A new massive study suggests that growth in a society marked by corruption, inequalities, poverty and violence can influence the way people are willing to behave selfishly – even if it has a cost for others. The results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesTake evidence that the aversive societal conditions are linked to the development of personality traits associated with strangulation, exploitation and moral contempt.
In an analysis of more than 1.7 million individuals in 183 countries and more than 140,000 people from the 50 American states, researchers have found a coherent, although modest association, between unfavorable societal conditions and higher levels of what psychologists call the “dark personality factor”. This general factor reflects a tendency to prioritize his own interests while ignoring – or even provoking – a Harm to others, often accompanied by beliefs that justify such behavior.
Dark personality traits refer to lasting models of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are socially and ethically aversive. These include traits such as narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, sadism and wickedness. Although each line emphasizes different characteristics – such as those of psychopathy or manipulation of Machiavellianism – research over the past decade suggests that they share a common nucleus.
It is believed that this shared provision, called a dark factor of the personality (or simply “D”), reflects a general tendency to continue the personal gain to the detriment of others, supported by the beliefs according to which such behavior is justifiable. For example, someone high in D might believe that “everyone looks at each other” or that “most people deserve what they get”.
Just as intelligence researchers have identified a “G” factor that underpins cognitive capacity, personality researchers argue that all dark traits underlie. People raised in D are more likely to behave dishonestly, to take revenge, to exploit others and to rationalize the behavior contrary to ethics. But what shapes the development of this psychological trend?
The authors of the new study have hypothesized that certain unfavorable social environments could promote the development of darker personality profiles. They describe them as “aversive societal conditions” (ASC), measured by four factors: corruption, economic inequality, poverty and violence.
The idea is that in contexts where exploitation, injustice and insecurity are common, an interested behavior can be perceived not only as acceptable but necessary for survival. In such societies, people can learn that others cannot trust, cheating is chargeable or injuring it of others is a legitimate way to get ahead. Over time, such beliefs can become internalized and crystallize in stable personality traits.
The study was motivated by “an intertwining between theoretical and pragmatic reasons”, according to the main author Ingo Zettler of the University of Copenhagen. “Theoretically, there have always been ideas according to which societal conditions contribute to the proliferation of certain personality traits in a society, but research has not seemed too much to the characteristics of the very reverse (or anti -social) personality. characteristics between societies. »»
The researchers have created an index of aversive societal conditions between countries and American states using data accessible to the public. Above all, they focused on how these conditions considered about 20 years before the collection of personality data, to examine whether long -term exposure during the years of training predicts subsequent personality trends.
The researchers relied on a set of massive data of people who voluntarily completed the dark factor of the personality questionnaire via an online platform, which offers feedback on personality. (You can pass the test here.) After applying various quality control controls and paired the authotic country of the participants with geolocated IP data, the final sample included 1,791,542 people from 183 countries and a distinct sample of 144,576 people in 50 American states.
Each person has completed a short validated version of the D question D. The articles included statements such as “my own pleasure is all that matters” and “the people who disturb me with me always regret it”. Participants evaluated how much they agreed or disagree with each element.
For each country and state, the researchers calculated an ASC index based on corruption, income inequality, poverty rates and homicide rates from 2000 to 2004. These measures were combined using the analysis of the main components to create a single score reflecting how local societal conditions were at the time.
Several regression analyzes revealed that individuals living in countries or states with higher ASC scores tended to have higher scores. Although the effect sizes are low, the results were statistically significant and consistent in the international sample and the 50 American states.
The researchers found that the average levels of dark personality traits systematically varied between American states, certain regions constantly marking more on the dark factor of personality than others. States such as Nevada, New York, Texas, Louisiana, California, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee were one of those who have the highest means. These states also tended to have higher levels of aversive societal conditions.
On the other hand, states such as Vermont, Utah, New Hampshire, Oregon, Maine, Alaska, Minnesota, Idaho, Montana and Colorado had the lowest average scores in the sample. These states generally had more favorable socioecological conditions in the early 2000s, with levels of violence, corruption and lower poverty.
“We expected to find a link between the aversive societal conditions and the proliferation of the characteristics of the aversive personality, but it was pleasant to see it replicating in the same country,” Zettler told Psypost.
These results suggest that people’s personality traits – in particular those related to selfishness, moral disengagement and interpersonal damage – are not only shaped by individual or genetic factors but also by the broader social environment. This supports the idea that personality development is sensitive to socioecological conditions, in particular adolescence and the beginning of adulthood.
In societies marked by generalized corruption and violence, people can learn that the exploitation of others is normal or even necessary. Over time, repeated exposure to such environments can promote beliefs and behaviors that align with the dark factor of personality.
Interestingly, the researchers found that this association was stronger in younger people and in societies who emphasize individualism. These models suggest that cultural values and development timing can moderate the influence of aversive societal conditions.
The results also resisted during the use of alternative measures of societal aversivity, such as an index of rules of the rules (including tax evasion and fraudulent policy), providing additional support to the link between severe environments and the proliferation of dark traits.
“I would say there are two main catches,” said Zettler. “First, the average levels of characteristics of the reverse personality differ from one societies to another. Although there are also many differences between people in the same company, there are also differences between societies. Second, the reduction of aversive conditions in his company does not only make life easier for several people in society, but could also reduce the probability of very aversive (or selfish) individuals in this society in the future. ”.
Although the study scale is impressive, there are still some warnings to consider. First, the researchers used online convenience samples, which means that the participants have not been selected at random and may not fully represent the general population. Second, although the analysis explains time delays to reduce the risk of reverse causation, the data is always correlational. This means that the results indicate an association – not a final causal link – between unfavorable environments and dark personality traits.
Another consideration is the potential variability of the quality of the societal data used to build the ASC index. For example, some countries can underestimate corruption or violence, which may influence the accuracy of the index. The researchers also recognize that they do not know how long the participants had lived in their country or their declared state, which makes it difficult to determine the duration of the exposure to aversive conditions.
The study opens the door to more in -depth research on how environments interact with the development of personality. “We continue to try to better understand the development of factor D, as well as the way it expresses in certain behaviors in certain situations (for example, on the basis of different situational possibilities),” said Zettler.
The study, “the aversive societal conditions explain the differences in” dark “personality between the American countries and the states”, was written by Ingo Zettle, Lau Lilleholt, Martina Bader, Benjamin E. Hilbig and Morten Moshage.
