All articles tagged with #psychopathy
A Porto-led study with 200 healthy adults found correlations between higher psychopathy scores and certain gut bacteria (Allisonella, Prevotella, Cloacibacillus evryensis), suggesting a biological footprint beyond brain-based models. The researchers caution the results show correlation, not causation, and peer review is pending.
A small, first-of-its-kind study from University of Porto suggests a link between gut microbiota and psychopathic traits: stronger psychopathy scores correlated with higher abundances of Allisonella, Prevotella, and C. evryensis and lower levels of T. vincentii. The findings are correlational and based on a small, self-reported sample, so causality cannot be established; authors caution that further, cross-regional research is needed to understand the microbiome–brain connection and potential bidirectional effects.
A small, non-peer-reviewed study from the University of Porto reports a correlational link between specific gut and oral bacteria (Allisonella, Prevotella, and C. evryensis) and psychopathic traits in 200 adults. The researchers caution that the study is correlational with a small sample and potential biases, so causality cannot be established and results may vary by geography or self-report biases; more research is needed to explore how the gut microbiome might influence extreme behavior, if at all.
In an early Translational Psychiatry study, researchers analyzed 200 healthy adults and found that higher levels of certain gut and oral bacteria (Allisonella, Prevotella, Cloacibacillus evryensis) correlated with stronger psychopathic traits, while Treponema vincentii showed a negative association. The work does not show causation and is not yet peer-reviewed, but suggests microbiota could serve as biomarkers for psychopathic traits and potentially influence behavior via inflammation or neurotransmitter pathways like GABA.
A latent profile analysis of 991 adults identified four personality groups: Typicals, Empaths, Dark Triad, and Dark Empaths—the latter about 19% of the sample. Dark Empaths score high on empathy yet also high on narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, using empathic insight for both help and manipulation (indirect aggression). This challenges the view that empathy is unambiguously prosocial, supporting a distinction between empathy and compassion, and highlighting that empathy can be selective and exhausting. While findings have been replicated across some populations, researchers caution that Dark Empath is a statistical pattern rather than a fixed category and call for broader cross-cultural validation.
A 30-day experience-sampling study of 317 adults in Poland shows Machiavellianism and psychopathy are largely indistinguishable on baseline tests, but reveal distinct daily patterns. Baseline overlap exceeds 70%, while day-to-day data show only about 16% overlap. A key finding is that increases in Machiavellian behavior on one day predict higher impulsive, antisocial behavior the next day, but not the reverse. This suggests environment and self-control shape dark personalities and supports treating these traits as separate states rather than the same phenomenon.
A study of 804 incarcerated men finds that higher psychopathy scores are linked to an expanded cortical surface area and a compressed cortical gradient, with distinct relations between empathy types and psychopathic traits and region-specific changes in social-emotional brain regions; the authors note limitations from self-report empathy measures and the male-inmate sample, recommending broader replication and exploration of underlying cellular mechanisms.
A psychologist explains that some children display callous-unemotional (CU) traits that sit on a spectrum and increase the odds of adult psychopathy, detectable in early childhood. The piece explores how genetics and parenting contribute to these traits, cites case studies of extreme behavior, and emphasizes evidence-based interventions—such as parent-child interaction therapy—that reward empathy and limit punishment. It argues that removing problematic children from settings may shift harm elsewhere and that a coordinated family, school, and community approach can reduce violence and improve outcomes for both affected children and their peers.
After Nancy Guthrie, 84, was kidnapped, experts say the attacker likely planned the crime and targeted her home, suggesting premeditation and reconnaissance rather than a random act. Elder kidnappings are rare, making data scarce for a reliable profile, but possible motives discussed include money, notoriety, or misplaced grievances. Public ransom notes are unverified, and investigators stress waiting for verified information while considering that there may be multiple motivational factors and no single offender profile.
Elizabeth Lane's viral post arguing Erika Kirk may be a psychopath drew about 6 million views in 24 hours and sparked a heated debate over Kirk's authenticity after TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk's death, highlighting moments like her rapid rise to CEO, a leaked staff Zoom call, and other public appearances—while Lane says it's opinion, not a diagnosis, the post underscored public discomfort with perceived engineered emotion but produced no conclusive proof.
A study in Current Psychology finds that hyperthyroidism is associated with higher scores on the Dark Tetrad (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism; narcissism elevated compared with hypothyroidism but not different from controls) versus hypothyroidism and healthy controls. Using the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) with 154 adults (49 hyperthyroid, 52 hypothyroid, 53 controls), hyperthyroid participants showed higher scores on multiple dark traits even after adjusting for age and sex. The authors caution the effects are modest, based on self-reported diagnoses in a cross-sectional design, reflecting group-level associations rather than individual dispositions, and they advocate longitudinal studies with objective hormone data to clarify mechanisms such as CNS hyperarousal from excess thyroid hormones.
Recent scientific evidence suggests that psychopathy is more likely to be innate, linked to structural differences in the brain and genetic factors, rather than solely caused by environmental influences, although both may play a role.
A study found that Machiavellianism and psychopathy decrease with age, while narcissism remains stable, suggesting personality traits associated with manipulation and callousness tend to soften over time, though individual changes require longitudinal research for confirmation.
Research suggests that individuals with higher psychopathic traits, specifically meanness, may have a heightened ability to accurately interpret others' thoughts and intentions, challenging previous assumptions that psychopathy impairs social understanding. The study used a movie-based task to assess social cognition and found that meanness was linked to fewer errors in understanding social situations, possibly reflecting a more logical, less emotional approach to social interpretation. These findings highlight the complex relationship between psychopathic traits and social cognition, with implications for understanding manipulation and social behavior.
A meta-analysis found that individuals with higher psychopathic traits are more open to casual sex without emotional intimacy, with this association being relatively strong and consistent across genders, but varying depending on the psychopathy assessment method.