Psychopathic personality traits predict positive attitudes toward sexually predatory behaviors in college men and women

Dark Tetrad, Acceptance of Sexual Violence, and Sexism

Abstract. The Dark Tetrad is a cluster of four “dark” personality traits which are socially aversive, with distinct conceptual roots, but which are intercorrelated: narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism. Narcissism is associated with inflated self-esteem and feelings of grandiosity; psychopathy involves reduced empathy and a lack of remorse or guilt; Machiavellianism is characterized by a tendency for manipulation for own personal benefit; sadism involves feelings of pleasure with the pain or suffering of others. Sexism is the group of beliefs linked with the perceived superiority of men over women. Previous studies have found relationships between the Dark Tetrad and the tolerance of the use of sexual violence and between the former and sexism. Furthermore, sexism has been linked with the acceptance of sexual violence. This study aims to revise the literature exploring the link between each of the components of the Dark Tetrad and the legitimation of the use of sexual violence; it also aims to present the associations that have been found between the aforementioned variables and sexism and related concepts, in multiple studies. Based on the previous literature, suggestions for aims of future research in this field (i.e., Dark Tetrad, sexual violence, sexism) are made, more specifically exploring the relative effect of each of the components of the Dark Tetrad in the explanation of the legitimation of sexual violence, as well as exploring a possible, at least partial, mediation of sexism in the link between each of the “dark” traits and the acceptance of sexual violence.

Examining Associations Between Participant Gender, Desired Partner Gender, and Views Toward Sexually Coercive Behaviors

Sexual coercion—pursuit of sexual activity with a partner who has not provided full consent (Huppin & Malamuth, Sexual Coercion, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2015) is a pervasive problem that carries psychological and financial costs. Although much past research has focused on sexually coercive acts performed by men and directed at women, the current work evaluates the independent and interactive roles of participant gender, desired partner gender, and sexual orientation in predicting individuals’ views toward sexual coercion, a psychological outcome linked with coercive sexual behavior (e.g., Zinzow & Thompson in Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44:213–222, 2015). To this end, 1021 cisgender men and women (M_age = 26.46 years) who self-identified as heterosexual, gay/lesbian, or bisexual rated the acceptability of sexually coercive behaviors performed by individuals of their gender. Consistent with past behavioral research, men rated these acts to be more acceptable when performed by same-gender others than did women. Extending past research, this gender difference was observed across variation in desired partner genders and sexual orientations. Further, an attraction to women predicted higher acceptability ratings among men but not among women. Finally, identification as heterosexual (as compared to gay/lesbian or bisexual) predicted more favorable views toward these behaviors across participant gender. Taken together, these findings suggest that men who are attracted to women (specifically) may be most likely to view coercive behaviors as acceptable, and thus may be most likely to utilize them, when pursuing sexual activity.

Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of the Sexually Aggressive Behaviors Scale across Male and Female Portuguese College Students

There is growing interest on the topic of Sexual Violence (SV) perpetrated by community samples; movements, as the Me Too, have triggered such focus. Researching the validity of core SV measures is now fundamental. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the structure of the Portuguese version of the Sexually Aggressive Behaviors Scale (SABS-PT) while testing for measurement invariance across gender. The SABS-PT was tested among a sample of 2540 Portuguese college students (48.5% males and 51.5% females). All participants identified as heterosexual, and their ages ranged between 18 and 39 years old. To assess the construct validity and test for measurement invariance across gender, single and multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed. Results support the internal consistency and convergent/discriminant validity of the SABS-PT in relation to external variables. Overall, the findings suggest a good fit of data to the model. The partial scalar invariance of the measurement was obtained and further analyses on latent means differences indicated that men scored higher on SV compared to women. The SABS-PT may constitute a useful instrument for screening sexual initiation by aggressive means and associated risk factors and may play an important role as an outcome measure in programs preventing sexual violence.

The Dark Triad and Sexual Assertiveness Predict Sexual Coercion Differently in Men and Women

Sexual coercion is a global problem that has been studied widely with regard to various characteristics of the perpetrators. The Dark Triad of personality (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, and primary and secondary psychopathy) has been indicated as an important predictor of coercive cognitions and behaviors. In this study, we report findings of an online study (N = 208), exploring the relationship between sexual coercion, the Dark Triad, and sexual assertiveness (i.e., strategies for achieving sexual autonomy). We found that the Dark Triad was a stronger predictor of sexual coercion in men than in women. In men, all the Dark Triad components were significantly, positively correlated with sexual coercion, and narcissism and Machiavellianism had significant, negative correlations with sexual assertiveness. In women, only narcissism had a significant, positive correlation with sexual coercion, and the Dark Triad traits were not correlated with sexual assertiveness. In regression analyses, controlling for shared variance between the predictor variables, high secondary psychopathy, and low sexual assertiveness emerged as significant predictors of coercion in men. Only narcissism was a significant positive predictor in women. We discuss the results with a reference to evolutionary Life History theory.

Sexism, Moral Disengagement, and Dark Triad Traits on Perpetrators of Sexual Violence Against Women and Community Men

The field of criminal psychology involves delving into psychological profiles prone to accepting and justifying sexist attitudes that support sexual violence against adult women (SVAW). The aim of the current study is to analyze the mediating role of moral disengagement in the relationships between dark triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) and ambivalent sexism in a sample of 74 male perpetrators of sexual violence against women (M = 40.58; SD = 10.05) convicted of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault and 160 community men (M = 43.54; SD = 10.63). Since there were no significant differences in the measured variables between individuals convicted of IPV and those convicted of sexual assault, these two groups were combined into a single group of perpetrators of sexual violence against women. A comparison of incarcerated and community men showed that perpetrators of sexual violence against women reported significantly higher levels of ambivalent sexism, moral disengagement, and psychopathy than community men. The moderated mediational model showed that the dark triad was not directly associated with ambivalent sexism, but the relationship was fully mediated by moral disengagement mechanisms. Moreover, the interdependence of the variables evaluated was moderated by group. The moral disengagement mechanisms that explain both hostile and benevolent sexism were associated with Machiavellianism and psychopathy among perpetrators of sexual violence against women, whereas among community men, these mechanisms were associated with Machiavellianism and narcissism. These findings are discussed as they pertain to the treatment of perpetrators of sexual violence against women.

Associations between Dark Triad and Ambivalent Sexism: Sex Differences among Adolescents

The Dark Triad traits (DT; Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) have been repeatedly labeled as a constellation of traits that are characterized by a dishonest and self-focused approach to interpersonal relations. Personality psychologists suggest that these traits make some people more susceptible than others to intergroup bias, threat, and aggression. Thus, in order to delve into a psychological profile prone to accepting and justifying sexist attitudes, the aims of the current study were to analyze the presence of DT and sexist attitudes in a sample of 367 adolescents (M_age = 15.12, SD = 0.88; 50.1% males), find out the relationships that DT has with both hostile and benevolent sexism, and analyze the relevant differences between sexes in these relationships. The results indicated higher scores in DT and Ambivalent sexism for males. The correlations of Machiavellianism with psychopathy, and psychopathy with narcissism revealed significantly higher associations in males than females. The structural equation modeling of the bifactorial model, characterized by a global latent factor that encompasses the common characteristics of DT-along with the three specific factors of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism-showed that the global latent factor of DT was related to both hostile and benevolent sexism in males and females. Singularly, narcissism was related to benevolent sexism in males, and psychopathy was related to hostile sexism in females. Finally, this research discusses the implications of these results on the implementation of positive models of interpersonal relationships in adolescence towards dating violence prevention.

An exploration of individual differences in a sample of youth charged with violent sexual and non-sexual crimes

Youth who engage in violent crime, including sexual offences, remain understudied. Research conducted on adults suggests that factors linked to antisocial and violent behaviour may enhance the current understanding of sexual offences. These factors include a consideration of how dark personality traits (such as psychopathy) and childhood maltreatment may inform the likelihood of sexual offending. Utilizing a sample of juvenile alleged violent offenders (n = 113), the present study examines the construct of adolescent psychopathy, with abuse as a potential moderator, in relation to offence perpetration. Contrary to some of the literature on adults, the findings indicate that neither psychopathy nor experience of abuse differentiates sexual from non-sexual violent offenders. They also suggest that scoring higher on psychopathy relates to violence more broadly. The importance of tailored programming for youth who may be at risk of offending or who require treatment in the justice system is explored.

The Association Between Sexually Aggressive Cognitions and Pathological Personality Traits in Men

Sexual aggression, harassment, and sexually aggressive cognitions (victim blaming, sexual entitlement) are serious societal problems. Although research has examined attributes of individuals who engage in overt sexual assault, few studies have focused on individual characteristics of those who perpetuate problematic negative beliefs surrounding sexual assault. This study sought to examine the relationship between pathological personality and sexually aggressive cognitions among 242 community men. Results showed that traits including antagonism, disinhibition, and negative affectivity were associated with sexually aggressive cognitions. These results have implications for understanding sexual aggression and the role personality plays in perpetuating sexually aggressive attitudes.

Personality Disorder Features and Paraphilic Interests Among Undergraduates: Differential Relations and Potential Antecedents

We examined the relations between: (1) narcissism, psychopathy, DSM-5 personality disorder symptom counts; and (2) paraphilic interests among undergraduates (N = 608). Base rates of paraphilic interests were appreciable. The disinhibition and meanness features of psychopathy and the entitlement and exploitativeness features of narcissism were robustly associated with paraphilic interests, particularly sexual sadism, whereas the boldness features of narcissism and psychopathy were essentially unrelated to these interests. Narcissism and psychopathy features typically manifested the most pronounced relations with paraphilic interests, although antisocial personality disorder features were also strong predictors. By and large, these relations were comparable across gender. Lastly, there was no evidence that erotophilia mediated the relations between the narcissism and psychopathy features and paraphilic interests, most likely because erotophilia was generally unrelated to paraphilic interests. Relative to other dimensions of personality disorders, facets of meanness and disinhibition from psychopathy and entitlement/exploitativeness facets from narcissism were most associated with paraphilic interests.

The Exploitive Mating Strategy of the Dark Triad Traits: Tests of Rape-Enabling Attitudes

The Dark Triad traits have been repeatedly labeled as facilitating an exploitive mating strategy. However, various researchers have repeatedly conflated short-term mating or casual sex with an exploitive mating strategy. In this study using Mechanical Turk participants (N = 252; 142 men, 110 women), we provided a better test of just how sexually exploitive those high on the Dark Triad traits might be by examining how the traits related to rape-enabling attitudes. We examined how each trait may facilitate rape, whether these associations were robust to partialing the variance associated with the Big Five traits and similar in men and women, and showed that one reason why men may be more likely to rape than women is they are characterized by the Dark Triad traits more than women are. In so doing, we test the confluence model of rape that asserts that personality traits similar to the Dark Triad traits act as one pathway to rape.

Identifying Careless Responding With the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised Validity Scales

The Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) includes validity scales that assess Deviant Responding (DR), Virtuous Responding, and Inconsistent Responding. We examined the utility of these scales for identifying careless responding using data from two online studies that examined correlates of psychopathy in college students (Sample 1: N = 583; Sample 2: N = 454). Compared with those below the cut scores, those above the cut on the DR scale yielded consistently lower validity coefficients when PPI-R scores were correlated with corresponding scales from the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure. The other three PPI-R validity scales yielded weaker and less consistent results. Participants who completed the studies in an inordinately brief amount of time scored significantly higher on the DR and Virtuous Responding scales than other participants. Based on the findings from the current studies, researchers collecting PPI-R data online should consider identifying and perhaps screening out respondents with elevated scores on the DR scale.