Is it good to be bad? An evolutionary analysis of the adaptive potential of psychopathic traits

Abstract

Although psychopathy is widely conceptualised as a mental disorder, some researchers question the maladaptive nature of psychopathy, and argue that it might be advantageous from an evolutionary point of view. According to this view psychopathy can be seen as an evolutionary adaptative strategy that relies on deception and manipulation to gain short-term reproductive benefits. Psychopathy is also identified as a fast life strategy in response to early life stress and an adaptation to harsh environments. This paper investigates the evidence that psychopathic traits are adaptive, while also addressing the limitations of current evolutionary models of psychopathy based on frequency-dependent selection and life-history theory. We review recent studies on the fitness correlates of psychopathy and find that psychopathic traits present potential adaptive trade-offs between fertility and mortality, and offspring quantity and quality. On a proximate level, individual differences in stress reactivity and environmental risk factors in early development predispose to psychopathy through gene-environment interactions. We propose that environmental, developmental, social and cultural factors can mediate the relationship between psychopathic traits and fitness and therefore should be considered to make accurate predictions on the adaptive potential of psychopathy. We end by outlining gaps in the literature and making recommendations for future evolutionary research on psychopathy.

Being unwanted and other very early predictors of adult psychopathy

“…The lack of significant relationships is also in line with past literature (Lalumie `re et al, 2001) and could be viewed as support for what several authors (Glenn et al, 2011;Pullman et al, 2021;Zara et al, 2021) have argued that psychopathy is not actually maladaptive per se. However, the fact that psychopathy can be recognised as an adaptive strategy in response to early life stress and harsh environments (Ene et al, 2022), that is beneficial in dangerous situations (Ellis and Del Giudice, 2019), does not make it a prosocial adaptation.…”

“…While psychopathic personality can be found at a subclinical level in the general population (Ene et al , 2022), suggesting that psychopaths are not a distinctive class of individuals (Edens et al , 2006), thresholds can be used to make prevention and treatment recommendations. Establishing thresholds does not deny the dimensional nature of psychopathy, but they may be of practical use.…”

The evolution of personality disorders: A review of proposals

“…However, the strongest card of psychopaths regarding fitness has been deemed to be their promiscuous, uncommitted, and opportunistic mating strategy, purportedly aimed to gain reproductive benefits (93)(94)(95)(96). Rather than being a rarity, unrestricted sexuality is almost universal in nature including our own phylogenetic branch, as 93% of mammals are non-monogamous (59).…”

Why might psychopathy develop? Beyond a protective function: a commentary on Zara et al. (2023)

“…This latter finding is consistent with some past research (Lalumière et al , 2001) but is contrary to what is expected if psychopathy were a genuine disorder (Wakefield, 1992). To understand how psychopathy may develop in light of the findings of poor relationships but not poor health, the authors offer a theoretical interpretation of why psychopathy may develop, drawing on evolutionary adaptive theories of psychopathy (Ene et al , 2022). The present commentary focuses on this theoretical contribution.…”