The personal cost of psychopathy: Impacts of triarchic psychopathy traits on impairment, internalizing, and life satisfaction

Abstract

Although psychopathic traits have long been acknowledged as a public health concern, a growing body of evidence suggests there is a significant personal cost to living with psychopathy. However, much of the current literature on psychopathy impairment appears mixed in findings, varying by the traits examined and measured outcomes. The current paper aims to contribute to this field of research by examining how a triarchic model of psychopathy relates to a wide variety of potential consequences, including impairment, personality functioning, interpersonal functioning, internalizing, and perceived quality of life. Through two studies utilizing the Triarchic psychopathy model in undergraduate samples, significant psychopathy impairment was identified. Broadly, disinhibition was related to the most significant impairments across functioning domains. Boldness was more variable and elicited both positive (e.g., higher quality of life, lower self-harm) and negative (impairments in empathy and intimacy) outcomes. Meanness was primarily related to interpersonal difficulties; however, differences in measuring meanness led to different findings on its connection to personality functioning. By better understanding the consequences of psychopathy and how they vary by dimensional traits, interventions can be better tailored to alleviate both individual and societal suffering.