Latest news with #IngoZettler
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The 4 States With the Most Psychopaths Might Surprise You
If you've ever suspected that where you live might be shaping your personality, science is now backing you up — in a way that's both fascinating and deeply unsettling. According to a massive new study led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, certain places in the U.S. are more likely to produce people with what psychologists call "dark" personality traits. Four states top the list. The study analyzed data from more than 2 million people across 183 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Researchers looked at dark traits like psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, and compared them with what they called "adverse societal conditions" — things like poverty, inequality, corruption, and violence. The findings were clear: people living in harsher environments tend to score higher on the so-called "Dark Factor." So which U.S. states stood out? Nevada, New York, South Dakota, and Texas topped the rankings for the highest levels of these traits. The researchers relied on crime rates, poverty stats, and corruption convictions to draw their conclusions. The results were consistent. People living in places with more societal dysfunction are more likely to show signs of selfishness, aggression, and a willingness to exploit others. Lead researcher Ingo Zettler explained that the study doesn't mean people in those states are doomed to be bad actors. However, it does suggest that our surroundings shape us more than we might think. "Even small variations can lead to large differences in how societies function," he said. On the flip side, the states with the lowest levels of dark traits were Vermont, Utah, Maine, and Oregon. These areas tend to be more economically balanced and socially stable, creating environments that, according to the study, are less likely to foster toxic behavior. The takeaway? Dark personality traits aren't just something we're born with. They're also a product of the world we live in. While the data can't predict individual behavior, it paints a sobering picture of how deep the connection between society and psychology really 4 States With the Most Psychopaths Might Surprise You first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 18, 2025
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
These are the states where psychopaths are most likely to live
A new study claims to have identified the U.S. states where you are more likely to find yourself living next to psychopaths, narcissists, and sadists. Data on 1.8 million people in 183 countries, including 144,000 people in the U.S., was analyzed as part of the study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, and linked with information on adverse social conditions, such as poverty, inequality, and violence. The study aimed to explore why some people are more inclined to cheat, manipulate, or harm others for their own gain, revealing that one contributing factor is the societal conditions in which they grow up. Researchers used World Bank data for countries, while for U.S. states, data sets were gathered from Census Bureau statistics on inequality and poverty, Justice Department corruption convictions, and FBI homicide rates. Ingo Zettler, one of the researchers behind the study, told the University of Copenhagen that where these conditions were observed, people behaved accordingly: 'The more adverse conditions in a society, the higher the level of the 'Dark Factor of Personality' among its citizens. This applies both globally and within the United States.' He added: 'In societies where rules are broken without consequences and where the conditions for many citizens are bad, individuals perceive and learn that one should actually think of oneself first.' The study reveals that countries such as Indonesia and Mexico, as well as U.S. states like Louisiana and Nevada, exhibit higher 'Dark Factor' levels compared to countries like Denmark and New Zealand, or states like Utah and Vermont, which experience better societal conditions characterized by lower corruption, inequality, poverty, and violence. As to which states had a higher number of 'dark' personalities, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, South Dakota, and New York came out on top. If you are planning to move soon, you are less likely to encounter psychopaths, narcissists, and sadists in Utah, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Oregon, and Alaska. Researchers acknowledged that the study has some limitations, notably that the data does not include how long participants have lived in certain countries or states before personality tendencies developed — a sadistic neighbor in New York may have only recently arrived from Oregon. Although there is only a moderate link between social conditions and the development of disagreeable personality traits, the findings support the idea that personality is not something you are born with; it is also shaped by the society in which you live. As to whether anything can be done to address this, Zettler notes: 'Aversive personality traits are associated with behaviours such as aggression, cheating, and exploitation – and thus with high social costs. Therefore, even small variations can lead to large differences in how societies function.' He adds that if reforms can reduce corruption and inequality, they could not only improve living conditions now but also prevent the development of 'dark' personalities in the future.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Study identifies where psychopaths are most likely to live
(NewsNation) — People with so-called 'dark' personalities — including psychopaths, narcissists and sadists — are more common in U.S. states with the most adverse conditions, new research found. The comprehensive study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, analyzed data on 1.8 million people in 183 countries and 144,000 people across the United States. It linked averse social conditions, including poverty, inequality and violence, with 'The Dark Factor of Personality.' Watch: Guest sits on 'Van Gogh chair' at Italy museum, breaking it Researchers used World Bank data for worldwide corruption estimates, while the U.S. was formulated using Census Bureau data on inequality and poverty, Justice Department corruption convictions and FBI homicide rates. Ingo Zettler, one of three researchers behind the study, told the University of Copenhagen that where these conditions were observed, people behaved accordingly. 'In societies where rules are broken without consequences and where the conditions for many citizens are bad, individuals perceive and learn that one should actually think of oneself first,' Zettler said. Some of the standout states for 'dark' personalities included: Louisiana Mississippi Texas Nevada South Dakota New York The least were observed in: Utah Vermont New Hampshire Maine Oregon Alaska Countries that topped the list included Indonesia, Mexico and the U.S. Man finds out he was married without his knowledge, ex arrested Researchers acknowledged that the study has some limitations. It's impossible for them to know how long participants have lived in certain countries or states before personality tendencies developed, and some data was collected using self-selection services, which could result in inaccurate answers. But Zettler said their work shows a connection between personality and circumstance and could prove important in shaping the world. 'This means that reforms that reduce corruption and inequality not only create better living conditions just now – they may also contribute to mitigating aversive personality levels among the citizens in the future,' he told the university. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Psychopaths are most likely to live in these 4 states, a frightening new study reveals
As it turns out, our personalities are, in fact, shaped by the environments we grow up in, and Nevada, New York, South Dakota, and Texas contain the highest percentages of those in possession of 'dark personality traits.' A recent study conducted by Ingo Zettler, Lau Lilleholt, Benjamin E. Hilbig, Morten Moshagen, and Martina Bader at the University of Copenhagen found that humans display different levels of dark personality traits depending on their location and the concentration of aversive societal conditions (ASC) that place possesses. Dark personality traits, or the dark triad, are recognized by psychologists as psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism — the desire or urge to exploit others. Meanwhile, ASC can be defined as societal circumstances that occur on a large, collective scale, such as exploitation, fraud, corruption, inequality, and violence, among others. 'It is relatively well known that both genetic and socio-ecological factors shape individuals' personality. However, respective research has hardly considered ethically or socially aversive personality characteristics,' Ingo Zettler, co-author and point-person on the study, told Newsweek. The study, published in 2025, took place across a period of 20 years, in which researchers studied global correlations between general living conditions and the percentage of the population that possesses dark traits. The study probed 183 countries across the world with a total of 1,791,542 participants. In their exploration of the correlation between dark personality traits and aversive social conditions, the researchers examined the U.S. through the lens of individual states. Data was gathered via survey, and for the U.S.-focused portion of the study, used Census data on socioeconomic disparity and poverty, FBI homicide rates, and Justice Department corruption sentences to draw conclusions. Within the U.S., researchers looked into all 50 states and compiled responses from 144,576 Americans. 'The more adverse conditions in a society, the higher the level of the dark factor of personality among its citizens,' Zettler summarized. 'Aversive personality traits are associated with behaviors such as aggression, cheating, and exploitation — and thus with high social costs. Therefore, even small variations can lead to large differences in how societies function.' Urban areas of the United States tend to house extraordinarily economically diverse populations — cities like Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco — in close concentration, which can lead to tensions and concerns over quality of life and equal access to essential resources, resulting in higher D levels. On the other hand, rural areas — like much of Vermont, Utah, Maine, and Oregon, the four states with the lowest probability of producing individuals as a result of living conditions — are more likely to be geographically isolated and relatively economically balanced, per findings from the study. 'Because you might grow up in a country with a high ASC, you're not necessarily fated to become an immoral, exploitative, and self-centered individual,' wrote Susan Krauss Whitbourne in Psychology Today. 'What the findings suggest, instead, is that consistent with the adaptational hypothesis, people may acquire a tendency toward high levels of D if that's what they see around them, or if their own economic deprivation and hardship are particularly pronounced.' 'Our findings substantiate that personality is not just something we are born with, but also shaped by the society we grew up and live in,' Zettler concluded. 'This means that reforms that reduce corruption and inequality not only create better living conditions just now, they may also contribute to mitigating aversive personality levels among the citizens in the future.'
New York Post
17-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Psychopaths are most likely to live in these 4 states, a frightening new study reveals
As it turns out, our personalities are, in fact, shaped by the environments we grow up in, and Nevada, New York, South Dakota, and Texas contain the highest percentages of those in possession of 'dark personality traits.' A recent study conducted by Ingo Zettler, Lau Lilleholt, Benjamin E. Hilbig, Morten Moshagen, and Martina Bader at the University of Copenhagen found that humans display different levels of dark personality traits depending on their location and the concentration of aversive societal conditions (ASC) that place possesses. 4 Human rights conditions and gender inequalities were also considered as factors within the study. Christopher Sadowski Advertisement Dark personality traits, or the dark triad, are recognized by psychologists as psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism — the desire or urge to exploit others. Meanwhile, ASC can be defined as societal circumstances that occur on a large, collective scale, such as exploitation, fraud, corruption, inequality, and violence, among others. 'It is relatively well known that both genetic and socio-ecological factors shape individuals' personality. However, respective research has hardly considered ethically or socially aversive personality characteristics,' Ingo Zettler, co-author and point-person on the study, told Newsweek. Advertisement The study, published in 2025, took place across a period of 20 years, in which researchers studied global correlations between general living conditions and the percentage of the population that possesses dark traits. 4 States with high rates of both poverty and crime, large income disparities, and minimized healthcare access tend to produce people who exhibit more dark personality traits as a result of individual hardship. Bloomberg via Getty Images The study probed 183 countries across the world with a total of 1,791,542 participants. In their exploration of the correlation between dark personality traits and aversive social conditions, the researchers examined the U.S. through the lens of individual states. Advertisement Data was gathered via survey, and for the U.S.-focused portion of the study, used Census data on socioeconomic disparity and poverty, FBI homicide rates, and Justice Department corruption sentences to draw conclusions. Within the U.S., researchers looked into all 50 states and compiled responses from 144,576 Americans. 4 (A) Aversive Societal Conditions Index (ASCI) across countries. (B) Differences in mean levels of D across countries with at least 100 participants. (C) Scatterplot of ASCI and mean levels of D by country with at least 100 participants. (D) ASCI across US states. (E) Differences in mean levels of D across US states with at least 100 participants. (F) Scatterplot of ASCI and mean levels of D by US state with at least 100 participants. Except for panels (A) and (D), we excluded countries/states with fewer than 100 participants to avoid potentially misrepresenting a country/state based on very few participants only. The theoretical range of the ASCI is 0 to 100, and the theoretical range of D is 1 to 5. The means of the ASCI were 38.26 (SD = 23.24) for the worldwide and 46.26 (SD = 17.09) for the US analyses, and the means of D were 2.52 (SD = 0.74) for the worldwide and 2.17 (SD = 0.74) for the US analyses. Zettler et al., PNAS 'The more adverse conditions in a society, the higher the level of the dark factor of personality among its citizens,' Zettler summarized. 'Aversive personality traits are associated with behaviors such as aggression, cheating, and exploitation — and thus with high social costs. Therefore, even small variations can lead to large differences in how societies function.' Advertisement Urban areas of the United States tend to house extraordinarily economically diverse populations — cities like Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco — in close concentration, which can lead to tensions and concerns over quality of life and equal access to essential resources, resulting in higher D levels. 4 Often, studies of personality view dark traits as predominantly genetic, or inborn, but these findings suggest it can be more flexible. Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images On the other hand, rural areas — like much of Vermont, Utah, Maine, and Oregon, the four states with the lowest probability of producing individuals as a result of living conditions — are more likely to be geographically isolated and relatively economically balanced, per findings from the study. 'Because you might grow up in a country with a high ASC, you're not necessarily fated to become an immoral, exploitative, and self-centered individual,' wrote Susan Krauss Whitbourne in Psychology Today. 'What the findings suggest, instead, is that consistent with the adaptational hypothesis, people may acquire a tendency toward high levels of D if that's what they see around them, or if their own economic deprivation and hardship are particularly pronounced.' 'Our findings substantiate that personality is not just something we are born with, but also shaped by the society we grew up and live in,' Zettler concluded. 'This means that reforms that reduce corruption and inequality not only create better living conditions just now, they may also contribute to mitigating aversive personality levels among the citizens in the future.'
