Health · Mental Health · 5 hrs ago
Study links language patterns in life stories to psychopathic traits
Researchers at the University of Mississippi found links between writing and psychopathic traits in a study of 451 people.
Most participants were students, while 144 said they had been in prison.
They wrote about high points, low points and turning points in their lives, then completed a questionnaire measuring boldness, callousness and disinhibition.
People scoring higher in boldness used fewer words about fear, while those scoring higher in callousness used a more positive tone and more words about achievement and rewards.
Higher disinhibition was linked to more negative words and fewer references to friends, as well as less positive and achievement-related language.
The findings show language may reflect different traits, but the researchers said it should not be used to diagnose psychopathy.
The study, published in Personality and Individual Differences, also stresses that people can have these traits to varying degrees.
A study found links between language in people’s life stories and scores on three psychopathic traits.
Researchers at the University of Mississippi asked 451 participants to write about highs, lows and turning points in their lives.
Higher boldness scores were linked to fewer fear-related words, while higher meanness scores were linked to a more positive tone.
Higher disinhibition scores were linked to more negative words and fewer references to friends.
The authors said the findings are not intended to diagnose psychopathy from language.
- Who
- Researchers at the University of Mississippi and 451 participants, most of them students.
- What
- The study linked language in autobiographical writing with scores on psychopathic traits.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- The University of Mississippi conducted the research; participants’ locations are not stated.
- Why
- The researchers examined whether word choice and expression were associated with psychopathic traits, not to diagnose people from their language.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Researchers asked 451 participants to write about highs, lows and turning points in their lives.
Participants completed a self-assessment questionnaire measuring boldness, meanness and disinhibition.
Researchers analyzed the participants’ writing using text-analysis software.
The study was published in Personality and Individual Differences.
- Participants
- 451 people
- Student participants
- Most of the participants were students
- Previously incarcerated participants
- 144 said they had been in prison
- Traits measured
- Boldness, meanness and disinhibition
- Journal
- Personality and Individual Differences
What people are saying
This shows us that the story we tell about our lives has meaning.
Psychopathy shows itself in everyday behavior, even in subtle behaviors such as language.
People tend to think of psychopathy as a single phenomenon. In fact, it is multidimensional.
Sources
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