Something’s off.A reported study asked 307 undergraduates and 144 formerly incarcerated community members to write about life high points, low points, and turning points. They also completed a questionnaire measuring boldness, meanness, and disinhibition, three psychopathy-related traits.
According to the report, higher boldness scores were associated with fewer anxiety-related words. Higher meanness scores were associated with fewer negative-emotion words when participants wrote about turning points. Disinhibition showed the most extensive language differences: people with higher scores reportedly used less-positive language across all prompts and more-negative language for high points and turning points, but not for low points.
The reported researchers said the work is not intended to diagnose anyone from their writing. The unusual part is that the three traits were linked to different patterns of expression, rather than a single emotionally flat writing style.
UNVERIFIED
Feed metadata identifies a report, not independently verified underlying facts.
This account is based on a single published report; the underlying study findings have not been independently verified here.
