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Thursday, January 2, 2014

Sociopaths = night owls?

According to the University of Western Sydney "a preference for staying up late or into the early hours has a direct link to anti-social behaviour and so-called Dark Triad traits," as reported by the Daily Mail. The dark triad, of course, refers to narcissists, sociopaths, and machiavellians.

People were then rated based on a narcissism scale and were asked how strongly they agreed with statements including 'I have a natural talent for influencing people.'

They were additionally asked how they felt about statements made on the psychopathy scale, for example, 'I think I could beat a lie detector', and a Machiavellian scale, such as 'It is hard to get ahead without cutting corners here and there'.

Across the 263 students, the darker a participant's personality score, the more they tended to be an 'owl' and said they functioned more effectively in the evening hours. 

This was also the case when the three traits were analysed separately; each trait was stronger in people who considered themselves to be night owls.

Why might that be? Like almost all scientific findings about psychopaths, the theories explaining the differences seem to be as unbiased as a old-fashioned phrenologist unquestioningly explaining why certain races are naturally superior to others in order to justify the status quo:

Both nocturnality and Dark Triad traits are hereditary, and adaptive. Now that a link between the two has been established, researchers are speculating as to how it came about – likely, they say, people with Dark Triad tendencies use the cover of night to better engage a “cheater strategy.”

While the vigilant eyelids of morning people start drooping, the night owls are just getting revved up – using their optimal cognitive function for anti-social behaviour, “increased mating success in the short-term context,” mate-poaching, risk-seeking, and impulsivity (and, likely plot-hatching: there has to be a way to wipe the sunny smile off that breakfast server’s face).

It's a little like the people who try to straight-facedly give a scientific explanation for why they think that dolphins are nicer than sharks.

23 comments:

  1. Maybe the link they say they found is really just a coincidence.

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    1. gues what most ppl with dark trades do not have a beard
      so there must be a link

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  2. People commit their dark deeds in dark enviorments.
    The best film about this is called "The Incident" (1967).
    Two low functioning sociopaths take over a subway train and terrorize
    an assortment of people.
    You've never seen a film about sociopaths until you've seen this film.

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  3. There's a stronger and better documented correlation between higher intelligence and being a night owl.

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    1. Do you think this is because if you are a night owl you might be sleeping less overall and therefore have more time do things (i.e. reading, watching the Discovery Channel, etc)? I guess with some people you could also say that if you are awake more hours of the day you could accomplish more. I have problems falling asleep (the more so the older I get!) and I sleep less, but I'm not exactly full of energy! Getting old sucks!!

      MelissaR

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  4. Hollow folks hate mornings, their day starts when the sun begins to sink. Case closed. Perky rise & shine psychos? fugeddabout it.

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  5. There is a difference between correlation and causation. I think the research simply points out a correlation. But really in the last few years there has been tons of statistics that say everyone is sleeping less and/or the benefits of getting more sleep. Is everyone turning into a socio/psychopath? I think not. And over the last 30 years or so there are many more businesses that are open 24 hours. Someone has to work overnight shifts.

    MelissaR

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    1. Sleep deprivation is related to increased tension in the body which is an important part of how we communicate.

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  6. Is Machiavellian a personality disorder?

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  7. I didn't know Machiavellian was a psychiatric term. I am a night owl, however and I bet I could fool a lie detector test. Ooo I'm part of the Dark Triad!

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  8. My father has NPD and is a night owl; mainly because he is out gambling, drinking, and/or with women. He is a very charming, astute, and good looking man, but with a very pretentious character one cannot stand after really getting to know him. I am 15, also a night owl, and very similar to my father even though we live hours apart and I did not grow up in his presence. We have a very respectable relationship, but it is not love. He is very patient and goes along with my erratic plans and ideas. He funds my trips and supports my decisions, mainly because I show him promise (I am in very rigorous classes and in a high academic stance). I believe I have ASPD but refuse to get it "diagnosed" for many reasons. Well, I have a question about the Dark Triad: can it be genetic? Could I possess traits similar to my fathers because I admire him, or is it possible I admire him because I possess similar traits? Narcissism and sociopathy are similar in ways... I would like to know your opinions.

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    1. Why do you refuse to get it diagnosed?

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    2. It'll be pesky. I have other things to do and seeing a therapist, psychiatrist or any of those individuals will just be a waste of my time. I do like to talk about myself, but I spice it up by lying. These people will just call me out on my bullshit and it'll be no fun! I don't care much about the label, really, but they do.

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    3. It sounded like you were a little uncertain if you have aspd. Wouldn't you like to know for sure so you can gain more insight in to yourself?

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    4. I really don't think it will make much of a difference. I am at an age where I am starting to question myself, but one part of me that I do not question is my sociopathy. It's the only thing I feel certain of, and I do not want to share with anyone. Since no one truly understands me, I consider my ASPD as a secret weapon I choose to harbor- in reality, I know it is just cognitive dissonance and since I have no control of people understanding of me I convince myself I have control of this one thing. Whether I am a sociopath or not, I have chosen to make it my designated issue, and inside I know I am secretly afraid of not being diagnosed for that one reason. Its a dam holding back the flood of shit I have welled up inside me. It's awful and I am aware, but it is my lifeline (or so I feel). I may be contradicting myself, which I always do, so please point out any fallacies or such.

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    5. I am sorry you feel awful. I know what that is like. Wishing you peace inside.

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    6. I appreciate your commentary. That is genuinely the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever said to me. I don't feel much inside but I really do appreciate it enough to acknowledge it. You seem like a good person and I need not say more.

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  9. I really don't think it will make much of a difference. I am at an age where I am starting to question myself, but one part of me that I do not question is my sociopathy. It's the only thing I feel certain of, and I do not want to share with anyone. Since no one truly understands me, I consider my ASPD as a secret weapon I choose to harbor- in reality, I know it is just cognitive dissonance and since I have no control of people understanding of me I convince myself I have control of this one thing. Whether I am a sociopath or not, I have chosen to make it my designated issue, and inside I know I am secretly afraid of not being diagnosed for that one reason. Its a dam holding back the flood of shit I have welled up inside me. It's awful and I am aware, but it is my lifeline (or so I feel). I may be contradicting myself, which I always do, so please point out any fallacies or such.

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  10. Being a non card carrying member of this "exclusive" club I won't cast the first stone to put holes into your logic. Everyone has issues and some of us manage it just fine by dealing with it ourselves and not passing the buck on to others via status quo labels or whatever popular belief is in vogue in the psychiatric vernacular... bad analogy, I know, but I'm sure you understand better than some.

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    1. I don't understand your point here

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  11. My understanding of the condition is that the brainwaves of the sociopath are different to empaths, we have a fused brainwave which amounts to us being in a trance like state, as a result we never sleep that well, and when we are awake we are always somehow dislocated from the reality others inhabit. This brainwave is dominant and oppressive, it acts like a screen between us and our feelings, the rest of the world. Since infancy I have slept pretty badly-at night when other folks desert the city they leave it open like a vast playground of potential, empty roads that could be primed with razor wire for the creation of spectacular accidents, houses with letter boxes gaping for a paraffin cock tail to send the belching coughing inhabitants stumbling from upper floor bedroom windows, well, despite the hyperbole, you get the picture.

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  12. Sleep deprivation reduces grey matter in the prefrontal cortex, reducing empathy. Sociopaths have less prefrontal cortex that non sociopaths.

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