Humor in Dark Personalities: An Empirical Study on the Link Between Four Humor Styles and the Distinct Subfactors of Psychopathy and Narcissism
BackgroundHumor is a main ingredient of interpersonal relationships. Two sets of psychopathological traits known for their devastating impact on interpersonal relationships are psychopathy and narcissism. The current study was developed to provide a fine-grained analysis of the relationship between...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.548450/full |
| _version_ | 1823931501109051392 |
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| author | Jill Lobbestael Vanessa Lea Freund |
| author_facet | Jill Lobbestael Vanessa Lea Freund |
| author_sort | Jill Lobbestael |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundHumor is a main ingredient of interpersonal relationships. Two sets of psychopathological traits known for their devastating impact on interpersonal relationships are psychopathy and narcissism. The current study was developed to provide a fine-grained analysis of the relationship between four humor styles (affiliative, self-enhancing, self-defeating, and aggressive) and both psychopathic and narcissistic traits. Specifically, it addresses how humor styles relate to the three psychopathy subfactors (following the triarchic model) and four subfactors of grandiose narcissism.MethodSelf-report measures in a non-clinical male sample N = 177.ResultsMultiple regression analyses revealed psychopathic and narcissistic traits’ relation to using both benign and injurious humor. Subfactor analyses showed that aggressive and self-defeating humor were mostly associated with impulsivity and entitlement, while dominance levels actuated the use of humor to cope with stress. The cold-heartedness component of psychopathy proved to be particularly humorless, setting it aside as a distinctively disturbing psychopathic subfactor.Conclusions and implicationsHumor strongly colors the interpersonal style of both psychopathic and narcissistic personalities. Differential components of both personality types inform on the possible underlying motivations that drive the use of distinct styles of humor. This implies that psychopathic and narcissistic traits could potentially be lowered through the alternation of humor styles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T21:39:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5cbe79b5056b44f788ee67c976bc15b9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T21:39:14Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5cbe79b5056b44f788ee67c976bc15b92022-12-21T22:15:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-04-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.548450548450Humor in Dark Personalities: An Empirical Study on the Link Between Four Humor Styles and the Distinct Subfactors of Psychopathy and NarcissismJill LobbestaelVanessa Lea FreundBackgroundHumor is a main ingredient of interpersonal relationships. Two sets of psychopathological traits known for their devastating impact on interpersonal relationships are psychopathy and narcissism. The current study was developed to provide a fine-grained analysis of the relationship between four humor styles (affiliative, self-enhancing, self-defeating, and aggressive) and both psychopathic and narcissistic traits. Specifically, it addresses how humor styles relate to the three psychopathy subfactors (following the triarchic model) and four subfactors of grandiose narcissism.MethodSelf-report measures in a non-clinical male sample N = 177.ResultsMultiple regression analyses revealed psychopathic and narcissistic traits’ relation to using both benign and injurious humor. Subfactor analyses showed that aggressive and self-defeating humor were mostly associated with impulsivity and entitlement, while dominance levels actuated the use of humor to cope with stress. The cold-heartedness component of psychopathy proved to be particularly humorless, setting it aside as a distinctively disturbing psychopathic subfactor.Conclusions and implicationsHumor strongly colors the interpersonal style of both psychopathic and narcissistic personalities. Differential components of both personality types inform on the possible underlying motivations that drive the use of distinct styles of humor. This implies that psychopathic and narcissistic traits could potentially be lowered through the alternation of humor styles.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.548450/fullhumornarcissismpsychopathyTriarchic model psychopathysubfactors |
| spellingShingle | Jill Lobbestael Vanessa Lea Freund Humor in Dark Personalities: An Empirical Study on the Link Between Four Humor Styles and the Distinct Subfactors of Psychopathy and Narcissism Frontiers in Psychology humor narcissism psychopathy Triarchic model psychopathy subfactors |
| title | Humor in Dark Personalities: An Empirical Study on the Link Between Four Humor Styles and the Distinct Subfactors of Psychopathy and Narcissism |
| title_full | Humor in Dark Personalities: An Empirical Study on the Link Between Four Humor Styles and the Distinct Subfactors of Psychopathy and Narcissism |
| title_fullStr | Humor in Dark Personalities: An Empirical Study on the Link Between Four Humor Styles and the Distinct Subfactors of Psychopathy and Narcissism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Humor in Dark Personalities: An Empirical Study on the Link Between Four Humor Styles and the Distinct Subfactors of Psychopathy and Narcissism |
| title_short | Humor in Dark Personalities: An Empirical Study on the Link Between Four Humor Styles and the Distinct Subfactors of Psychopathy and Narcissism |
| title_sort | humor in dark personalities an empirical study on the link between four humor styles and the distinct subfactors of psychopathy and narcissism |
| topic | humor narcissism psychopathy Triarchic model psychopathy subfactors |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.548450/full |
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