecurity, was linked to higher acceptance of gaslighting tactics among both men and women, but more so in men. This indicates that individuals with high vulnerable narcissism might use gaslighting as a defensive strategy to protect their fragile self-esteem from perceived threats or criticism within intimate relationships.
The researchers included a control for socially desirable responding — the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale — to adjust for the tendency of participants to answer in a manner they perceive as favorable to others. This was crucial in ensuring that the data reflected genuine attitudes rather than responses influenced by the desire to appear socially acceptable.
But as with all research, the study has limitations. The study’s measures were confined to acceptance of gaslighting rather than actual behavior, which means the findings might not directly translate to real-world actions. Future research should look to address these limitations by employing more diverse methodologies, potentially including longitudinal studies to observe how these traits and behaviors interact over time.
“These novel findings provide future researchers with a wealth of opportunity to replicate and expand the exploration of the understudied phenomena of gaslighting,” the researchers concluded.
The study, ““It’s All in Your Head”: Personality Traits and Gaslighting Tactics in Intimate Relationships,” was authored by Evita March, Cameron S. Kay, Bojana M. Dinić, Danielle Wagstaff, Beáta Grabovac, and Peter K. Jonason.
