Exaggerated Intergroup Bias in Economical Decision Making Games: Differential Effects of Primary and Secondary Psychopathic Traits

Abstract

Psychopathic personality traits are linked with selfish and non-cooperative responses during economical decision making games. However, the possibility that these responses may vary when responding to members of the in-group and the out-group has not yet been explored. We aimed to examine the effects of primary (selfish, uncaring) and secondary (impulsive, irresponsible) psychopathic personality traits on the responses of non-offending participants to the in-group and the out-group (defined in terms of affiliation to a UK University) across a series of economical decision making games. We asked a total of 60 participants to act as the proposer in both the dictator game and the ultimatum game. We found that across both tasks, those who scored highly for secondary psychopathic traits showed an elevated intergroup bias, making more generous offers toward members of the in-group relative to the out-group. An exaggerated intergroup bias may therefore represent a motivational factor for the antisocial behavior of those with elevated secondary psychopathic traits.

Priming social affiliation promotes morality – Regardless of religion

“…Consistent with our expectations, those primed for a social affiliation were higher on ingroup moral values, which was similar to the findings for religious affiliation but with a small effect size. Therefore, prioritization of one's ingroup is not limited to those with a religious affiliation; this finding is consistent with prior research (Gillespie et al, 2013).…”

“…Therefore, it could be expected that people with religious social affiliations would be less progressive than their non-religious counterparts, based on their strong loyalties to their group and animosity towards other groups. However, similar to the religious, non-religious social affiliations have been shown to promote binding moral virtues, such as placing importance of allegiance to one's social group (Gillespie, Mitchell, Johnson, Dawson, & Beech, 2013). Therefore, any social affiliation may enhance binding moral values or even specific binding sub-foundations (e.g., Ingroup).…”

Acute Alcohol Consumption and Secondary Psychopathic Traits Increase Ratings of the Attractiveness and Health of Ethnic Ingroup Faces but Not Outgroup Faces

“…Although the extent to which these findings may be extended to other aspects of social cognition during intergroup interactions remains unclear, the results of Study 2 suggest that the findings of Gillespie et al are not restricted to economical decision making games. Furthermore, the results of Study 2 presented here, together with the findings of Gillespie et al ( 49 ), demonstrate an intergroup bias in relation to secondary psychopathic traits during interactions with members of the same or other university, and also while rating members of an ethnic ingroup or an ethnic outgroup.…”

“…Although such automatic judgments may normally be under the influence of prefrontal cortical mechanisms, these inhibitory effects may be impaired among individuals with elevated secondary psychopathic traits. In support of this finding, we have previously revealed an exaggerated intergroup bias among individuals who score highly for these traits across a series of economical decision making games ( 49 ). In this work, we showed that high relative to low scoring secondary psychopathic traits participants offered more generous monetary amounts to members of an ingroup, relative to an outgroup, as identified through affiliation to UK universities.…”

Take the Money and Run: Psychopathic Behavior in the Trust Game

“…Curry et al (2011), using simultaneous one-shot discrete, continuous and sequential PDG, found that undergraduates with higher scores in Machiavellian Egocentricity PPI subscale, a marker for psychopathy (Benning et al, 2003), cooperated less in simultaneous PDG and were less likely to initiate or reciprocate cooperation in sequential PD games. Gillespie et al (2013) examine the effects of primary (selfish, uncaring) and secondary (impulsive, irresponsible) psychopathic personality traits on the responses of undergraduate participants to the in-group and the out-group (defined in terms of affiliation to a UK University) in dictator and ultimatum games. They found significant differences in game proposals to members of the in-group and the out-group, between low and high scoring participants on secondary psychopathic traits.…”