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Correlates of psychopathic personality traits in everyday life: results from a large community survey

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  • 02/20/2025
Type of Material
Authors
    Scott O Lilienfeld, Emory UniversityRobert D. Latzman, Georgia State UniversityAshley L. Watts, Emory UniversitySarah F. Smith, Emory UniversityKevin Dutton, University of Oxford
Language
  • English
Date
  • 2014-07-22
Publisher
  • Frontiers
Publication Version
Copyright Statement
  • © 2014 Lilienfeld, Latzman, Watts, Smith and Dutton.
License
Final Published Version (URL)
Title of Journal or Parent Work
ISSN
  • 1664-1078
Volume
  • 5
Issue
  • 740
Abstract
  • Although the traits of psychopathic personality (psychopathy) have received extensive attention from researchers in forensic psychology, psychopathology, and personality psychology, the relations of these traits to aspects of everyday functioning are poorly understood. Using a large internet survey of members of the general population (N = 3388), we examined the association between psychopathic traits, as measured by a brief but well-validated self-report measure, and occupational choice, political orientation, religious affiliation, and geographical residence. Psychopathic traits, especially those linked to fearless dominance, were positively and moderately associated with holding leadership and management positions, as well as high-risk occupations. In addition, psychopathic traits were positively associated with political conservatism, lack of belief in God, and living in Europe as opposed to the United States, although the magnitudes of these statistical effects were generally small in magnitude. Our findings offer preliminary evidence that psychopathic personality traits display meaningful response penetration into daily functioning, and raise provocative questions for future research.
Author Notes
  • Correspondence: Scott O. Lilienfeld, Department of Psychology, Room 473, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. E-mail: slilien@emory.edu
Keywords
Research Categories
  • Psychology, Behavioral

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