Latest news with #darkpersonality
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Georgia attractive to 'dark' personalities, study suggests
The Brief A new study has found a direct link between adverse societal conditions and the dark personalities who live among them. People with a "dark factor of personality" are associated with behaviors like aggression, cheating, narcissism, exploitation and more. Those "dark" traits come with "high social costs," researchers say. Researchers trying to understand "dark" personality traits like narcissism, psychopathy and sadism have found a direct link between those characteristics and places with high corruption, poverty and violence. The study, conducted by three researchers from the University of Copenhagen and published in the scientific journal PNAS, used data from 1.8 million people in 183 countries, including 144,000 people in the United States. What they found is a moderate correlation between adverse social conditions and the dark personalities of people who live among them. Although the proven link between society and personality is considered moderate, the impact can be profound, researchers concluded. RELATED: These are the happiest cities in America, according to a new study Big picture view According to the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the dark factor of personality is defined as "the tendency to maximize one's individual utility while disregarding, accepting, or malevolently provoking disutility for others," and "hold beliefs that, in their minds, justify their anti-social behavior." RELATED: Luke Combs admits his struggle with 'obscure' mental health disorder can be 'all-consuming' What they're saying "Aversive personality traits are associated with behaviours such as aggression, cheating, and exploitation – and thus with high social costs," Ingo Zettler, one of the study's authors, said in a news release. "In societies where rules are broken without consequences and where the conditions for many citizens are bad, individuals perceive and learn that one should actually think of oneself first," he continued. "Our findings substantiate that personality is not just something we are born with, but also shaped by the society we grew up and live in." Local perspective Charts from the study show the following states have the most adverse societal conditions: Louisiana Mississippi New Mexico Alabama Texas New York New Hampshire Utah Minnesota Vermont Wisconsin Iowa Nevada New York Texas South Dakota Alabama Georgia Vermont Utah Maine Oregon Alaska New Hampshire What you can do Researchers said governments that reduce corruption and inequality could "not only create better living conditions just now – they may also contribute to mitigating aversive personality levels among citizens in the future." The Source This report includes information from the PNAS scientific journal and the University of Copenhagen.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
These states are most attractive to "dark" personalities, study suggests
The Brief A new study has found a direct link between adverse societal conditions and the dark personalities who live among them. People with a "dark factor of personality" are associated with behaviors like aggression, cheating, narcissism, exploitation and more. Those "dark" traits come with "high social costs," researchers say. Researchers trying to understand "dark" personality traits like narcissism, psychopathy and sadism have found a direct link between those characteristics and places with high corruption, poverty and violence. The study, conducted by three researchers from the University of Copenhagen and published in the scientific journal PNAS, used data from 1.8 million people in 183 countries, including 144,000 people in the United States. What they found is a moderate correlation between adverse social conditions and the dark personalities of people who live among them. Although the proven link between society and personality is considered moderate, the impact can be profound, researchers concluded. RELATED: These are the happiest cities in America, according to a new study Big picture view According to the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the dark factor of personality is defined as "the tendency to maximize one's individual utility while disregarding, accepting, or malevolently provoking disutility for others," and "hold beliefs that, in their minds, justify their anti-social behavior." RELATED: Luke Combs admits his struggle with 'obscure' mental health disorder can be 'all-consuming' What they're saying "Aversive personality traits are associated with behaviours such as aggression, cheating, and exploitation – and thus with high social costs," Ingo Zettler, one of the study's authors, said in a news release. "In societies where rules are broken without consequences and where the conditions for many citizens are bad, individuals perceive and learn that one should actually think of oneself first," he continued. "Our findings substantiate that personality is not just something we are born with, but also shaped by the society we grew up and live in." Local perspective Charts from the study show the following states have the most adverse societal conditions: Louisiana Mississippi New Mexico Alabama Texas New York New Hampshire Utah Minnesota Vermont Wisconsin Iowa Nevada New York Texas South Dakota Alabama Georgia Vermont Utah Maine Oregon Alaska New Hampshire What you can do Researchers said governments that reduce corruption and inequality could "not only create better living conditions just now – they may also contribute to mitigating aversive personality levels among citizens in the future." The Source This report includes information from the PNAS scientific journal and the University of Copenhagen.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The 4 States With the Most Psychopaths Might Surprise You
If you've ever suspected that where you live might be shaping your personality, science is now backing you up — in a way that's both fascinating and deeply unsettling. According to a massive new study led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, certain places in the U.S. are more likely to produce people with what psychologists call "dark" personality traits. Four states top the list. The study analyzed data from more than 2 million people across 183 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Researchers looked at dark traits like psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, and compared them with what they called "adverse societal conditions" — things like poverty, inequality, corruption, and violence. The findings were clear: people living in harsher environments tend to score higher on the so-called "Dark Factor." So which U.S. states stood out? Nevada, New York, South Dakota, and Texas topped the rankings for the highest levels of these traits. The researchers relied on crime rates, poverty stats, and corruption convictions to draw their conclusions. The results were consistent. People living in places with more societal dysfunction are more likely to show signs of selfishness, aggression, and a willingness to exploit others. Lead researcher Ingo Zettler explained that the study doesn't mean people in those states are doomed to be bad actors. However, it does suggest that our surroundings shape us more than we might think. "Even small variations can lead to large differences in how societies function," he said. On the flip side, the states with the lowest levels of dark traits were Vermont, Utah, Maine, and Oregon. These areas tend to be more economically balanced and socially stable, creating environments that, according to the study, are less likely to foster toxic behavior. The takeaway? Dark personality traits aren't just something we're born with. They're also a product of the world we live in. While the data can't predict individual behavior, it paints a sobering picture of how deep the connection between society and psychology really 4 States With the Most Psychopaths Might Surprise You first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 18, 2025
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Study identifies where psychopaths are most likely to live
(NewsNation) — People with so-called 'dark' personalities — including psychopaths, narcissists and sadists — are more common in U.S. states with the most adverse conditions, new research found. The comprehensive study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, analyzed data on 1.8 million people in 183 countries and 144,000 people across the United States. It linked averse social conditions, including poverty, inequality and violence, with 'The Dark Factor of Personality.' Watch: Guest sits on 'Van Gogh chair' at Italy museum, breaking it Researchers used World Bank data for worldwide corruption estimates, while the U.S. was formulated using Census Bureau data on inequality and poverty, Justice Department corruption convictions and FBI homicide rates. Ingo Zettler, one of three researchers behind the study, told the University of Copenhagen that where these conditions were observed, people behaved accordingly. 'In societies where rules are broken without consequences and where the conditions for many citizens are bad, individuals perceive and learn that one should actually think of oneself first,' Zettler said. Some of the standout states for 'dark' personalities included: Louisiana Mississippi Texas Nevada South Dakota New York The least were observed in: Utah Vermont New Hampshire Maine Oregon Alaska Countries that topped the list included Indonesia, Mexico and the U.S. Man finds out he was married without his knowledge, ex arrested Researchers acknowledged that the study has some limitations. It's impossible for them to know how long participants have lived in certain countries or states before personality tendencies developed, and some data was collected using self-selection services, which could result in inaccurate answers. But Zettler said their work shows a connection between personality and circumstance and could prove important in shaping the world. 'This means that reforms that reduce corruption and inequality not only create better living conditions just now – they may also contribute to mitigating aversive personality levels among the citizens in the future,' he told the university. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
