It’s the run-up to the 2024 election in the United States, and yard signs, bumper stickers and massive flags are popping up everywhere as people try to persuade one another on how to cast their ballots. Some folks have positive stickers with their candidate’s name or a slogan, while others choose to denigrate the other side with nasty remarks.
You may see a Democratic voter with a yard sign that says “Trump for prison” or “Trumpism is a cult.” Or, you may have a Republican neighbor with a massive flag on their home that says “Let’s Go Brandon” (a slur against Joe Biden) or a car with a bumper sticker that reads: “This Car Runs on Liberal Tears.”
Interestingly, your neighbor’s sign on his yard may tell you a lot more about them than their political views. A recent study published in the Journal of Research in Personality found it could be a sign that they have what psychologists refer to as the “dark triad” of personality traits: psychopathy.
According to Psychology Today, “Psychopathy is a condition characterized by the absence of empathy.” People with the trait are known for being callous, detached and manipulative. “Psychopaths can appear normal, even charming. Underneath, they lack any semblance of conscience,” the site says.
An offensive Trump yard sign. via Etsy
The discovery was outlined in a recent study published in the Journal of Research in Personality.
Participants in the study looked at various T-shirts, hats and buttons with offensive political messages and shared their willingness to wear them in various settings. The study showed that people who showed signs of psychopathy were more likely to display the offensive products.
“Dark dispositions are associated with more offensive forms of political expression,” the study’s co-author Matejas Mackin told PsyPost. “In other words, while there are certainly social and political factors that contribute to more polarized forms of expression, the dispositions people bring to the table are also relevant.”
The new findings may validate those who secretly wondered whether something might be wrong with the guy up the block with an obnoxious sign on his lawn. But they are also an indicator that the same person may need some help and is struggling with a psychological problem.
An anti-Trump 2024 sign. via Printerval.com
If the story’s findings attract the public’s attention, they could inspire people who promote negative messages to change how they support their favorite causes and candidates. When people realize that their bumper sticker screams “I’m a psychopath” instead of “I’m a patriot” or “I care about women’s rights,” they may rethink how they share their views.
The study’s authors hope that it will help people express themselves in a less polarizing way.
“The ultimate goal of my work is to understand why we are polarized and develop interventions to address political polarization and the outgroup animosity it engenders,” Mackin said. “To be sure, disagreeing with and disliking the other side is often reasonable, but at the extreme it can fray the fabric of democratic society. Thus, understanding the social and dispositional factors that contribute to polarization is increasingly relevant and necessary.”