Psychopathy linked to online hateful comments in new study

A new study published in Frontiers in Psychology suggests that internet users who post hateful comments about others likely possess psychopathic characteristics. Researchers distinguished between ‘online haters’ and ‘internet trolls.’ While trolls are characterized by deceptive or disruptive behavior without a clear instrumental goal, haters are defined as those expressing a “negative and offensive attitude” toward others without providing constructive criticism.

Unlike previous studies that linked trolling to the full ‘Dark Triad’—which includes narcissism and Machiavellianism—this research found no significant link between hateful posts and narcissism or Machiavellianism. The study analyzed Facebook comments regarding Polish athletes during the 2018 Winter Olympics. Among the 94 participants, researchers found that higher scores in psychopathy correlated with a higher likelihood of posting hateful content.