Sociology Study: Trolls are narcissists, psychopaths, and sadists

[Second Summer]

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?

More:
Internet Trolls Are Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists | Psychology Today (Jennifer Golbeck, Ph.D., Psycology Today, September 18, 2014)

Abstract of the study:

In two online studies (total N = 1215), respondents completed personality inventories and a survey of their Internet commenting styles. Overall, strong positive associations emerged among online commenting frequency, trolling enjoyment, and troll identity, pointing to a common construct underlying the measures. Both studies revealed similar patterns of relations between trolling and the Dark Tetrad of personality: trolling correlated positively with sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, using both enjoyment ratings and identity scores. Of all personality measures, sadism showed the most robust associations with trolling and, importantly, the relationship was specific to trolling behavior. Enjoyment of other online activities, such as chatting and debating, was unrelated to sadism. Thus cyber-trolling appears to be an Internet manifestation of everyday sadism.

Source: Trolls just want to have fun (Authors: Erin E. Buckelsa, Paul D. Trapnellb, Delroy L. Paulhusc, published in Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 67, September 2014, Pages 97–102)

 

[Blobbenstein]

I think trolls are often just bored people.

 

[Paul1]

Many people just want attention, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad.

 

[Clueless Git]

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.

How I read that ....

1. We are the 'beautifull' people - Narcism

2. We have no empathy with the 'unbeautifull' people, we don't socialise them and we have no remorse for that - Physcopathy

3. Causing suffering to the 'unbeautifull' people is a source of joy - Sadism


Do we need a national "let's not be narcistic, sadistic physcopaths and be kind to the messed up people" day?

 

[Second Summer]

I think trolls are often just bored people.

Many people just want attention, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad.

Maybe for some trolls, but the study does seem to show there is a strong correlation between troll identity and machiavellianism, sadism, narcissism, psychopathy. More than 60% of trolls have these traits, if I'm reading the figure in the article correctly. Of course, that still leaves a significant portion who don't have these traits.

Do you know of examples of "nice" trolls? My guess would be that nice trolls aren't very successful at actual trolling ...

Or I suppose they could be nice in real life and nasty online. Does that sound probable? Could someone exhibit completely opposing traits online and offline?

 

[Blobbenstein]

I think some trolls are funny. Winding some people up who take things too seriously.
Or if I disagree with the person who is being wound up.

 

[Second Summer]

I think some trolls are funny. Winding some people up who take things too seriously.
Or if I disagree with the person who is being wound up.

Oh, I too think trolls can be funny at times. Especially when they are targeting someone who is deserving of a good trolling, that can be quite funny. But I'm not keen to be on a forum with someone who is a proper troll, i.e. someone who is consistent in their trolling behaviour.

 

[Calliegirl]

I think they're unhappy people leading miserable lives, who are trying to bring others down to their level of unhappiness. Misery loves company is all too often true.

 

[Ann Chovie]

I think some trolls are funny. Winding some people up who take things too seriously.

I tend to agree..sometimes a bit of trolling can break the tension of serious debate.

Some trolling are very literate and clever. I think that obvious, outrageous trolling done with humour can be quite refreshing as long as no malice is intended.

 

[Clueless Git]

Many people just want attention, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad.

That would explain why some people install 1 billion giga-amp speakers in their Nissan Micras?

 

[beancounter]

Some trolling are very literate and clever. I think that obvious, outrageous trolling done with humour can be quite refreshing as long as no malice is intended.

Doesn't the act of trolling imply some degree of malice?

 

[Dedalus]

I'm confused. I thought all trolls were the same alignment. Some are good? Clever? Funny? I'm going to have to refer to my D & D handbook.




So are we thinking - closer to Blink Dog or Bugbear?

 

[beancounter]

So are we thinking - closer to Blink Dog or Bugbear?

Bugbear

 

[Tom L.]

I think trolls are often just bored people.

I've been on boards with trolls, and they bored me. I once thought about setting up my own board just so I could keep banning trolls who tried to post on it, but I didn't even bother.

 

[Clueless Git]

I've been on boards with trolls, and they bored me. I once thought about setting up my own board just so I could keep banning trolls who tried to post on it, but I didn't even bother.

It would be cool to have a forum that both attracted and could hold trolls.

That way people could log in and watch trolls trolling trolls.

 

[yakherder]

What if I'm a narcissist, a psychopath, and a sadist but not a troll?

 

[Blobbenstein]

What if I'm a narcissist, a psychopath, and a sadist but not a troll?

then you save yourself a lot of time.

 

[Second Summer]

It just occurred to me that the "telephone terrorist" (i.e. people who make anonymous phone calls to harass, abuse, threaten, breath heavily etc) may be considered the Internet troll's true parentage.

 

[ledboots]

It just occurred to me that the "telephone terrorist" (i.e. people who make anonymous phone calls to harass, abuse, threaten, breath heavily etc) may be considered the Internet troll's true parentage.

That's true, I hadn't thought of that. And maybe anonymous note writers preceded the telephone trolls!

 

[Clueless Git]

Doesn't the act of trolling imply some degree of malice?

Possibly, but calling "troll!" on people can be an act of malice too.