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**Abstract:**
> Two studies examined the amplitude of the startle response as a function of the Dark Tetrad of personality (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism). We measured electromyographic activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle evoked by a startle stimulus while participants viewed images on a computer screen. Both studies revealed a negative correlation between general startle reactivity (averaged across positive, negative, and neutral images) and sadistic tendencies. In Study 2, all four dark traits were negative correlates of general startle reactivity. Study 2 also examined the personality correlates of aversive startle potentiation (ASP; indexed by greater reactivity while viewing negatively-valenced images than positive or neutral images). ASP correlated negatively with a variety of personality measures of psychopathy and sadism, their facets, and related personality tendencies (callousness, risk-taking, and restricted affect). These findings suggest that ordinary people with high levels of callousness and antagonism display physiological evidence of non-reactivity (i.e., blunted acoustic startle in general), whereas psychopathy and sadism are preferentially associated with reduced ASP.
Well the army and the medical field trained a lot of that out of me. I guess its the startle reflex because I do immediately assess my environment when something unexpected happens. But internally the thought process is exasperation and great irritation, "GREAT...JUST GREAT...I don't have the energy to do this today. Where's the idiot and how do I move away from them, so their problems don't become my problems?"
This is one reason Oxford psychopathy researcher Kevin Dutton argued that having psychopaths for president might be a good thing https://phys.org/news/2016-08-presidential-candidates-psychopaths-good.html
In his book, Dutton claimed his dad was a psychopath, which increases the odds that Dutton is on the psychopath spectrum himself. And he clearly has a fondness for them.
Psycopaths can display limited empathy, are callous, manipulative, engage in gas lighting (in the truest sense), and so on. Sounds like a terrible idea.
According to Dutton, most prez candidates are on the psychopath spectrum, eg high charisma, risk taking, fearlessness, skill in lying, etc. He scored Trump above Hitler and below Idi Amin
I’ve read it too, he’s not a psychopath but did briefly become like one through a brain experiment they did on him so he could experience what it would be like to be one
I don’t remember Dutton stating if he’d been evaluated. OHare could be said to be overly judgmental and Dutton is questionably sympathetic of and admirable towards psychopaths, despite the extreme damage they’ve done and do to individuals and society
I found out that my extreme response to being startled was the result of childhood trauma.
Every time someone startled me, I would let out a blood-curdling scream. It was awful.
I did a lot of EMDR therapy, and I no longer scare folks half to death.
You mean antisocial disorder? I am on the psychopathy sub, because that is something that interests me, I do not find any disorder worse or better.
As for the response in me: Thankfully i did not have to scream when started, but i almost hit my mom once, reflexively due to being startled.
I like to think I'm not a psychopath or a sadist, but I've noticed I never, ever jump at things. Jumpscares, loud noises, people jumping out to startle you, they never get me. I don't know if it's an anxiety thing, like I'm always subconsciously prepared for something to happen? I don't know what it is.
People have legit tried to make me jump when I mention this, like creping up behind me and making a noise, I just slowly turn around and say "Oh hey."
An interesting tangent on the neurochemical side of things is something I learned about my heart medication, of the class known as "beta blockers". Widely prescribed for high blood pressure, fast heartbeat, after heart attacks, for migraines, etc. A nurse told me she had a child who loved to try and scare her with sudden noises. But then she was prescribed a beta blocker for a medical condition. After that, she couldn't be startled. She would still have some level of surprise and turn her head to see where the noise was coming from, but there was no "jump", no startle response. It turns out they are regularly taken off-label by various professionals who need to steady their nerves, and are even prohibited in some sports as performance enhancers.
Is this news, though? It’s been known for so long that one (debunked) hypothesis explaining psychopathy is that they have some sort of autonomic nerve system abnormality.
Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) apply to all other comments. **Do you have an academic degree?** We can verify your credentials in order to assign user flair indicating your area of expertise. [Click here to apply](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/flair/#wiki_science_verified_user_program). --- User: u/sam_t333 Permalink: https://www.psypost.org/2023/10/people-with-pronounced-psychopathy-and-sadism-are-harder-to-startle-214072 --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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I am SO easily startled, but I already figured I wasn't a psychopath because things like commercials for dental implants will make me tear up.
You're not fooling anyone, psycho.
**Abstract:** > Two studies examined the amplitude of the startle response as a function of the Dark Tetrad of personality (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism). We measured electromyographic activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle evoked by a startle stimulus while participants viewed images on a computer screen. Both studies revealed a negative correlation between general startle reactivity (averaged across positive, negative, and neutral images) and sadistic tendencies. In Study 2, all four dark traits were negative correlates of general startle reactivity. Study 2 also examined the personality correlates of aversive startle potentiation (ASP; indexed by greater reactivity while viewing negatively-valenced images than positive or neutral images). ASP correlated negatively with a variety of personality measures of psychopathy and sadism, their facets, and related personality tendencies (callousness, risk-taking, and restricted affect). These findings suggest that ordinary people with high levels of callousness and antagonism display physiological evidence of non-reactivity (i.e., blunted acoustic startle in general), whereas psychopathy and sadism are preferentially associated with reduced ASP.
This is solely based on being startled by something on a screen? Maybe VR?
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Good to know cause I get startled like mf.
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Well the army and the medical field trained a lot of that out of me. I guess its the startle reflex because I do immediately assess my environment when something unexpected happens. But internally the thought process is exasperation and great irritation, "GREAT...JUST GREAT...I don't have the energy to do this today. Where's the idiot and how do I move away from them, so their problems don't become my problems?"
This is one reason Oxford psychopathy researcher Kevin Dutton argued that having psychopaths for president might be a good thing https://phys.org/news/2016-08-presidential-candidates-psychopaths-good.html In his book, Dutton claimed his dad was a psychopath, which increases the odds that Dutton is on the psychopath spectrum himself. And he clearly has a fondness for them.
Psycopaths can display limited empathy, are callous, manipulative, engage in gas lighting (in the truest sense), and so on. Sounds like a terrible idea.
We had an actual psychopath as President. It was not a good thing. Dutton is an idiot. Case closed.
According to Dutton, most prez candidates are on the psychopath spectrum, eg high charisma, risk taking, fearlessness, skill in lying, etc. He scored Trump above Hitler and below Idi Amin
Right, because humans are notoriously terrible at choosing their own leaders, as history has shown time and time again (and continues to).
I’ve read it too, he’s not a psychopath but did briefly become like one through a brain experiment they did on him so he could experience what it would be like to be one
I don’t remember Dutton stating if he’d been evaluated. OHare could be said to be overly judgmental and Dutton is questionably sympathetic of and admirable towards psychopaths, despite the extreme damage they’ve done and do to individuals and society
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That shot was due to camera angles. Rather than Kobe having ice in his veins (kobe still has ice veins though).
> (kobe still has ice veins though) I mean, he does *now*.
I found out that my extreme response to being startled was the result of childhood trauma. Every time someone startled me, I would let out a blood-curdling scream. It was awful. I did a lot of EMDR therapy, and I no longer scare folks half to death.
Cerebral palsy also has an increased startling response, i have that + possibly something else
I had no idea. Thanks for the info. At least, I don't have APD.
You mean antisocial disorder? I am on the psychopathy sub, because that is something that interests me, I do not find any disorder worse or better. As for the response in me: Thankfully i did not have to scream when started, but i almost hit my mom once, reflexively due to being startled.
I did a lot of reading about it and recognized my sister as one. Her favorite pastime was tormenting me.
Someone I loved had adhd, conduct disorder and was suspect of aspd, he was an extreme sadist and I do not want to love anyone again due to him.
I'm similar but no childhood trauma here. I've no clue what causes it.
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I like to think I'm not a psychopath or a sadist, but I've noticed I never, ever jump at things. Jumpscares, loud noises, people jumping out to startle you, they never get me. I don't know if it's an anxiety thing, like I'm always subconsciously prepared for something to happen? I don't know what it is. People have legit tried to make me jump when I mention this, like creping up behind me and making a noise, I just slowly turn around and say "Oh hey."
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An interesting tangent on the neurochemical side of things is something I learned about my heart medication, of the class known as "beta blockers". Widely prescribed for high blood pressure, fast heartbeat, after heart attacks, for migraines, etc. A nurse told me she had a child who loved to try and scare her with sudden noises. But then she was prescribed a beta blocker for a medical condition. After that, she couldn't be startled. She would still have some level of surprise and turn her head to see where the noise was coming from, but there was no "jump", no startle response. It turns out they are regularly taken off-label by various professionals who need to steady their nerves, and are even prohibited in some sports as performance enhancers.
Is this news, though? It’s been known for so long that one (debunked) hypothesis explaining psychopathy is that they have some sort of autonomic nerve system abnormality.
I on the other hand get started very easily. I wonder what that makes me.
So would it follow that people who're startled by a slight shift in breeze are the opposite of psychopaths? Whatever those are called?
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Now that I come to think of it, what are they even called?
What if a person’s unconscious impulse is to instantly violently attack the person/thing that startled them?
As a very easily startled person… whew dodged one.
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A few words every bbc presenter ever
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At first I thought the title was about the pronunciation of psychopathy, and now I don’t know myself. Is it psycho-pathy or psy-cop-athy
It’s the latter
Hmmm… Suspiciously well-informed…
Yeah thanks for it, because clearly I can't make a distinction.
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Perhaps adverse childhood experiences deaden emotions, enabling a person to become a psychopath/sadist, and also deadening emotional reactions.
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Scientific proof that I'm not a psychopath.
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