The 3 Core Qualities of Psychopaths
Psychopaths really do have meanness as one of their core qualities.
Posted March 24, 2026 | Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano
Knowing how to define a psychopath can be a daunting task, even for the most seasoned of researchers. There’s an elusive slipperiness to individuals who engage in what seems to represent psychopathic behavior. You can read countless scientific papers that suggest this or that set of enduring qualities, or traits but still be left wondering which ones hit the nail on the proverbial head.
Much of the elusiveness rests within the very nature of psychopathy: Can you reasonably expect that by asking a psychopath to admit to wrongful behavior, that person will fess up?
Nicholas has a friend who, time and time again, shows signs of what seems like psychopathic behavior. Whether it’s bragging about leaving a restaurant without paying or lying to his girlfriend, this friend just does not seem trustworthy. Yet, they have some great times together, and Nicholas is reluctant to break things off. Might there be an easy way to decide, once and for all?
The Triarchic Model of Psychopathy
University of Mississippi’s Ky Bray and Laura Drisdane (2026) begin their search for answers with the rather discouraging observation that “After close to 100 years of psychopathy research, there is little agreement about [its] most important characteristics." Not to worry, though, the authors propose that there are consistent themes. These include so-called “affective deficits” (lack of empathy, impaired social skills) and “disconstraint” (recklessness). A third quality, fearlessness, receive mixed support, with self-report questionnaires more likely to produce this factor than are clinical interviews.
The self-report vs. interview distinction reflected with fearlessness can be due exactly to that problem of trying to get psychopathic individuals to admit to their psychopathy unless someone puts them on the spot, as in an in-person interview.
We can add on top of this problem the discrepancies that can emerge from studies that try to get at actual antisocial or criminal behavior. There are plenty of non-offenders who show the other signs of psychopathy; the so-called “successful” psychopaths who might run a corporation or become politicians. As a result, no one in the field agrees on where to put criminal behavior in the mix when defining psychopathy.
In the triarchic model of psychopathy, some of the difficulties begin to be resolved. As an attempt to coordinate those 100 years of research, the triarchic model proposes that all the qualities of psychopathy are captured in the three (i.e. “tri”) domains of disinhibition, meanness, and boldness. To date, Bray and Drisdane note, though it’s compelling, the triarchic model hasn’t been sufficiently put to the test. Their study is an attempt to do so.
Psychopathy’s Three Features
The University of Mississippi researchers had at their disposal data from 612 undergraduate students who completed a rigorous set of testing on well-established psychopathy measures. One might argue that a more representative adult sample would be preferable. In this case, the research focus wasn’t on the scores per se but on how the scores fit into a statistical model (the authors do acknowledge this possible limitation).
The specific method that Bray and Drisdane used to analyze the data is known as network modeling. Items on the major psychopathy measures are represented by nodes, or points, and their relationships by edges, or boundaries . The result looks like a set of small circles (nodes) connected by spokes or lines, representing their degree of overlap based on thickness of the lines.
Taking all of the network analyses into account, although all three domains were represented in the final model, meanness emerged as the most influential across the network. People high in psychopathy, in other words, seem incapable of understanding how others feel and will therefore seek their own ends. Their callousness and lack of affect stand out as their main features, and they may go so far as to show relational aggression . As the authors concluded, although all three domains are relevant to the definition of psychopathy, the network analysis confirms earlier writings about psychopathy as reflecting “lovenessness” and “guiltlessness.”
From Theory to Practice: Spotting the Psychopaths in Your Life
For people like Nicholas, trying to discern whether his friend is untrustworthy if not psychopathic, the findings of the U. Mississippi study provide more than validation of a theory. Although people high in psychopathy will manipulate, con, lie, and cheat, it’s their lack of humanity that serves as their defining characteristic.
In many ways, this makes sense. If a person is unable to empathize with others and, even worse, shows callous disregard, this can pave the way for striving to dominate through bold and questionable actions.
To sum up, in evaluating whether to trust someone who might be a psychopath, you will not have the luxury of extensive questionnaires to guide you. What’s more, you might not even have all relevant samples of behavior, especially if the individual is conning you so that you don’t see what’s coming. Look for that emotional connection, and if you don’t find it, then forewarned will be forearmed.
Facebook image: cheapbooks/Shutterstock
Bray, K., & Drislane, L. E. (2026). Network analysis of triarchic psychopathy measure (tripm) and other self report measures of psychopathy. Journal of Personality . https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.70047
Share this post Facebook Bluesky Linkedin Email
There was a problem adding your email address. Please try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Psychology Today Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. , is a Professor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her latest book is The Search for Fulfillment.
Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.
This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.