What's up with anti-natalists? : an observational study on the relationship between dark triad personality traits and anti-natalist views
Abstract
In the past decade, research on the dark triad of personality (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) has demonstrated a strong relationship to a number of socially aversive moral judgments such as sacrificial utilitarian decisions in moral dilemmas. This study widens the scope of this research program and investigates the association between dark triad personality traits and anti-natalist views, i.e., views holding that procreation is morally wrong. The results of this study indicate that the dark triad personality traits of Machiavellianism and psychopathy are strongly associated with anti-natalist views. Further, depression is found to be both standing independently in a relationship with anti-natalist views as well as functioning as a mediator in the relationships between Machiavellianism/psychopathy and anti-natalist views. This pattern was replicated in a follow-up study. These findings add to the literature on dark triad personality traits and their relationship to moral judgments, suggesting that personality and mood play a substantive part in variation in anti-natalist views in a lay population.
Citation
Schönegger , P 2022 , ' What's up with anti-natalists? an observational study on the relationship between dark triad personality traits and anti-natalist views ' , Philosophical Psychology , vol. 35 , no. 1 , pp. 66-94 . https://doi.org/10.1080/09515089.2021.1946026
Publication
Philosophical Psychology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0951-5089Type
Journal article
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