Smallvol#1
MarchMatters
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- Oct 19, 2013
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Thought this was very interesting. May help understand some things. Originally posted on LV site and got bounced as irrelevant/whatever, but a lot of people seemed to find it interesting though, so I thought I would post it here at admin's suggestion. As stated before, I'm not going argue with anybody, but would enjoy others' input/discussions.
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By Eric Adler, McClatchy-Tribune
Anyone who's ever encountered Internet trolls...might have concluded they are psychologically disturbed.
That would be correct, new research suggests.
Trolls gleefully spew their comments for no other reason than cruelty
According to a recent paper by a team of Canadian researchers that has looked into the psychological underpinnings of trolls, they may be sadists.
Yes, sadists. But not the psychopathic sadists who turn to actual physical torment or serial killing.
"We use the term 'everyday sadist' to emphasize that we are referring to subclinical levels of sadism, and not the more extreme forms that are seen in serial killers and criminals," said psychologist Erin Buckels of the University of Manitoba and the first of three authors on the paper on troll personality in the February issue of the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
"The essential aspect of sadism," Buckels said in a email, "is enjoyment of cruelty. Persons high in sadism gain some emotional benefit from causing or simply observing others' suffering."
Although researchers delineate between cyberbullies and trolls - cyberbullies torment specific individuals and are often known by their victims; trolls like to cast their hurt about - they are linked by their penchant for cruelty.
(...research details included here...)
Both surveys included questions about the subjects' Internet habits and also included statements from well-known diagnostic tests of personality traits meant to detect various levels of sadism.
"It seems like one of their great joys in life," said Paulhus (first reference to Paulhus is included in details portion, researcher at University of British Columbia) "is to make fun of other people and to criticize their opinions."
Paulhus said that trolls are often insatiably nasty. There is no reasoning with then.
The more havoc they sow, getting more people to argue with them, the happier they are.
It is that well-known trait that has given rise to the Internet advice: "Don't feed the trolls."
Like ravenous strays, they just come back.
Article in Knoxville News Sentinel: By Eric Adler, McClatchy-Tribune Kansas City, Mo,
..............................................................................
By Eric Adler, McClatchy-Tribune
Anyone who's ever encountered Internet trolls...might have concluded they are psychologically disturbed.
That would be correct, new research suggests.
Trolls gleefully spew their comments for no other reason than cruelty
According to a recent paper by a team of Canadian researchers that has looked into the psychological underpinnings of trolls, they may be sadists.
Yes, sadists. But not the psychopathic sadists who turn to actual physical torment or serial killing.
"We use the term 'everyday sadist' to emphasize that we are referring to subclinical levels of sadism, and not the more extreme forms that are seen in serial killers and criminals," said psychologist Erin Buckels of the University of Manitoba and the first of three authors on the paper on troll personality in the February issue of the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
"The essential aspect of sadism," Buckels said in a email, "is enjoyment of cruelty. Persons high in sadism gain some emotional benefit from causing or simply observing others' suffering."
Although researchers delineate between cyberbullies and trolls - cyberbullies torment specific individuals and are often known by their victims; trolls like to cast their hurt about - they are linked by their penchant for cruelty.
(...research details included here...)
Both surveys included questions about the subjects' Internet habits and also included statements from well-known diagnostic tests of personality traits meant to detect various levels of sadism.
"It seems like one of their great joys in life," said Paulhus (first reference to Paulhus is included in details portion, researcher at University of British Columbia) "is to make fun of other people and to criticize their opinions."
Paulhus said that trolls are often insatiably nasty. There is no reasoning with then.
The more havoc they sow, getting more people to argue with them, the happier they are.
It is that well-known trait that has given rise to the Internet advice: "Don't feed the trolls."
Like ravenous strays, they just come back.
Article in Knoxville News Sentinel: By Eric Adler, McClatchy-Tribune Kansas City, Mo,
