TY - JOUR

T1 - Understanding the Dark Side of Costly Punishment

T2 - The Impact of Individual Differences in Everyday Sadism and Existential Threat

AU - Pfattheicher, Stefan

AU - Schindler, Simon

PY - 2015/7/1

Y1 - 2015/7/1

N2 - In public goods situations, a specific destructive behaviour reliably emerges when individuals face the possibility of costly punishing others: antisocial punishment, that is, costly punishing cooperative individuals. So far, however, little is known about the individual differences and situational factors that are associated with the dark side of costly punishment. This research deals with this shortcoming. We argue that antisocial punishment reflects the basic characteristics of sadism, namely, aggressive behaviour to dominate and to harm other individuals. We further argue that antisocial punishment may reflect a type of behaviour that allows for the maintenance of self-esteem (through aggressively dominating others). Therefore, we expect that individuals who report a disposition for everyday sadism are particularly likely to engage in antisocial punishment when their self has been threatened (by thinking about one's own death). In a study (N=99), we found empirical support for this assumption. The present research contributes to a better understanding of antisocial punishment and suggests that sadistic tendencies play a crucial role, especially when the self is (existentially) threatened.

AB - In public goods situations, a specific destructive behaviour reliably emerges when individuals face the possibility of costly punishing others: antisocial punishment, that is, costly punishing cooperative individuals. So far, however, little is known about the individual differences and situational factors that are associated with the dark side of costly punishment. This research deals with this shortcoming. We argue that antisocial punishment reflects the basic characteristics of sadism, namely, aggressive behaviour to dominate and to harm other individuals. We further argue that antisocial punishment may reflect a type of behaviour that allows for the maintenance of self-esteem (through aggressively dominating others). Therefore, we expect that individuals who report a disposition for everyday sadism are particularly likely to engage in antisocial punishment when their self has been threatened (by thinking about one's own death). In a study (N=99), we found empirical support for this assumption. The present research contributes to a better understanding of antisocial punishment and suggests that sadistic tendencies play a crucial role, especially when the self is (existentially) threatened.

KW - Antisocial punishment

KW - Dominance

KW - Mortality salience

KW - Sadism

KW - Social dilemma

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84938747836&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/per.2003

DO - 10.1002/per.2003

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84938747836

VL - 29

SP - 498

EP - 505

JO - European Journal of Personality

JF - European Journal of Personality

SN - 0890-2070

IS - 4

ER -