This shows people and wolves with cell phones.
People with better critical thinking and problem-solving skills were less likely to engage politically online. Credit: Neuroscience News

FoMO and Dark Personalities Drive Online Political Engagement

Summary: A large cross-national study examined how psychopathy, narcissism, fear of missing out (FoMO), and cognitive ability influence online political participation. Across eight countries, people high in psychopathy and FoMO consistently engaged more in digital political activities, while narcissism predicted participation only in some contexts.

Higher cognitive ability was associated with less participation overall and moderated the effects of darker traits, making low-ability individuals with high psychopathy or narcissism especially active. These findings highlight how personality, social anxieties, and reasoning ability interact to shape who engages — and how — in online political spaces.

Key Takeaways:

  • People high in psychopathy and FoMO are consistently more likely to engage in online political activity across cultures.
  • Higher cognitive ability is associated with lower online political participation and moderates the impact of dark personality traits.
  • Cultural context shapes how narcissism and other traits influence political behavior, highlighting the importance of local norms.

Source: Neuroscience News

In today’s hyperconnected world, online political participation is easier than ever — but who exactly is behind the clicks, comments, and campaigns?

A fascinating new cross-national study reveals that darker sides of human personality, fear of missing out (FoMO), and even intelligence levels interact in unexpected ways to shape who engages most in digital political activity.

By analyzing survey data from over 8,000 participants across eight countries — including the United States, China, and several Southeast Asian nations — researchers explored how psychopathy, narcissism, FoMO, and cognitive ability influence online political engagement.

Their findings paint a nuanced picture: people with high psychopathy or high FoMO were consistently more active online politically, while those with higher intelligence tended to engage less.

The study also uncovered that lower cognitive ability amplifies the effect of psychopathy and narcissism, making those with darker personalities and less reasoning skill particularly likely to participate.

These insights not only shed light on the psychological mechanisms driving online political activity but also raise important questions about the quality and consequences of such engagement in digital democracies worldwide.

The Dark Side of Political Participation

While many studies have examined how traits like conscientiousness or openness correlate with political involvement, few have looked at how so-called “dark” personality traits — like narcissism and psychopathy — influence political behavior.

These traits are often linked to manipulative, self-serving, and even antisocial tendencies. Yet, in politics, where competition, conflict, and public attention abound, such characteristics can be a surprising asset.

Indeed, the study found that psychopathy, characterized by fearlessness, impulsivity, and a lack of empathy, was a robust predictor of online political participation across all eight countries studied.

From the U.S. to Vietnam, people with higher psychopathy scores were more likely to take part in digital political activity, suggesting that the competitive, often provocative nature of online discourse appeals to these individuals.

Narcissism, defined by grandiosity and a need for admiration, was also linked to higher online political participation — but only in certain contexts, namely the U.S., the Philippines, and Thailand.

This variation may reflect cultural differences in how self-promotion and public visibility are perceived; in collectivist cultures like China or Malaysia, overt narcissistic behavior may be less socially acceptable, dampening its effect on political participation.

FoMO Fuels Engagement

The fear of missing out — or FoMO — is a relatively new psychological construct born of the digital age. It describes the anxiety some people feel that others are having rewarding experiences without them, and it’s closely tied to compulsive social media use.

Unsurprisingly, the researchers found that FoMO was strongly and consistently linked to online political participation in all eight countries. People who feared being left out of the social and political conversation were more likely to jump into discussions, share posts, and engage in political content online.

This suggests that for many, digital political participation may be driven less by civic duty or ideological commitment and more by a desire to belong and not miss out.

Yet, as the authors note, this raises questions about the quality of participation. If engagement is driven primarily by anxiety and impulsivity rather than deliberation or informed opinion, it could undermine the constructive potential of digital democratic spaces.

Intelligence Dampens Impulsivity

Perhaps most surprising was the finding that higher cognitive ability — measured by a standardized verbal reasoning test — was consistently associated with lower levels of online political participation.

Individuals with stronger critical thinking and problem-solving skills were less likely to engage in political online activities. Furthermore, intelligence moderated the effects of dark personality traits and FoMO: their influence was much stronger among those with lower cognitive ability.

In other words, individuals who scored high in psychopathy or narcissism and low in intelligence were particularly likely to engage in online political activities, potentially in more reactive, impulsive, or disruptive ways.

Conversely, those high in intelligence appeared better able to regulate their impulses and assess the consequences of their actions, dampening the influence of darker personality traits and FoMO on their behavior.

This pattern held true across most countries, with one notable exception: in China, the link between psychopathy and participation was actually stronger among individuals with higher intelligence, suggesting cultural or institutional factors may shape how these traits interact.

Implications for Democracy and Digital Culture

The findings have important implications for understanding the psychological landscape of digital political engagement. Online platforms make political participation accessible to more people, but they also lower the barriers for impulsive, uncivil, or manipulative behavior. If much of the most vocal participation comes from those high in psychopathy or driven by FoMO, it may skew public discourse and decision-making.

For policymakers and platform designers, this raises the challenge of fostering inclusive, thoughtful engagement while discouraging reactive or harmful participation. Efforts to improve digital literacy and create online spaces that encourage deliberation rather than sensationalism may help balance these dynamics.

The study also highlights the role of culture: the relationships between narcissism, FoMO, and political participation varied across countries, likely reflecting different social norms and expectations. In collectivist societies, for instance, overt self-promotion is less tolerated, which may blunt the impact of narcissism on political behavior.

Moving Forward

While the study provides valuable insights, it also raises new questions. Future research could examine how different types of narcissism or psychopathy — for example, vulnerable versus grandiose narcissism, or primary versus secondary psychopathy — influence participation differently.

Longitudinal studies could explore how these traits interact with changing digital environments over time, while experimental work could test interventions to mitigate the influence of dark traits on online discourse.

At its core, the research highlights that political participation — especially in the fast-paced, low-cost environment of the internet — is driven by a complex interplay of personality, psychology, and cognition.

By gaining a deeper understanding of these dynamics, we can begin to create digital spaces that foster constructive civic engagement and help counteract the more destructive impulses lurking in the shadows.

About this personality and political psychology research news

Author: Neuroscience News Communications
Source: Neuroscience News
Contact: Neuroscience News Communications – Neuroscience News
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: Open access.
Dark personalities in the digital arena: how psychopathy and narcissism shape online political participation” by Saifuddin Ahmed et al. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications


Abstract

Dark personalities in the digital arena: how psychopathy and narcissism shape online political participation

This cross-national study investigates how psychopathy, narcissism, and fear of missing out (FoMO) influence online political participation, and how cognitive ability moderates these associations.

Drawing on data from the United States and seven Asian countries, the findings reveal that individuals high in psychopathy and FoMO are consistently more likely to engage in online political activity.

While narcissism is also linked to participation, this relationship emerges in only three of the eight countries.

Conversely, higher cognitive ability is uniformly associated with lower levels of online political participation.

Notably, the relationship between psychopathy and participation is stronger among individuals with lower cognitive ability in five countries, suggesting that those with both high psychopathy and low cognitive ability are the most actively involved in online political engagement.

These findings underscore the nuanced interaction between dark personality traits, FoMO, and cognitive functioning in shaping digital political engagement across diverse socio-political contexts.

Join our Newsletter
I agree to have my personal information transferred to AWeber for Neuroscience Newsletter ( more information )
Sign up to receive our recent neuroscience headlines and summaries sent to your email once a day, totally free.
We hate spam and only use your email to contact you about newsletters. You can cancel your subscription any time.