Psychopathic Personality Traits Research Articles

Juror Characteristics and Decision Making in a Developed Coercive Control Case

The aim of this study was to investigate whether juror characteristics, namely, age, attitudes surrounding coercive control and psychopathic personality traits (PPT), can influence Guilty or Not Guilty verdicts in a developed coercive control trial. One hundred and thirty-five participants (N = 135) completed an online survey consisting of elements of a mock coercive control trial and three questionnaires: the Coercive Control subsection of the Modern Adolescent Dating Violence Attitudes (MADVA (CC)) Scale, the Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale—Revised (PPTS-R) and the Juror Decision Scale (JDS). The results of the analysis demonstrated significant positive correlations between MADVA (CC) scores and all four subscales of the PPTS-R, highlighting the relationship between psychopathy traits and coercive control attitudes. Binary logistic regression findings showed that higher scores on the MADVA (CC) Scale were the only significant predictor of returning a Not Guilty verdict. Those who also returned a Not Guilty verdict had more accepting controlling behaviour attitudes, scored higher for defendant believability and were less confident in their overall decision. Findings from the current study highlight the significance of attitudes in a juror decision-making context. The significance of attitudes may also be applicable to police officers and other agencies within the criminal justice system. Additional efforts need to be made regarding the identification of coercive control tactics, and training programmes should be implemented within the police to increase identification of these behaviours in order and to improve case progression. This may increase the likelihood of a jury being required in these cases. Furthermore, Not Guilty verdicts were given with significantly less confidence than Guilty verdicts, although they have the same influence at trial. More research needs to be carried out to explore the development and maintenance of accepting attitudes towards coercive control, and there is a need for better education regarding coercive control to attempt to tackle harmful attitudes towards it and aim for fairer trials.

Moral dilemmas and psychopathic personality traits

Purpose Moral psychology often assumes a relationship between psychopathy and moral judgments. The purpose of this study is to focus on these issues and examine how psychopathic traits are related to moral decision-making. Hypotheses were formulated, assuming that individuals more sensitive to consequences do not significantly differ from those less sensitive in affective responsiveness, cognitive responsiveness, interpersonal manipulation and egocentricity. It was predicted that individuals less sensitive to moral norms would exhibit greater deficits in affective and cognitive responsiveness, as well as higher levels of interpersonal manipulation and egocentricity. It was also assumed that individuals who prefer action would demonstrate higher levels of these traits. To verify the hypotheses, the methodology used addresses the limitations of previous research methods. Design/methodology/approach The psychopathic personality traits model (PPTM) (Boduszek et al., 2018) was utilized to measure the four aspects of psychopathy as outlined by Boduszek et al. (2018): affective responsiveness, cognitive responsiveness, interpersonal manipulation and egocentricity. The consequences, norms and inaction (CNI) model (Gawronski et al., 2017) was used to quantify sensitivity to consequences, sensitivity to moral norms and general preference for inaction versus action in response to moral dilemmas. The study was conducted on a general population sample (n = 523). Findings It was found that individuals with greater deficits in affective responsiveness are more sensitive to consequences, less sensitive to moral norms and more likely to prefer inaction. Moreover, individuals with pronounced egocentricity showed less sensitivity to the consequences of their moral decisions. Originality/value The results of the study indicate that the relationship between psychopathic personality traits and moral judgments is varied. Deficits in affective responsiveness are associated with a tendency to make decisions that are sensitive to the greater good. Conversely, they are linked to a propensity to violate moral norms and to prefer inaction. Individuals with pronounced egocentricity primarily focus on their own attitudes, interests and beliefs, neglecting overall well-being. The study highlights the complexity of psychopathic traits, demonstrating that deficits in affective responsiveness can be both beneficial and potentially risky, which is particularly relevant in organizational psychology. Understanding these ambiguous manifestations reveals that, although individuals with such traits may make rational and effective decisions, their choices can raise moral concerns. In clinical and forensic psychology, this knowledge can enhance intervention strategies, ensuring a more targeted approach. Moreover, it may improve risk assessment models for recidivism, leading to more accurate predictions of future norm violations.

Understanding how survivors of non-consensual intimate image dissemination are perceived by UK and Norwegian respondents.

Understanding how survivors of non-consensual intimate image dissemination are perceived by UK and Norwegian respondents.

Psychopathic personality traits are associated with experimentally induced approach and appraisal of fear-evoking stimuli indicating fear enjoyment

The extent to which deficits in the perception and experience of fear contribute to psychopathic symptoms is an ongoing matter of debate. Traditional theories emphasize diminished threat processing as the core fear deficit in psychopathic individuals, whereas recent approaches, such as the fear enjoyment hypothesis (FEH), propose that anomalies in the subjective experience of fear are related to interpersonal-affective psychopathic traits. In order to test predictions of the FEH, we conducted an online experimental study to examine whether approach and avoidance tendencies in response to fear-eliciting stimuli are related to specific psychopathic traits (interpersonal-affective symptoms and boldness). We expected these traits to be associated with faster approach towards and slower avoidance of fear-evoking images in an approach-avoidance task (AAT). In a community-based sample of 211 individuals (69% female), self-reported interpersonal-affective traits predicted more positive appraisal ratings of and a faster approach towards fear-evoking stimuli in the AAT paradigm. The link between psychopathic traits and faster approach towards fear images could not be explained by traits related to impulsiveness or impaired inhibitory control. The present findings shed light on the subjective appraisal of fear-evoking situations by individuals with elevated psychopathic traits. Implications on etiological models of psychopathy are discussed.

Effects of Intermale Status Challenge and Psychopathic Traits on Sexual Aggression.

In the past five decades, a wealth of research has improved our understanding of the individual and sociocultural factors that contribute to sexual aggression perpetration. At the same time, epistemological differences in theoretical approaches to the subject (i.e., evolutionary, feminist) have stymied the study of the topic from multiple perspectives. Informed by feminist and evolutionary perspectives and research on individual differences, this study examined interactions between intermale status challenge and psychopathic personality traits on a laboratory analog of sexually aggressive behaviors among 139 heterosexual men (average 21 years old, 64% white, 26% Hispanic). Results suggest multiple pathways to sexual aggression, with the strongest evidence for the role of interpersonal-affective psychopathic traits in sexual aggression following a competition win, but not loss. Results are discussed to emphasize the importance of both individual-level variables and interpersonal social contexts in shaping sexual aggression behavior.

Childhood trauma and psychopathy: The moderating role of resilience.

Despite accumulating evidence of significant albeit moderate associations between childhood trauma and psychopathy, little is known about the potential moderators of these associations. To advance knowledge in this area, the present study investigated the moderating role of resilience in the childhood trauma-psychopathy link. A community sample of 521 adult participants from the Netherlands (40.1% men; Mage = 35.27 years, SD = 15.99) completed two self-report questionnaires measuring psychopathic personality traits: a self-report measure of resilience and a retrospective measure of childhood traumatic experiences. Correlation analyses were employed to investigate bivariate associations among study variables. Moderated multiple regression analyses with bootstrapping followed by simple slope analyses were employed to examine Childhood Trauma × Resilience interactions in predicting scores of psychopathy subscales. Childhood trauma had small positive associations with psychopathic traits across the board, with the exception of a small negative association with boldness traits, as well as a small negative association with resilience. Resilience was strongly and positively related to boldness, and negatively related to affective (callousness, meanness) and behavioral (antisocial, disinhibition) traits of psychopathy. Resilience moderated six out of seven associations between childhood trauma and psychopathic traits. Resilience appeared to represent a significant buffer in the associations between childhood traumatic experiences and psychopathic traits, such that these associations became weaker and nonsignificant (and even negative for boldness) at higher levels compared to lower levels of resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Associations among psychopathy, relationship satisfaction, and professional success in couples.

Individuals' psychopathic personality traits can have negative effects on the people around them. This research investigated whether the negativity of someone's psychopathic personality crosses over to their partner and then spills over into their partner's workplace. Using a nationally diverse community sample of 490 employed romantic couples from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses examined the associations among psychopathy facets (fearless dominance, self-centered impulsivity, and coldheartedness), relationship satisfaction, and professional success. Cross-sectional dyadic modeling indicated that an individual's coldheartedness was negatively associated with their partner's occupational prestige, although there was no evidence that partner's relationship satisfaction mediated this link. Furthermore, the associations between psychopathy and professional success at the individual level were partially mediated by a person's own relationship satisfaction. Longitudinal dyadic modeling suggested that an individual's self-centered impulsivity negatively predicted their partner's relationship satisfaction and positively predicted their partner's occupational prestige over time. Collectively, this research suggests that an individual's psychopathic traits may foster negativity in relationships that spills over into their own workplaces but do not cross and spill over to their partner's workplace. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparing NIRA and Traditional Network Approaches: AStudy Case With Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits.

This study explores the NodeIdentifyR algorithm (NIRA) as a novel network analysis method for examining Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) traits. Using a sample of 2230 Brazilian adults (aged 18-73 years) who responded to ASPD-related factors of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), we applied NIRA to an ASPD network and compared its results with traditional network analysis methods. Our findings revealed that deceitfulness emerged as the most central trait across both methodologies. NIRA provided additional insights, indicating that simulated decreases in the likelihood of irresponsibility reduced the presence of other traits, while a simulated increase in deceitfulness amplified the likelihood of other ASPD pathological traits. Our results suggest that traditional network centrality measures converge with NIRA's simulated increase results, but NIRA's simulated decrease provides additional information not captured by traditional centrality estimates. We recommend further research to validate these findings across different psychopathologies and refine NIRA use in clinical settings. The insights from this study could serve as a foundation for developing targeted interventions and enhancing our understanding of ASPD trait dynamics.

Judgement Differences of Types of Image-Based Sexual Harassment and Abuse Conducted by Celebrity Perpetrators and Victims.

An emerging corpus exists pertaining to societal judgements of image-based sexual harassment and abuse (IBSHA). This type of research centres on the non-consensual sharing of intimate images (NCSII; sometimes called 'revenge pornography'), but recent legislative developments seeking to convict those who engage in the unsolicited sending of intimate images (USII; sometimes called 'dick pics') evoke a need to broaden this literature. Moreover, in the context of recent and highly publicised accounts featuring both celebrity perpetrators and victims of IBSHA, it is important to understand whether celebrity status impacts said judgements. We present three studies outlining judgement differences between vignettes featuring NCSII and USII as a function of perpetrator/victim celebrity status and as predicted by previously implicated personality traits and beliefs. In Studies 1 (N = 261) and 2 (N = 237), though vignettes involving NCSII were perceived more criminal in nature and anticipated to evoke more harm than USII, said victims also received more blame. Contrary to our hypotheses, there was no further impact of celebrity status on either the perpetrator (Study 2) or victim (Study 3; N = 207). Finally, although dark personality traits (associated with callousness and low empathy) predicted variation in judgements of IBSHA across all studies, in Study 2, psychopathic personality traits specifically predicted proclivity to engage in NCSII but not USII. The results are discussed in reference to the importance of IBSHA-related education on an international level and the pursuit of further legislation in this area.

The influence of dark triad-specific personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy) on parenting styles, and parental competence in raising and educating children

This study aims to determine the existence of an association between the Dark Triad personality traits, parental competence, and parental styles. The parentsʼ personality traits, particularly those of the Dark Triad, may serve as predictors of the child's level of development, educational path choices, academic outcomes, well-being, and overall development. It is of utmost importance to identify these traits to better understand the parents’ behaviour and the potential harm the parent's strategies may inflict on the child. The Dark Triad-specific personality traits can lead to authoritarian, selfish, lacking empathy, and even manipulative behaviors that can significantly and negatively impact a child's life. The research sample includes 609 respondents who fulfil the role of parent. The results revealed that parents' Machiavellian personality traits may be associated with an authoritarian or permissive parenting style, but not with a democratic parenting style. Also, the level of parental competence varies depending on the background of the parents and may be influenced by their psychopathic personality traits.

The Relationship Between Experiencing Childhood Trauma and Psychopathic Personality Traits: The Mediating Role of Insecure Attachment

ABSTRACT While psychopathy has been a topic of interest in the psychological field for a long time, it is still unclear which developmental factors are related to its onset. Theories have suggested that experiencing trauma in childhood may contribute to the development of psychopathic traits. Experiencing trauma may also contribute to the development of an insecure attachment style, which in turn might cause the emergence of psychopathic traits. The current study investigated links between experiencing childhood trauma and the three psychopathy domains of the Extended Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scale (E-LSRP; Egocentricity, Callousness, and Antisocial), and whether these links were mediated by the four insecure attachment dimensions of the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ; Need for Approval, Preoccupation with Relationships, Relationships as Secondary, and Discomfort with Closeness), in a large sample of non-clinical participants (N = 2023, Mage = 32.7, 70.0% female). The results suggested that Relationships as Secondary, but not Discomfort with Closeness, positively mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and the three domains of psychopathy, while Need for Approval negatively mediated this relationship. Preoccupation with Relationships was a significant mediator in the links between childhood trauma and both the Egocentricity and Antisocial domains, but not the Callousness domain. The current findings suggested that there might be both shared and differential mechanisms linking childhood trauma and psychopathic traits through insecure attachment styles. These findings can guide further investigations in longitudinal research.

Peer-delivered training of criminal offenders for aggression and distress management: a new approach in social treatment in prisons in Serbia

ABSTRACT Peer-delivered training of criminal offenders for aggression control and distress management was implemented for the first time in Correction Facility in Niš, Serbia. The aim of the manuscript is to present the method of the peer-delivered training and to evaluate the change in the levels of aggression and distress reaction of the participants after completing the program. In the first phase, prison administration chose offenders who completed training for the peer-workers, supervised by engaged professionals. In the second phase, those six convicts trained the sample of 106 fellow prisoners, randomly assigned to the program, through 12 workshops in order to learn and recognize their own dysfunctional reactions and to adapt social desirable behaviour. An independent evaluator compared pre to post-training differences in levels of aggression and distress also presence of psychopathic traits, and socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects, using Buss & Perry Aggression Scale, Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale DS-14 Questionnaire and Socio-demographic Questionnaire. Results indicate increased levels of aggression and decreased levels of distress after the training. Prisoners with longer sentences had increased levels of anger, physical, verbal aggression, psychopathic traits and distress compared to subgroup with sentences shorter than 5 years. Program is beneficial for prisoners with sentences less than 5 years and with high education level.

The impact of psychopathic traits on anxiety-related behaviors in a mixed reality environment

There is an ongoing debate about anxiety deficits in psychopathy and their possible impact on individual behavior. Data on actual anxiety- and threat-related behavior associated with psychopathy is still limited. We performed a mixed reality study using the elevated plus-maze (EPM) in a non-clinical sample (N = 160) to test anxiety-related behavior in relation to psychopathic personality traits measured through the Brief Questionnaire of Psychopathic Personality Traits (FPP). The psychopathy sum score correlated significantly with all measures of anxiety-related behavior on the EPM. Sensation seeking, but not general levels of acrophobia was moreover associated with psychopathic traits. Multivariate analyses revealed that the subscales Fearlessness and Lack of Empathy of the FPP predicted anxious behavior. Our findings are the first to demonstrate the relationship between psychopathic traits and actual behavior in an anxiety-inducing environment. This supports the low-anxiety hypothesis in psychopathy research. Implications for potentially harmful or risky behavior are discussed.

Overburdening associations: The dependency of psychopathy-related acquisitional learning deficits on processing load

Psychopathic personality traits have been identified as an important predictor of associative learning capacity. Prior work has associated psychopathy with deficits when adapting learned associations in response to novel information. However, findings are inconsistent and are hypothesised to vary as a function of the processing load created by different experimental paradigms. We tested this hypothesis by examining the association between psychopathic traits and Stimulus-Response-Outcome contingency learning whilst manipulating contextual processing load. In experiments one and two, participants completed three versions of a configural object discrimination task that required participants to use increasingly multidimensional learning cues. Across both experiments, it was found that elevated levels of psychopathic traits were associated with a lesser capacity to form S-R-O associations in the bidimensional but not tridimensional versions of the learning task. This suggests psychopathy-related learning deficits may vary as a function of the processing load inherent to the bidimensional learning environment, rather than the type of learning taking place. This provides some of the first experimental evidence that psychopathic learning deficits are detectable during the acquisition phase of learning.

Investigating the role of psychopathic personality traits, gender and ethnicity in rape myth acceptance

Research has found widespread endorsement of rape mythology, with several psychosocial variables underpinning beliefs in rape myths, including psychopathic personality traits. However, findings on the relationship between psychopathy and rape myths are often contradictory. The current study examined the role of four psychopathic personality traits (Affective Responsiveness, Cognitive Responsiveness, Interpersonal Manipulation and Egocentricity) on Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA) scores, controlling for the effects of gender and ethnicity while making use of subtle, contemporary measurement tools never previously employed. A cross-sectional community sample (N = 228) were recruited online to complete the psychosocial survey. Results revealed that deficits in Affective and Cognitive Responsiveness were associated with increased rape myth beliefs. Gender and ethnicity were also significant predictors of RMA. Cognitive Responsiveness, though not Affective Responsiveness, continued to be a significant predictor of RMA after controlling for gender and ethnicity. The role of empathy traits in the aetiology of sexually aggressive attitudes are discussed.

How psychopathy is associated with the level and change of impulsivity in correctional treatment

IntroductionResearch indicates that psychopathy can hinder treatment success and can lead to dropout. Impulsivity is a complex construct that overlaps with psychopathic personality traits and is often targeted in forensic psychotherapy due to its relation to the risk of reoffending.ObjectivesOur aim was to investigate the overlap between psychopathy and impulsivity and the influence of psychopathic traits on change in impulsivity.MethodsWe conducted a pre-post-study for measures of psychopathy and impulsivity in men imprisoned for sexual and non-sexual violent offenses. All participants took part in standardized pre- and post-treatment ratings shortly after admission as well as after an average of 19 months (n=370 for pre-rating, n=168 for post-rating). Psychopathy was measured via the PCL-R, impulsivity with the BIS-15.We calculated two-tailed Pearson correlations for BIS-15 Pre-, Post-, and Change Scores and the PCL-R. In a second step, the BIS-15 pre-post-differences were compared using independent t-Tests, effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d (small, medium, and large effect sizes are d = .20, .50, and .80). Further, unpaired t-tests were carried out to compare between participants with lower and higher PCL-R sum scores (median split, mdn= 15.8, M=15.5, SD=7.9).ResultsIn the total population a significant reduction of self assessed impuslivity can be demonstrated for total impulsivity (p<.001, cohens d= .34) nonplanned (p<.001, cohens d= .39) and motor impulsivity (p=.004, cohens d= .23). In both groups, with higher and lower psychopathic traits, a significant reduction in total and nonplannend impulsivity can be seen.While the reduction in total impulsivity was 0.9 points higher in the group with higher psychopathy, the difference was not significant, t(147.8)= -1.1, p = .285. Also, the nonplanned impulsivity was showed a stronger reduction in the high PCL group, though the effect was not significant, t, t(166)= -1.2, p = .243.Table 1.Correlationen between BIS-15 post-ratings and PCL-RPCL-RPCL-R SumInterpersonalaffectivelifestyleantisocialBIS-15 prä (n=370)Total Impulsivity.20 **-.14 **.02.34 **.28 **BIS-15 post (n=168)Total Impulsivity.33**.04.20**.35**.36**BIS-15 Change (n=168)Total Impulsivity-.03-.15-.09.07.01Note: * correlation significant für p ≤ .05; ** correlation significant für p ≤ .001.ConclusionsWe demonstrate a significant correlation between psychopathy and impulsivity, especially regarding facets 3 and 4, but also for the sum score. Neither the PCL-R sum core, nor the facets correlate with the change in impulsivity during treatment progress in the STU. In both groups, with higher and lower psychopathy, impulsivity was reduced during therapy but there was no significant difference in the change scores. Our results underline that treatment progress can be achieved also in patients with higher psychopathic traits.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Morality, self-control, age, type of offence and sentence length as predictors of psychopathy amongst female incarcerated offenders in South Africa.

There has been an increase in female incarcerated offenders nationally and internationally. Despite this trend, literature and research on female offenders remain limited compared to their male counterparts. Evidence of the relationship between certain personality disorders and offending behaviour has led numerous countries to prioritise identifying and assessing personality disorders among the offender population. Psychopathic personality traits may contribute to women's risk factors for expressing antisocial behaviours, resulting in their potential future incarceration. Thus, a need exists to understand possible factors that may predict the expression of psychopathic traits in females, which may have notable utility among female offenders. This study aimed to investigate possible predictor variables of psychopathy amongst incarcerated female offenders in South Africa. A quantitative research approach, non-experimental research type, and correlational research design were employed. A convenience sampling technique was used. The sample consisted of 139 (N = 139) female offenders housed in two correctional centres in South Africa who voluntarily participated in this study. Correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analysis procedures were conducted to analyse the results. Results indicated (i) a certain combination of predictor variables that statistically and practically significantly explained both primary and secondary psychopathy and (ii) individual predictor variables (e.g., Impulsivity, Simple Tasks, Risk-Seeking, and Self-Centredness) that explained both primary and secondary psychopathy statistically and practically significantly. This study provides valuable information about the possible predictor variables of psychopathy amongst female offenders within the context of South Africa. However, further research must be conducted to validate these findings and advance our knowledge on this topic.

Psychometric properties of the Child Problematic Traits Inventory in Portuguese children

Abstract: The Child Problematic Traits Inventory (CPTI) is a teacher-reported instrument to assess psychopathic personality traits in 3 to 6-year-old children (M=4.78, SD=.60). This is the first study to test the reliability and validity of this instrument within a Portuguese sample of 264 children aged between 3 to 6 years (43.2% female). Cronbach alpha values greater than .80 were observed for all CPTI scale scores. Regarding the criterion validity, CPTI total and its three dimensions were significantly correlated with an alternative measure of impulsiveness. The CPTI items loaded differently on the three theoretically proposed factors: (1) Interpersonal/Grandiose-Deceitful, (2) Affective/Callous-Unemotional, and (3) Behavioral/Impulsive-Need for Stimulation. The Total CPTI and the three dimensions of CPTI were significantly correlated with the alternative measure of Impulsiveness – CBQ Impulsivity subscale (r=.37Total; .29Interpersonal; .26Affective; .45Behavioral). In conclusion, our findings suggest that the CPTI is a psychometrically sound measure to assess psychopathic personality traits in a sample of community-residing Portuguese children.

Do Psychopathic Traits, Sexual Victimisation Experiences and Emotional Intelligence Predict Attitudes Towards Rape? Examining the Psychosocial correlates of Rape Myth Beliefs among a cross-sectional community sample

Vast research has sought to better understand the origins and development of rape myth beliefs given the problematic influence of such misconceptions throughout global societies and criminal justice pathways. The current research aims to build on this body of literature by examining the contribution that psychopathic personality traits (affective responsiveness, cognitive responsiveness, interpersonal manipulation, egocentricity) and emotional intelligence may have upon rape myth beliefs. Furthermore, this study will investigate the extent to which sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, education), and prior experience of sexual victimisation, contribute to variance in rape myth acceptance scores. In total 251 participants (M Age = 31.66) completed an online, self-report questionnaire which included contemporary measures of psychopathy and rape myth acceptance, never previously tested in combination. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicate that egocentricity, age, and gender were significantly associated with rape myth beliefs. Emotional intelligence, as well as affective and interpersonal traits of psychopathy, were not directly related with rape mythology. Findings are interpreted alongside previous research, where we suggest there is an urgent need for larger, nationally representative samples, systematically recruited from the general population to help clarify uncertainty in existing literature emerging from small-scale opportunistic datasets.

Predicting Academic Dishonesty: The Role of Psychopathic Traits, Perception of Academic Dishonesty, Moral Disengagement and Motivation

This study conducted on a sample of 295 Dutch and Italian undergraduate and graduate students aims to investigate how psychopathic personality traits (meanness, boldness and disinhibition) may lead to cheating behavior, and to study whether there are correlations between psychopathic traits, motivation, moral disengagement, the perception of seriousness of academic dishonesty and frequency of academic dishonesty to try to better understand what causes students to cheat and engage in dishonest conduct. Results confirmed the key role of psychopathic traits, particularly the disinhibition aspect in predicting academic dishonesty. In addition, it was shown that students’ perceptions of what constitutes academic dishonesty and what does not are also important in predicting the frequency of dishonest behavior. Furthermore, the role of motivation and moral disengagement in predicting and mediating the relationship between traits of psychopathy and academic dishonesty were analyzed through mediation and regression analysis.