A qualitative analysis of internet trolling
- Authors: March, Evita , Marrington, Jessica
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking Vol. 22, no. 3 (2019), p. 192-197
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- Description: Internet trolling is receiving increasing research attention and exploration; however, disagreement and confusion surround definitions of the behavior. In the current study, 379 participants (60 percent women) completed an online questionnaire providing qualitative responses to the following: How do you define Internet trolling? What kind of behaviors constitutes Internet trolling? Does Internet trolling differ from Internet cyberbullying? Have you ever been trolled online, and if so how did it feel? Word frequency analyses indicated that Internet trolling is most commonly characterized as an abusive aggressive behavior. Responses also highlight the subjective nature of humor in trolling depending on whether an individual has trolled. Interestingly, the groups that indicated trolling as a "bullying" behavior were the groups who had never been trolled. Results of the current study highlight the need to differentiate between "kudos" trolling and Cyber Abuse. © 2019, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
The dark side of Facebook®: The Dark Tetrad, negative social potency, and trolling behaviours
- Authors: Craker, Naomi , March, Evita
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 102, no. (2016), p. 79-84
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- Description: Trolling behaviours on social networking sites (SNSs) are problematic for other computer mediated communication users, as the psychological effects of experiencing trolling online are considered similar to the psychological effects of offline harassment. The current study explored personality traits and social motivations associated with individuals who engage in online trolling, specifically on the SNS Facebook®. The Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and social reward (specifically, negative social potency) were examined for their predictive utility of trolling behaviours on Facebook®. A sample of 396 adults (75.9% women, 24.1% men) aged between 18 and 77 years of age (M=34.41, SD=1.70) completed the Global Assessment of Facebook® Trolling (GAFT), The Dirty Dozen, The Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, and The Social Rewards Questionnaire. Results showed that trait psychopathy and sadism predict Facebook® trolling behaviours; however, negative social potency had the strongest predictive utility. These results show that individual trolling behaviour may be better explained by negative social reward motivation than negative personality traits. In addition, these findings offer practical implications for SNS administrators and everyday users of SNSs. Future research should continue to explore predictors of this understudied antisocial online behaviour.
- Description: Trolling behaviours on social networking sites (SNSs) are problematic for other computer mediated communication users, as the psychological effects of experiencing trolling online are considered similar to the psychological effects of offline harassment. The current study explored personality traits and social motivations associated with individuals who engage in online trolling, specifically on the SNS Facebook®. The Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and social reward (specifically, negative social potency) were examined for their predictive utility of trolling behaviours on Facebook®. A sample of 396 adults (75.9% women, 24.1% men) aged between 18 and 77years of age (M=34.41, SD=1.70) completed the Global Assessment of Facebook® Trolling (GAFT), The Dirty Dozen, The Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, and The Social Rewards Questionnaire. Results showed that trait psychopathy and sadism predict Facebook® trolling behaviours; however, negative social potency had the strongest predictive utility. These results show that individual trolling behaviour may be better explained by negative social reward motivation than negative personality traits. In addition, these findings offer practical implications for SNS administrators and everyday users of SNSs. Future research should continue to explore predictors of this understudied antisocial online behaviour.
Psychopathy, sadism, empathy, and the motivation to cause harm : New evidence confirms malevolent nature of the Internet Troll
- Authors: March, Evita
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 141, no. (2019), p. 133-137
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- Description: Internet trolling is a disruptive, antisocial online behaviour that can cause significant distress. The current study attempted to, for the first time, include all previous significant predictors of Internet trolling in one model; specifically the utility of gender, primary psychopathy, sadism (direct and vicarious), affective empathy, cognitive empathy, negative social potency in predicting Internet trolling. Further, if the Vulnerable Dark Triad traits (i.e., secondary psychopathy, vulnerable narcissism, and borderline personality traits) could predict additional variance. The sample comprised of 733 participants (70.5% women and 29.5% men) who completed an online questionnaire. Results indicated that primary psychopathy, direct sadism, vicarious sadism, and negative social potency were all significant positive predictors of Internet trolling. Affective empathy was a significant, negative predictor of Internet trolling, and cognitive empathy was positively related to Internet trolling but only if levels of trait psychopathy were high. Of the Vulnerable Dark Triad traits, only vulnerable narcissism was a significant (negative) predictor of Internet trolling. Interestingly, gender did not significantly predict Internet trolling. Results of the current study are discussed in terms of the construction of the psychological profile of the Internet troll, with the hope that such a profile can inform intervention and prevention strategies.
High esteem and hurting others online : trait sadism moderates the relationship between self-esteem and internet trolling
- Authors: March, Evita , Steele, Genevieve
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking Vol. 23, no. 7 (2020), p. 441-446
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- Description: Internet trolling is commonly defined as disruptive online behavior, intended to provoke and distress others for amusement. Previous research has shown that gender (specifically, male), trait psychopathy, and trait sadism significantly predict engaging in trolling. In this study, we sought to replicate and extend previous research by exploring the role of self-esteem in predicting trolling, and possible interactions between self-esteem and personality. Participants (n = 400, 67.5 percent women, average age = 24.97 years [SD = 8.84]) completed an online questionnaire, including measures of psychopathy, sadism, self-esteem, and trolling behaviors. Results corroborated previous research showing gender (male) to be a significant predictor of trolling, and trait psychopathy and sadism to be significant positive predictors. Although self-esteem had no additional value on top of trait psychopathy and sadism in explaining trolling, there was a significant interaction between self-esteem and trait sadism. A moderation analysis indicated a positive relationship between self-esteem and trolling, but only when trait sadism was high. These results portray the troll as a callous individual may enjoy causing psychological harm, particularly if their self-esteem is high. These results contribute to building the psychological profile of trolls and provide future directions for research exploring trolling behaviors.
Trolling, the dark tetrad, and the four-facet spectrum of narcissism
- Authors: Furian, Lauren , March, Evita
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 208, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: Trolling is an antisocial online behavior that involves the aggressive provocation of others by causing conflict for the “troll's” own personal amusement. In the current study, we explore the utility of the facets of narcissism (agentic, communal, antagonistic, and neurotic) to predict perpetration of trolling, over and above the variance explained by gender, psychopathy, and sadism. We hypothesised that men would troll more than women, that psychopathy, sadism, and antagonistic narcissism would be positive predictors, and agentic, communal, and neurotic narcissism would be negative predictors. Participants (N = 444; 66 % women, 34 % men; Mage = 34.95, SD = 14.84) were recruited via social media (i.e., Facebook) and Cloud Research to complete an anonymous, online questionnaire that comprised measures of personality and trolling behaviors. Results partially supported the hypothesis, with men, people with high psychopathy, and people with high sadism perpetrating more trolling. Unexpectedly, people with high communal narcissism and neurotic narcissism perpetrated more trolling. Antagonistic narcissism and agentic narcissism were nonsignificant predictors. These findings implicate the utility of exploring the facets of narcissism and provide important information regarding the psychological profile of trolls. © 2023 The Authors