Dark and immoral: The links between pathological personality features and moral values. (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Noser, Amy E.; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Vrabel, Jennifer K.; Besser, Avi; Ewing, Thomas D.; Southard, Ashton C.
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 75(2015)
• Page Start: 30
• Page End: 35
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: Morality -- Dark -- Personality -- Pathological -- PID-5; Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.11.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Highlights: Pathological personality features differ in their associations with moral values. Negative affect was positively associated with individualizing and binding values. Antagonism and disinhibition were negatively associated with individualizing values. Psychoticism was negatively associated with binding values. Abstract: Recent research on morality has highlighted important individual differences in moral judgment and reasoning. The present study extends these findings by examining the connections between moral concerns and pathological personality features. This was accomplished by asking 447 community participants to complete self-report measures concerning their pathological personality features and moral concerns. The results showed that pathological personality features differ in their associations with moral concerns as measured by individualizing values (i.e., sensitivity to harm and fairness) and binding values (i.e., reflecting in-group loyalty, respect for authority, and sanctity). For example, negative affect was associated with stronger individualizing and binding values, whereas antagonism was associated with weaker individualizing values. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for understanding the connections between pathological personality features and moral concerns.