Psychopathy

New research sheds light on how different psychopathic personality traits relate to different forms of sexual aggression.

A new study shows that perceiving psychopathic traits in a romantic partner is a strong predictor of your own relationship dissatisfaction. One's own manipulative tendencies and being seen as callous were also consistently linked to lower satisfaction for the couple.

How well can people with psychopathic traits understand what others are thinking or feeling? A recent study examined this question using a film-based test—and found that one trait, in particular, was linked to stronger performance.

For some young women, a sexual attraction to criminals may be linked to their TikTok habits and personality. A recent study found that engaging with videos that romanticize offenders, along with having higher psychopathy scores, predicted greater hybristophilic tendencies.

Psychopathic traits like low empathy and impulsivity are linked to specific mating strategies, new research confirms. A comprehensive meta-analysis has established a robust correlation between trait psychopathy and a greater willingness to engage in casual sex without emotional commitment.

New neuroimaging research indicates that individuals with higher levels of antisocial personality traits show weaker brain responses to looming angry faces. The findings may help explain why some people fail to recognize or respond appropriately to social threats.

New research finds that men high in psychopathy and sexual desire, and women who are less picky with matches, report more sexual encounters via Tinder. The findings suggest dating apps favor fast, opportunistic mating strategies shaped by personality.

Researchers used high-resolution brain imaging to investigate psychopathy’s neural basis, finding widespread structural differences in men with high psychopathy scores, particularly in frontal-subcortical circuits linked to impulse regulation, decision-making, and behavioral control.

A nationwide Swedish study finds most women who commit lethal violence act in emotionally charged situations, with low psychopathy scores and little planning. Severe mental disorders were linked to a more complex blend of reactive and instrumental features.

Psychologists are learning that psychopathic traits can be subtle, widespread, and surprisingly influential. These 11 studies offer a science-backed glimpse into how callousness, impulsivity, and emotional detachment shape everything from romantic behavior to mortality risk and facial emotion processing.

Researchers found that narcissists and psychopaths score lower on emotional intelligence—if measured with objective tasks. But when asked to self-rate their emotional skills, narcissists gave themselves higher marks. The findings highlight key differences in how personality shapes self-perception.

A new study finds that people with low emotional awareness tend to make more utilitarian moral decisions—but only when psychopathic traits are also present. The findings reveal how emotional detachment and empathy deficits interact in shaping difficult moral choices.

Researchers used structural brain imaging to explore how psychopathy is linked to externalizing behaviors. The study found that variations in brain connectivity—especially in emotion and attention networks—may help explain why some individuals with psychopathic traits engage in antisocial behavior.