Skip to content

Does social media reveal pre-existing personality traits (e.g. dark triad) - or create them?

Has social media, with the ability to comment anonymously without legal or social penalties, created functional psychopathic tendencies in people, or simply revealed existing personality issues?

The short answer: Personality traits predict online behaviour and not the reverse. 40-60% of dark triad and psychopathic personality traits are heritable (and another study).

These traits "show remarkable stability".

This study looks at cyberbullying and psychopathy, and also Constructing the cyber-troll: Psychopathy, sadism, and empathy.

In a similar vein to historical Autism research, the model of psychopathy has been said be too male focused. BPD and other disorders have also suffered from this lack-of-data and the assumptions it creates

Methodology in the online behaviour studies

What about the methodology in the online behaviour studies? Do they consider digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Substack etc. which are less anonymous? These platforms aren't well researched, it's mainly Twitter/X, Facebook and forums.

The dark triad and online self-presentation styles and beliefs describes how

"Machiavellianism and psychopathy were associated with adaptable and inauthentic self-presentation"

and

"...those high in narcissism presented an authentic self-online and believed that online environments are not beneficial to self-presentation"

The study was 322 people, with a survey so self-report.

A few other recent studies: