Record Detail

We investigated the ability of undergraduate students to detect psychopathic personality traits in their new peers, after
engaging in limited, naturalistic contact. Research has demonstrated that personality traits can be socially recognised in
others. However, this research has not yet explored the recognition of psychopathic personality traits in newly encountered
peers. This is important as some of these traits, such as manipulation, can have important social consequences in forming
friendships. At the same time, manipulative tendencies only work best when not seen as such. To study the salience of
psychopathic personality traits, undergraduate students (N = 101) took part in a round robin judgment paradigm during
their orientation period of university. We found that participants were able to detect the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure’s
traits of Boldness and Disinhibition but not Meanness in their groups, using typical social judgments. However, Meanness
was the only trait that notably related to judges reporting that they would not make friends with targets who showed more
psychopathic personality traits. These results highlight the importance of psychopathic personality traits when students
form first impressions and intentions to make friends. Future research should consider the influence of ‘hidden’ meanness
even in sub-clinical populations.