Psychopathic Personality Traits, Intelligence, and Economic Outcomes

• In Event: Biosocial Risk Factors and the Development of Criminality

Abstract

A wealth of research has revealed that psychopathy and psychopathic personality traits are associated with criminal involvement. Comparatively less research, however, has examined whether psychopathic personality traits influence economic outcomes in adulthood. The current paper attempts to address this gap in the literature by analyzing data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The results of our analyses indicate that psychopathic personality traits are significantly related to a number of economic outcomes, including household income and household debt. There was also some evidence that psychopathic personality traits were moderated by intelligence in the prediction of economic and financial well-being measures. We discuss what these findings mean for the psychopathy and economics literatures.

Authors

• Cashen Boccio, Florida State University

• Kevin M. Beaver, Florida State University