# Internet Trolls Are Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists



## Guest (Sep 21, 2014)

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-online-secrets/201409/internet-trolls-are-narcissists-psychopaths-and-sadists










Internet Trolls Are Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists
A new study shows that internet trolls really are just terrible human beings.
Published on September 18, 2014 by Jennifer Golbeck, Ph.D. in Your Online Secrets
In this month's issue of Personality and Individual Differences,a study was published that confirms what we all suspected: internet trolls are horrible people.

Let's start by getting our definitions straight. An internet troll is someone who comes into a discussion and posts comments designed to upset or disrupt the conversation. Often, it seems like there is no real purpose behind their comments except to upset everyone else involved. Trolls will lie, exaggerate, and offend to get a response.

What kind of person would do this?

Canadian researchers decided to find out. They conducted two internet studies with over 1,200 people. They gave personality tests to each subject along with a survey about their internet commenting behavior. They were looking for evidence that linked trolling with the Dark Tetrad of personality:narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadistic personality.

[Edit to add: these are technical terms with formalized surveys to measure them. You can find lots more information about their formal definitions online]

They found that Dark Tetrad scores were highest among people who said trolling was their favorite internet activity. To get an idea of how much more prevalent these traits were among internet trolls, check out this figure from the paper:










Look at how low the scores are for everyone except the internet trolls! Their scores for all four terrible personality traits soar on the chart. The relationship between this Dark Tetrad and trolling is so significant, that the authors write the following in their paper:

"... the associations between sadism and GAIT (Global Assessment of Internet Trolling) scores were so strong that it might be said that online trolls are *prototypical everyday sadists*." [emphasis added]

Trolls truly enjoy making you feel bad. To quote the authors once more (because this is a truly quotable article):

"Both trolls and sadists feel sadistic glee at the distress of others. Sadists just want to have fun ... and the Internet is their playground!"

So next time you encounter a troll online, remember a few things. (1) These trolls are some truly messed up people and (2) it is your suffering that brings them pleasure, so the best thing you can do is ignore them.

*References*

Buckels, Erin E., Paul D. Trapnell, and Delroy L. Paulhus. "Trolls just want to have fun." Personality and Individual Differences67 (2014): 97-102.

Photo adapted from original by Kevin Dooley


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## Wendy (Aug 7, 2013)

"Troll" is a catch-all. Calling every troll a sadist, psychopath, or a narcissist isn't even close to true. Maybe this whole article is a troll, that's the only way I could see how this could be passed off as something worth reading.


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## Guest (Sep 22, 2014)

So you clicking "like this" on the posted article is a "troll" move?


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## Wendy (Aug 7, 2013)

I clicked the like because I think it's a good topic of discussion and, if this is what you believe, then I would like to see more of your point then to just give mine and leave.


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## Guest (Sep 22, 2014)

I suppose even Batman trolled the criminals of Gotham City.


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## beefyflamingo (Nov 6, 2013)

austin u bastard


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2014)

http://www.livescience.com/48128-internet-trolls-sadistic-personalities.html

Internet "trolls" - people who intentionally incite discord in online communities - may have a lot in common with real-life sadists, new research suggests.

In two studies conducted online, researchers examined personality traits and the online commenting styles of 1,215 people. The investigators found that Internet trolls tended to have personality traits related to sadism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism - a term used by psychologists to describe a person's tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain. The link between trolling and sadism was the strongest out of all three traits, the researchers said.

So what could explain the links between trolling and sadism? Simply put, some people seem to enjoy being argumentative and purposefully disruptive, according to the researchers. [Understanding the 10 Most Destructive Human Behaviors]

"Both trolls and sadists feel sadistic glee at the distress of others," the researchers, from the University of Manitoba in Canada, wrote in the study. "Sadists just want to have fun &#8230; and the Internet is their playground!"

"In real life, some people are destructive and deceptive," said Michelle Drouin, an associate professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), who was not involved in the study. "This study, like others that are emerging lately, provides another perspective on the ways in which people's real lives and selves are crossing virtual boundaries."

Unfortunately, in some cases this behavior may become sadistic, and some people may want to cause pain or discomfort to others, Drouin told Live Science.

To conduct the first study, the researchers recruited 418 people, with an average age of 29, to complete survey questions online. One of the measures of sadistic personality used in the study was the so-called Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, which includes 10 items that assess a person's tendency to enjoy hurting others. For example, one of the statements presented is, "Hurting people is exciting." The study participants were asked to rate each item on five-point scales from one to five (with "one" meaning to strongly disagree and "five" meaning to strongly agree).

In the first study, the researchers also used the so-called Varieties of Sadistic Tendencies scale, which includes six items aimed at assessing direct sadism, such as identifying with the phrase, "I enjoy hurting people," and seven items to assess what's known as vicarious sadism. People who are vicariously sadistic may enjoy seeing cruelty in movies or video games. One of the ways used to assess this form of sadism was asking whether the people in the study identified with the following phrase: "In video games, I like the realistic blood spurts."

The participants rated the various items on a seven-point scale from 1 (not at all) to 7 (very much). The researchers also assessed the participants' Internet behavior patterns by asking them about their preferred activities while commenting online. Some of the choices included "chatting with other users," "making new friends" and "trolling other users."

In the second study, the researchers constructed another trolling measure that they called the Global Assessment of Internet Trolling (GAIT) scale. They used this tool to assess people's trolling behavior and levels of enjoyment. They also asked people in the study how much time they typically spent online.

The investigators found a link between online commenting frequency and the enjoyment of trolling, which is consistent with previous research that has established an association between excessive use oftechnology and antisocial behavior.

The study did not find a relationship between sadism and other harmless online activities, such as chatting and debating. And, unlike sadists, narcissists in the study did not appear to enjoy online trolling.

Drouin said that "the Internet presents unique opportunities for anonymity, so people can distance themselves from their acts in terms of personal responsibility.

"Thus, the Internet may, as the authors suggest, be a sadist's playground," she added.


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