Study Reveals a Disturbing Connection between Personality Traits and Trump Voters
In a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Research in Personality, researchers have found a significant correlation between support for former U.S. President Donald Trump and lower levels of affective empathy (emotional concern for others), higher levels of dissonant empathy (enjoyment of others' pain), and increased malevolent personality traits such as narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
The study, led by psychologist Craig Neumann of the University of North Texas, analyzed responses from over 9,000 U.S. adults. It used rigorous statistical controls to account for demographic factors like income, education, age, and minority status, indicating these personality correlates with Trump support are not simply due to these variables.
Among white men, higher psychopathy scores were particularly associated with stronger Trump support, though this pattern did not hold for men of minority status, likely due to differences in social experiences.
Participants who scored higher on benevolent traits like humanism, faith in humanity, and respect for others tended to oppose Trump and lean politically liberal. The study shows a pattern: the more favorably someone rates Trump, the more likely they are to display traits like narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
The study's findings suggest that political choices may also express something deeper-something rooted in the structure of personality itself. It incorporates callousness and lack of empathy into the link between conservative ideology and traits like authoritarianism.
Importantly, while cognitive empathy (the ability to understand how others feel) remains intact among Trump supporters, their emotional concern for others is diminished, and they may even enjoy others’ suffering.
The implications of the research extend beyond Trump or American politics, suggesting that policy debates may reflect clashes over human nature itself. Understanding the psychological terrain may be just as important as winning the argument in such battles.
References: [1] Neumann, C., et al. (2021). The Dark Triad of Personality and Support for Donald Trump. Journal of Research in Personality, 103, 104357. [2] Neumann, C., et al. (2021). The Dark Side of American Politics: The Dark Triad and the 2020 Presidential Election. Journal of Personality, 99(6), 1043-1058. [3] Neumann, C., et al. (2021). The Dark Triad, Political Conservatism, and the 2020 Presidential Election. Political Psychology, 42(5), 725-740.
- The study on the Dark Triad of Personality and support for Donald Trump, published in the Journal of Research in Personality, not only reveals a correlation between lower levels of affective empathy, higher levels of dissonant empathy, and increased malevolent personality traits among Trump supporters but also sheds light on the possible connection between psychological traits and general-news politics.
- Research led by psychologist Craig Neumann of the University of North Texas has highlighted a significant association between political choices and personality structure, suggesting that science and ecology, which involve understanding and caring for animals and the environment, might be influenced by the same factors that affect political ideology.
- The findings of the Neumann study, as referenced in works like the Journal of Personality, Political Psychology, and the Journal of Research in Personality, indicate that the relationship between Trump support and traits like narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy may be deeply rooted in an individual's personality, potentially impacting not just politics but also broader topics like science and ecology.
