Dangerously Intelligent: A Call for Re-Evaluating Psychopathy Using Perceptions of Intelligence
Background: Primary psychopathy (i.e., unemotional and callous predisposition) is associated with career, educational, and general life success, whereas secondary psychopathy (i.e., impulsivity and risk-taking) relates to criminality, hedonistic lifestyles, and detrimental behaviours. Although psych...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Intelligence |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/11/2/25 |
| _version_ | 1797620098018574336 |
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| author | Sergio A. Silverio Minna T. Lyons Sam P. Burton |
| author_facet | Sergio A. Silverio Minna T. Lyons Sam P. Burton |
| author_sort | Sergio A. Silverio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Primary psychopathy (i.e., unemotional and callous predisposition) is associated with career, educational, and general life success, whereas secondary psychopathy (i.e., impulsivity and risk-taking) relates to criminality, hedonistic lifestyles, and detrimental behaviours. Although psychopathy sub-types have differential relationships to career and life success, how these traits are perceived by others relating to intelligence has not previously been researched. It is also unclear what role an individual’s own psychopathy score plays in perceptions of intelligence. Methods: In an online experiment (n = 458), we investigated perceptions of intelligence (via a combined proxy of whether the rater thought the character in the vignettes had a high IQ and had attended university), using 12 vignettes of high and low primary and secondary psychopathic individuals. Results: High-secondary-psychopathy vignettes were perceived as least intelligent (in agreement with the literature which states people high in secondary psychopathy traits are usually involved in petty crimes, risk taking, and substance abuse, and therefore perceived as socially undesirable). Low-secondary-psychopathy vignettes were perceived significantly more intelligent than high-primary-psychopathy vignettes (in-line with the literature suggesting the placidity and kindness which comes with being low in psychopathic traits is an amenable quality in our society). There was evidence for assortative intelligence perceptions: those high-primary psychopathy self-scorers perceived primary psychopathy vignettes as intelligent (which could be evidence of a ‘likes attract’ phenomenon, whereby those high in primary psychopathy admire others who are similarly high in primary psychopathy). Conclusions: The results suggest individuals demonstrating risk-taking behaviours are perceived as least intelligent, supporting previous research associating secondary psychopathy with poor academic or career success. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:36:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-05d2fcfb23f5423b9506e0156d18406a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-3200 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:36:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Intelligence |
| spelling | doaj.art-05d2fcfb23f5423b9506e0156d18406a2023-11-16T21:25:27ZengMDPI AGJournal of Intelligence2079-32002023-01-011122510.3390/jintelligence11020025Dangerously Intelligent: A Call for Re-Evaluating Psychopathy Using Perceptions of IntelligenceSergio A. Silverio0Minna T. Lyons1Sam P. Burton2School of Life Course & Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, UKSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UKSchool of Life Course & Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King’s College London, London SE1 7EH, UKBackground: Primary psychopathy (i.e., unemotional and callous predisposition) is associated with career, educational, and general life success, whereas secondary psychopathy (i.e., impulsivity and risk-taking) relates to criminality, hedonistic lifestyles, and detrimental behaviours. Although psychopathy sub-types have differential relationships to career and life success, how these traits are perceived by others relating to intelligence has not previously been researched. It is also unclear what role an individual’s own psychopathy score plays in perceptions of intelligence. Methods: In an online experiment (n = 458), we investigated perceptions of intelligence (via a combined proxy of whether the rater thought the character in the vignettes had a high IQ and had attended university), using 12 vignettes of high and low primary and secondary psychopathic individuals. Results: High-secondary-psychopathy vignettes were perceived as least intelligent (in agreement with the literature which states people high in secondary psychopathy traits are usually involved in petty crimes, risk taking, and substance abuse, and therefore perceived as socially undesirable). Low-secondary-psychopathy vignettes were perceived significantly more intelligent than high-primary-psychopathy vignettes (in-line with the literature suggesting the placidity and kindness which comes with being low in psychopathic traits is an amenable quality in our society). There was evidence for assortative intelligence perceptions: those high-primary psychopathy self-scorers perceived primary psychopathy vignettes as intelligent (which could be evidence of a ‘likes attract’ phenomenon, whereby those high in primary psychopathy admire others who are similarly high in primary psychopathy). Conclusions: The results suggest individuals demonstrating risk-taking behaviours are perceived as least intelligent, supporting previous research associating secondary psychopathy with poor academic or career success.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/11/2/25intelligencepsychopathologyindividual differencesrelationship cognitionopposite-sex judgements |
| spellingShingle | Sergio A. Silverio Minna T. Lyons Sam P. Burton Dangerously Intelligent: A Call for Re-Evaluating Psychopathy Using Perceptions of Intelligence Journal of Intelligence intelligence psychopathology individual differences relationship cognition opposite-sex judgements |
| title | Dangerously Intelligent: A Call for Re-Evaluating Psychopathy Using Perceptions of Intelligence |
| title_full | Dangerously Intelligent: A Call for Re-Evaluating Psychopathy Using Perceptions of Intelligence |
| title_fullStr | Dangerously Intelligent: A Call for Re-Evaluating Psychopathy Using Perceptions of Intelligence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dangerously Intelligent: A Call for Re-Evaluating Psychopathy Using Perceptions of Intelligence |
| title_short | Dangerously Intelligent: A Call for Re-Evaluating Psychopathy Using Perceptions of Intelligence |
| title_sort | dangerously intelligent a call for re evaluating psychopathy using perceptions of intelligence |
| topic | intelligence psychopathology individual differences relationship cognition opposite-sex judgements |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/11/2/25 |
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