Support for political violence is often shaped by ideological alignment, with individuals tending to endorse aggression by actors perceived as ideologically similar while rejecting violence by opposing actors. However, some individuals may show a broader tendency to endorse violence across opposing sides of a conflict. Two studies examined whether Dark Tetrad personality traits—narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism—are associated with support for violent actions by both Israel and Hamas (Ns = 257 and 470). Across both studies, support for violence by Israel and Hamas was negatively correlated, indicating actor-specific endorsement patterns. Psychopathy and sadism were consistently associated with support for violent actions by both actors, whereas narcissism and Machiavellianism showed weaker and less consistent associations. Interest in militarism and moral disengagement partially accounted for the associations between psychopathy and sadism and support for Israeli violent actions, but not for Hamas-related outcomes. Overall, the findings suggest that while ideological alignment structures actor-specific support for political violence, psychopathy and sadism are associated with a broader tendency to endorse violence across opposing actors. These results highlight the importance of considering both ideological and dispositional factors in understanding support for political violence.
Background Long-term residence under the hypobaric hypoxic conditions of the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau imposes sustained physiological demands on lowland migrants. Although physiological responses to high-altitude exposure have been extensively studied, how stable personality traits are associated with multisystem physiological functioning in this context remains poorly understood. Objective This study aimed to characterize the network organization of Big Five personality traits and physiological biomarkers among long-term Han Chinese migrants living at high altitude and to explore whether these psychophysiological associations differ by sex. Methods A total of 310 Han Chinese migrants (161 males and 149 females) residing in Lhasa (3650 m) were included. Big Five personality traits were assessed using the BFI-2, and eight biomarkers spanning hematological, immune-inflammatory, renal-metabolic, and hepatic functioning were obtained from standardized clinical assessments. Gaussian graphical models were used to estimate psychophysiological networks. Bridge centrality analyses identified prominent cross-domain nodes, and Network Comparison Tests were conducted to evaluate differences in network structure, global strength, and individual edges between males and females. Results Conscientiousness and uric acid (UA) emerged as the most prominent cross-domain nodes, connected by a negative conditional association. This C–UA association did not differ significantly between sexes. The overall network structure and global strength were also comparable between males and females. Exploratory sex-stratified analyses revealed a negative Conscientiousness–ALT association in the male network, although the between-sex difference did not reach the conventional significance threshold (p = 0.051). In contrast, the positive Conscientiousness–NEUT% association observed in the female network showed a significant between-sex difference (p = 0.022). Bootstrap analyses indicated generally acceptable stability of the estimated network (CS coefficient = 0.671 for edge weights and 0.439 for node strength). Conclusion These findings identify Conscientiousness as a potentially important personality correlate of physiological functioning among long-term migrants living at high altitude, particularly through its association with UA. Preliminary sex-related differences in selected secondary associations further suggest that personality-physiology relationships may vary across males and females. However, given the cross-sectional design and absence of a low-altitude comparison group, these findings should be regarded as exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than as evidence of causal or altitude-specific adaptation mechanisms.
Belief in conspiracy theories represents a common and potentially rigid belief system that may be influenced by perceived social consensus. It remains unclear whether perceived social norms predict changes in personal conspiracy belief, or whether such associations reflect projection processes whereby individuals infer consensus from their own views. In a two-wave study of UK adults (N = 1430) conducted six weeks apart, we examined whether perceived conspiracy belief norms prospectively predicted residualised change in conspiracy belief. Hierarchical regression analyses controlled for baseline belief levels and demographic covariates, and reciprocal analyses tested whether beliefs predicted subsequent norm perceptions. Parallel analyses were conducted for paranormal beliefs as a secondary test of domain generality. Conspiracy beliefs demonstrated high temporal stability. However, perceived conspiracy norms at Time 1 predicted increases in conspiracy beliefs at Time 2, even after accounting for baseline beliefs. Reciprocal effects were observed but were smaller in magnitude. Normative effects for paranormal beliefs were substantially weaker. These findings suggest that even relatively stable belief systems remain partially responsive to perceived social consensus, highlighting the potential value of normative feedback interventions aimed at correcting exaggerated perceptions of conspiratorial consensus.
The long-standing debate concerning the dimensionality of the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) has recently been reignited by Bodó et al. (2026) and the ensuing scholarly exchanges. This commentary seeks to move beyond disputes over factor solutions by addressing more foundational yet persistently overlooked conceptual issues that underlie this debate. I propose a four-question framework that addresses the definition of the impostor phenomenon (IP), its concept structure, the relations between definitional attributes and measurement items, and the relations between the construct of IP and any proposed subdimensions. I answer these questions through a brief conceptual analysis and by inferring the implicit assumptions embedded in dominant research practices. This reveals the conceptual ambiguities that undermine the current dimensionality debate. I conclude by outlining three sequential steps to advance the field.
People tend to rate themselves as more creative than average, but how this better-than-average effect (BTAE) generalizes across creativity aspects and which individual differences predict it remains unclear. In two online studies (N = 700), participants evaluated themselves relative to others on various traits (e.g., openness) and behaviors (e.g., creative writing). An independent sample rated the traits for social desirability and the behaviors for typical engagement frequency. The BTAE replicated for global creativity and most traits, but weakened or reversed for behaviors. Trait self-evaluations were primarily predicted by social desirability, whereas behavior self-evaluations were predicted by engagement frequency. Creativity self-assessments were further related to creative activity, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Thus, the BTAE in creativity is predictably shaped by item- and person-level factors: it is robust for high-value traits but diminishes for rare, difficult behaviors, consistent with self-enhancement theory.
Students' mathematics attitudes and learning environment, including perceived instructional clarity, are associated with achievement, but these relationships may vary substantially across different national sociocultural contexts. This study investigated the complex interplay among perceived teachers' instructional clarity, math enjoyment, and math value in relation to math achievement, while considering socio-cultural differences across countries. Data from 276,020 eighth grade students (49.51% girls) across 40 countries participating in TIMSS 2023 were analyzed. Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect effects of perceived instructional clarity on math achievement via math attitudes, accounting for socio-cultural heterogeneity. Results showed that perceived instructional clarity was positively associated with math enjoyment and value, while enjoyment was positively and value negatively associated with achievement. Perceived instructional clarity showed a small positive direct effect on achievement and significant indirect effects through math attitudes, with pathways differing in direction. Higher Gender Gap Index was associated with better math achievement but lower levels of math enjoyment and perceived instructional clarity. Home educational resources showed the strongest positive association with math achievement. These findings suggest that individual and environmental factors are jointly associated with students' math learning and performance, highlighting the importance of accounting for socio-cultural differences in educational research.
Debates over free speech on college campuses intensified internationally following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel and the ensuing war, particularly as liberal-leaning and highly progressive student bodies signaled solidarity with Palestinians by protesting the existence of the Jewish state. For many Jewish students, this rhetoric threatened core aspects of identity and may have had bearing on attitudes toward censorship and free speech. The present study examined whether self-concept clarity (SCC)—a capacity that can promote resilience in the face of identity-relevant threat—moderated the association between political ideology and support for censorship among this population. Regression analyses using data from 302 Jewish college students revealed that SCC functioned as a buffer, reducing ideological polarization in censorship attitudes. Among those with low SCC, liberalism was associated with less censorship support, and conservatism was associated with greater censorship endorsement; however, these differences disappeared among those with higher SCC. Findings point to SCC as a resource with potential implications for reducing polarization, fostering resilience, and promoting civil dialogue and debate on campus.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is widely assumed to facilitate constructive conflict management, yet little is known about how EI interacts with individuals' racial bias in interracial conflicts. Drawing on the Stereotype Content Model and functional-cognitive perspectives on racial bias, we examined whether ability EI buffered the negative effects of implicit and explicit racial bias on conflict behaviour. Non-Indian airline personnel participated in videotaped role-plays in which they responded spontaneously to videos of angry Indian passengers. Their responses were rated by external observers for conflict-management effectiveness. Participants also completed an ability EI assessment and measures of explicit and implicit racial bias. We hypothesized (a) a positive effect of ability EI on conflict management effectiveness, (b) a negative effect of both types of racial bias on conflict management effectiveness, and (c) an interaction whereby high ability EI attenuates bias-related declines in effectiveness. Exploratory analyses compared the relative effects of implicit versus explicit bias. The study contributes to research by integrating performance-based EI, multiple forms of bias, and behavioural conflict outcomes in a professional context.
Vocational interests, personality traits, and character strengths overlap, but their shared versus domain-specific links to work outcomes – and the role of person-job fit – remain unclear because these frameworks have rarely been examined together. In this study, N = 259 working adults (79% women; ages 20–73) rated their RIASEC interests, FFM personality traits, and VIA character strengths and the extent to which each attribute was demanded by their jobs. Profile correlations between person attributes and perceived job demands were used as indices of perceived person-job fit. Outcomes were job satisfaction, work engagement, and self-rated performance. At both the person and perceived job-demand levels, all three frameworks (vocational interests, personality traits, character strengths) showed associations with the work outcomes, although their relative contributions differed. Commonality analyses indicated substantial overlap among the three frameworks, alongside smaller domain-specific contributions. Across all three frameworks, person attributes and perceived job demands showed stronger associations with work outcomes than profile similarity, whose incremental contribution beyond person and environment characteristics was small. These findings suggest that character strengths complement established vocational interest and personality frameworks by providing additional information about work-related individual differences, while profile similarity contributes comparatively little beyond person attributes and perceived job demands.
Self-reported dishonesty is commonly used as an exclusion criterion in youth health research, implicitly assuming that such exclusion does not introduce bias. Yet, little is known about mental health and well-being domains associated with voluntary disclosure of dishonesty in anonymous surveys. This study examined whether adolescents who disclose dishonesty are differentiable from those who report honest responding based on socio-demographic, mental health and well-being. A sample of 144,383 Norwegian adolescents were analyzed with a holistic machine learning approach and complementary logistic regression analysis. Isolated domain-specific analyses showed that personal, interpersonal, and socio-demographic domains each provided substantial information for differentiating adolescents who disclosed dishonest responding. In addition, the complete model analysis achieved balanced sensitivity and specificity of 79.9% and an area under the curve of 87.3%. Six factors provisionally summarized the important indicators of the complete model: perceived pressure, school satisfaction, coping efficacy, experiences of physical and verbal harassment, antagonistic externalizing behavior, and risky online relationships. Lack of optimism about future education and more frequent videogaming were also among the important indicators, but depressive and anxiety symptoms did not emerge as important in the complete model. The results of logistic regression reproduced the machine learning findings. Overall, the findings indicate that self-disclosed dishonesty is associated with lower personal, interpersonal, and socio-environmental well-being and hence, excluding such respondents from health surveys may lead to systematic bias.
Two broad metatraits, Stability and Plasticity, have been proposed above the Big Five, and recent evidence indicates that they remain after controlling acquiescence, rater bias, and item cross-loadings. We ask whether such higher-order structure is model-general and whether a stable extracted configuration establishes substantive constructs. In Study 1 (IPIP Big Five, N = 602,262; IPIP-HEXACO, N = 22,720), an identical person-mean-centered item-level pipeline yielded two-component summaries whose configurations were bootstrap-reproducible (aligned congruence at least 0.999), yet the correlation between the two rotated axes depended on extraction method (Big Five principal-component 0.31 vs common-factor approximately 0.58) and rotation, and parallel analysis did not support a two-common-factor representation. Models allowing exploration-derived facet cross-loadings fit substantially better than simple-structure models, though residual correlations remained and absolute fit was inadequate. In Study 2, three samples in which the same participants completed the Big Five Aspect Scales and the HEXACO-100 (N = 1204) showed substantial but incomplete overlap: the first canonical association remained strong across held-out analyses, whereas the second was weaker and sample-dependent. Higher-order summaries were reproducible, but the findings weighed against two invariant, model-general latent metatraits; blended-variable and model-dependent accounts were relatively more viable, although they did not explain all covariance.
This study examined whether public evaluations of intimate partner violence (IPV) resulting in homicide differ as a function of the gender configuration of the case and the respondent's gender. Using a vignette-based experimental design, 212 participants were randomly assigned to one of two scenarios: male perpetrator/female victim or female perpetrator/male victim. In both versions, the police discover a deceased victim alongside a bloodied perpetrator of the opposite gender, who reports that the incident occurred during an argument that escalated. Participants rated the severity of the case, indicated the perceived nature of the perpetrator's reaction, and selected an appropriate punishment. Results showed that cases involving a female victim and a male perpetrator were evaluated as more severe and deserving harsher punishment, and were interpreted as reflecting a more excessive reaction, compared to cases involving a male victim and a female perpetrator. This pattern emerged largely regardless of respondent gender, although women assigned harsher punishment than men in the female-victim condition. The findings suggest that gender-related interpretive frameworks may influence moral evaluations and punishment preferences even when the circumstances and outcomes are held constant.
Personality refers to relatively stable patterns of thoughts and behaviors. The objective of this study is to investigate whether FFM personality traits are associated with the risk of developing pre-dementia conditions. A systematic search was conducted using keywords and MeSH terms in three databases. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed separately for studies reporting Hazard Ratios and Odds Ratios. Subgroup analyses by follow-up duration and sex were used to explore heterogeneity, also were run a meta-regression using time as slope. 13 studies were included in the review and 9 in the meta-analysis. Participants' mean age ranged from 45.6 to 81.3 years; most samples were predominantly female. Follow-up ranged from 1.5 to 12 years. Neuroticism was associated with higher incidence of pre-dementia conditions (HR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02–1.15; I2 = 81.3), while conscientiousness and openness show an inverse association (HR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.84–0.99; I2 = 94.5; and HR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99; I2 = 10.3, respectively). No significant associations were found for extraversion and agreeableness. Subgroup analyses reduced heterogeneity for neuroticism and confirmed its associations in studies with 6 or more years of follow-up. Meta-regression showed a significant trend suggesting that the length of follow-up relates to how personality traits track with risk profiles for these conditions over time. In conclusion, higher neuroticism is associated an increased incidence of pre-dementia conditions, whereas openness and consciousness are linked to lower risk. Despite substantial heterogeneity, these findings suggest that personality traits might represent a complementary factor to consider in future risk stratification frameworks.
