Psychopaths: why they’ve thrived through evolutionary history – and how that may change
From an evolutionary point of view, psychopathy is puzzling. Given that psychopathic traits are so negative, why do they remain in successive generations? Assuming there’s a genetic component to this family of disorders, we’d expect it to decrease over time....
Read moreDetails
Psychopathic men are better able to mimic prosocial personality traits in order to appear appealing to women
A new study provides evidence that men with more pronounced psychopathic personality traits exhibit greater increases in Honesty, Emotionality and Agreeableness personality traits when they were instructed to give answers (to a personality inventory) that would make them more appealing...
Read moreDetails
Psychopathic women show reduced structural integrity in brain region linked to emotional responses
What are the neurocognitive mechanisms that contribute to antisocial behaviors? A study in Brain Imaging and Behavior suggests that decreased white matter connectivity could be linked to psychopathy for incarcerated women.
Read moreDetails
Study sheds light on features of psychopathy related to treatment engagement among incarcerated youths
The criminal justice system has been under critique in recent years for prioritizing punishment over treatment, but how can we be confident in who is open to benefiting from treatment? A study published in Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology...
Read moreDetails
New psychology research links childhood betrayal trauma to secondary psychopathy in adulthood
A new study has found that people who reported suffering betrayal trauma in childhood were more likely to exhibit psychopathic and callous traits in adulthood. Dissociative experiences were found to mediate this association. The study was published in the Journal...
Read moreDetails
Some psychopathic individuals have adaptive traits that lead to happiness and life satisfaction
A new study published in Personality and Individual Differences examined the role that adaptive psychopathic traits may play in the lives of those who score high on measures of psychopathy. The findings indicate that individuals with higher levels of traits...
Read moreDetails
Study helps untangle the complicated relationship between psychopathy and emotional awareness
Psychopathic tendencies tend to be associated with reduced levels of emotional awareness, according to a new study published in PLOS One. However, this negative relationship is strongest among individuals who experienced heightened adversity in early life. Adding another wrinkle to...
Read moreDetails
Study uncovers a surprising level of heterogeneity in psychopathy among condemned capital murderers
New research sheds light on the psychological profiles of individuals who have been convicted of capital murder in California and sentenced to death. The study, published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, found a "pronounced heterogeneity" concerning clinical psychopathy. While...
Read moreDetails
Study finds psychopaths may not remember emotionally negative events accurately
The findings indicate that individuals high in the psychopathic trait of fearless dominance were less likely to produce false memories when exposed to negative stimuli. Likewise, individuals high in the psychopathic trait of cold-heartedness tended to have fewer true memories...
Read moreDetails
New study explores the psychological mechanisms linking gambling to psychopathy
An online survey of university student gamblers reported that people who gamble and are prone to lying, cheating and callous behavior (primary psychopathy) were much more likely to fall into gambling-related problems and much less likely to use strategies to...
Read moreDetails
Psychopaths behind the wheel are more likely to drive aggressively and commit traffic violations
A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology explored the connection between psychopathic traits, driving behavior, and anger expression while behind the wheel. The results revealed that individuals with primary psychopathic traits had higher rates of traffic violations...
Read moreDetails
People with psychopathic tendencies find frightening situations enjoyable rather than threatening
Does psychopathy make people fearless? A study published in Cognition and Emotion suggests that people who have psychopathic traits are more likely to take risks, even when faced with a fear-invoking stimuli, and that this may be in part due...
Read moreDetails
Study finds twelvefold higher mortality risk among psychopathic female offenders
New research highlights the health dangers associated with an antisocial lifestyle. A study of psychopathic female offenders revealed a mortality risk that was 12 times higher compared to the general population. The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Read moreDetails
Bodybuilders with a history of steroid use are more likely to exhibit psychopathic traits, risk-taking behavior, and anger problems
Recent findings published in the journal Scientific Reports shed new light on the risks associated with the use of steroids among male athletes. This time, researchers found that bodybuilders with a history of steroid use were more likely to exhibit psychopathic tendencies,...
Read moreDetails
Psychopathic men have an extreme focus on mating at the expense of other domains and tend to be “parasitic” fathers
Why do psychopaths become parents? A study published in Evolutionary Psychological Science suggests that people high in psychopathy focus primarily on mating, but often avoid parental or somatic investment (meaning the growth and maintenance of oneself).
Read moreDetails
- Why personalized ads sometimes backfire: A research review explains when tailoring messages works and when it doesn’t
- The common advice to avoid high customer expectations may not be backed by evidence
- Personality-matched persuasion works better, but mismatched messages can backfire
- When happy customers and happy employees don’t add up: How investor signals have shifted in the social media age
- Correcting fake news about brands does not backfire, five-study experiment finds