Dark Personalities and Cognitive Styles: Two Distinct Dispositions Toward Antisocial Behaviour

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Criminology

Background:

• Dark Tetrad (DT) traits, including sadism and psychopathy, are linked to antisocial behaviour.
• Diminished cognitive abilities are also recognized as risk factors for antisocial behaviour.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if cognitive styles mediate the relationship between DT traits and antisocial behaviour.
• To identify specific cognitive styles associated with DT traits and antisocial behaviour.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study with 514 participants.
• Assessed DT traits, cognitive styles (overconfidence, intuitive thinking), and antisocial behaviour.
• Utilized correlation, regression, and path analysis.

Main Results:

• DT traits, particularly sadism and psychopathy, positively correlated with antisocial behaviour.
• Certain cognitive styles, like overconfidence in appearance and dichotomous thinking, showed associations with DT traits and antisocial behaviour.
• Cognitive styles did not mediate the link between DT traits and antisocial behaviour, indicating they are distinct risk factors.

Conclusions:

• Dark Tetrad personality traits and cognitive styles such as overconfidence and impaired logical reasoning are separate predictors of antisocial behaviour.
• Findings have implications for understanding and addressing the development of antisocial behaviour.