People with a high desire to dominate are less likely to have false memories of negative events, and people with high composure have fewer true memories of neutral and negative events. This conclusion was made by psychologists from the University of Padua in India. The results of the work of scientists published in the British Journal of Psychology.
Traits such as the desire for dominance, composure, egocentrism, and impulsivity are classified as psychopathic. Personality traits can influence the formation of false memories critical to investigations and convictions. Psychopaths often appear in criminal cases, so it is important to understand how false memories are formed in them.
The scientists recruited 120 volunteers who filled out a questionnaire to identify psychopathic personality traits. Subjects also rated their working memory and depression. After completing the questionnaires, the subjects began testing their memory. To revive false memories, participants were presented with photographs depicting nine scenarios, including climbing or playing slot machines. Scenarios develop in photorepresentations and end positively or negatively.
Participants watched all nine scenarios in succession without interruption. Afterwards, photographs containing the correct and incorrect endings of the scenario were presented to them, and the subjects were asked whether they remembered the photo or not. Through analysis of the responses, the researchers found differences in how people with psychopathic traits process negative events compared to people who don’t.