Summary: A significant cross-national study examined the effects of psychopathy, narcissism, fear of missing out ( FOMO), and cognitive ability on online political participation. People who are high in psychopathy and FOMO were consistently more active in online political activities in eight nations, whereas narcissism just predicted participation in some situations.
Nevertheless, higher cognitive ability was related to a lower level of participation and lessened the impact of lighter traits, making low-ability individuals with large narcissism or psychopathy particularly active. These findings demonstrate how personality, social anxiety, and reasoning ability affect how and where people interact in virtual social spaces.
Important Remarks
- People with high neuroticism and a lack of FOMO are regularly more likely to engage in online political discourse across cultures.
- Lower online social participation is correlated with higher mental capacity, which lessens the impact of black personality traits.
- The influence of selfishness and other characteristics on social behavior is influenced by the historical context, which highlights the significance of local norms.
Origin: Neuroscience News
Online social involvement is simpler than ever in today’s hyperconnected planet, but who exactly is the author of the clicks, feedback, and campaigns?
A fascinating new cross-national study finds that people’s lighter side of character, fear of missing out ( FoMO), and even cleverness levels interact unexpectedly with who participates in the most modern social activity.
Researchers examined how neuroticism, selfishness, FoMO, and cognitive skill affect website political commitment by analyzing review data from over 8, 000 participants from eight different countries, including the United States, China, and a number of East Asian countries.
Their findings paint a subtle picture: those who had great psychopathy or FoMO were consistently more effective online socially, whereas those with higher intelligence tended to employ less.
Additionally, the study found that those with darker personalities and less reasoning skills are more likely to join because lower mental ability amplifies the effects of psychopathy and narcissism.
These insights not only provide insight into the internal mechanisms underlying virtual political activism, but they also raise significant questions about the legitimacy and effects of like engagement in global digital democracies.
The Negative Impact of Political Participation
Some studies have examined how so-called “dark” character traits like narcissism and psychopathy influence social behavior, compared to studies that have examined how traits like agreeableness or openness correlate with social involvement.
These characteristics are frequently linked to aggressive, self-serving, and deceitful tendencies. However, in a political climate where competition, conflict, and public attention are prevalent, these traits can be a shocking asset.
However, the study found that sociopathy, which is characterized by bravery, impulsivity, and a lack of empathy, was a strong predictor of virtual social participation across all eight of the studied nations.
People from the U.S. to Vietnam were more likely to engage in online political exercise, suggesting that the dynamic, frequently controversial nature of online discussion appeals to these individuals.
Higher website political involvement was also related to selfishness, which is defined by bombast and a need for admiration, in some cases, such as the United States, the Philippines, and Thailand.
In collectivist cultures like China or Malaysia, overt narcissistic behaviour may be less socially acceptable, dampening its influence on political participation. This variant may reveal ethnic differences in how self-promotion and public awareness are perceived.
FoMO Encourages Action
The fear of missing out, or FoMO, is a relatively new psychological trait that emerged in the digital era. It closely relates to compulsive social media use and the anxiety that some people experience when others are having positive experiences without them.
Unsurprisingly, the researchers discovered that FoMO was consistently and strongly related to political online activity in all eight of them. People who feared being cut out of social and political conversation were more likely to start discussions, post content, and post political content online.
This suggests that the majority of people’s digital political participation is motivated more by a desire to belong and not to miss out than by civic duty or ideological commitment.
However, as the authors point out, this raises questions about the caliber of participation. If engagement is primarily driven by anxiety and impulsivity rather than by deliberate thought or a sense of reason, it might undermine the constructive potential of digital democratic spaces.
Intelligence Slows Down Impulsivity
The finding that a standardized verbal reasoning test consistently showed a link between higher cognitive capacity and lower levels of online political participation was perhaps the most surprising.
People who had better problem-solving and critical thinking skills were less likely to participate in political online discussions. Additionally, intelligence was significantly more influential among those with lower cognitive ability than the effects of dark personality traits and FoMO.
In other words, those with high levels of narcissism or psychopathy and low levels of intelligence were most likely to engage in online political activities, possibly in more resolute, impulsive, or disruptive ways.
In contrast, those with higher intelligence appeared to be more able to control their impulses and assess the effects of their actions, lessening the impact of higher IQ and darker personality traits on their behavior.
With one notable exception: in China, the correlation between psychopathy and participation was stronger among those with higher intelligence, suggesting that cultural or institutional factors may influence how these traits interact.
Auswirkungen on digital culture and democracy
The conclusions have significant implications for determining how psychologically engaged digital political activists are. Online platforms not only make political participation more accessible to more people, but they also lower the barriers to impulsive, crude, or manipulative behavior. If those who are highly psychopathic or driven by FoMO make up the majority of the most vocal contributions, this may skew public opinion and decision-making.
This presents the challenge of encouraging inclusive, thoughtful engagement while preventing reactive or harmful participation in the eyes of policymakers and platform designers. These dynamics may be balanced by efforts to improve digital literacy and to create online spaces that encourage deliberation rather than sensationalism.
The study also makes note of the influence of culture: the differences between narcissism, FOMO, and political participation are likely the result of social norms and expectations. Overt self-promotion is less tolerated in collectivist societies, for instance, which may lessen the impact of narcissism on political behavior.
Moving Forward
The study raises fresh questions, but it also provides valuable insights. Future research might look at how various narcissistic or psychopathy types, such as vulnerable versus grandiose narcissism or primary versus secondary psychopathy, affect participation in different ways.
Experimental work could evaluate interventions to reduce the impact of dark traits on online discourse, while longitudinal studies could examine how these traits change with shifting digital environments over time.
The study’s main takeaway is that political participation, especially in the fast-paced, low-cost environment of the internet, is driven by a complex interplay of personality, psychology, and cognition.
We can begin creating digital spaces that encourage constructive civic engagement and help counteract the more destructive impulses that are lurking in the dark by better understanding these dynamics.
About this news release about political psychology and personality analysis
Author:  , Neuroscience News Communications
Source: Neuroscience News
Contact: Neuroscience News Communications – Neuroscience News
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Free of charge.
Saifuddin Ahmed et al.,” How narcissism and psychopathy influence online political participation in the digital age: dark personalities. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Abstract
How narcissism and psychopathy influence online political participation in the digital age: dark personalities
This cross-national study examines how narcissism, fear of missing out ( FoMO), and psychopathy affect online political participation, and how cognitive ability modifies these associations.
According to research from data from the United States and seven Asian nations, people who have high levels of psychopathy and FOMO are consistently more likely to engage in online political activity.
Although narcissism is also associated with participation, only three of the eight nations exhibit this type of relationship.
In contrast, higher levels of cognitive capacity are consistently related to lower levels of online political participation.
Notably, in five countries, the association between psychopathy and participation is stronger among those with lower cognitive abilities, suggesting that those with high psychopathy and low cognitive ability are the most actively engaged in online political activism.
These findings highlight the nuanced relationship between dark personality traits, FoMO, and cognitive functioning in shaping digital political engagement in various socio-political contexts.
