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In the Beast Mode: Predator Self-Identifications as a Model of Disagreeable Functioning
Michael D Robinson1, Roberta L Irvin2,3, Muhammad R Asad1
1North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA.
Assessment
|January 3, 2026
Summary
People preferring predator animals may exhibit self-serving and disagreeable traits. This motivation-based environmental interaction links predator preference to lower agreeableness and self-serving behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- Primitive motivations significantly influence human behavior and personality.
- Understanding these motivations is key to explaining interpersonal interactions and environmental engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between primitive motivations, specifically predator self-identification, and personality traits.
- To assess if a preference for predator animals correlates with disagreeable and self-serving behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Three studies (N=808) utilized a paradigm where participants chose between predator and prey animals.
- Correlational analyses examined the relationship between predator preference and personality measures (agreeableness, interpersonal warmth).
- Behavioral economic games and daily experience sampling assessed self-serving actions and agreeableness.
Main Results:
- Higher predator self-identification was associated with lower agreeableness and interpersonal warmth.
- Preference for predator animals predicted self-serving behavior in economic decision-making.
- Inverse relationships were observed between predator preferences and daily agreeableness.
Conclusions:
- Predator preference serves as an indicator of a motivation-based orientation towards the environment.
- This orientation is characterized by disagreeable and self-serving tendencies.
- Findings highlight the role of primitive motivations in shaping personality and behavior.
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