Psychopathy traits and the fear of missing out (FoMO) drive online political participation, with the highest engagement seen among those with lower cognitive ability, study finds

Online political participation is influenced by a mix of personality traits, social motivations, and cognitive factors, according to recent research.Image credit: Andrea Placquadio Pexels

Characteristics of people differ, and those differences are essential to how we engage online, especially when it comes to politics.

A cross-national study conducted across the U.S. and 7 other Asian countries examined personality types, cognitive ability, and how individuals engaged politically using social media through posting, sharing and/or commenting on politically related issues.

The researchers identified several relationships between personality characteristics reflective of psychopathy, such as impulsivity, lack of empathy and desire for fun or adventure, and the likelihood of online political participation. Psychopathy-related characteristics can be considered normal personality differences rather than a mental health diagnosis. This relationship was found in all eight countries, while findings for the relationship of narcissism were weaker and less consistent, only present in three of the eight countries studied.

Furthermore, the researchers found evidence that indicates a positive relationship between FoMO, or the desire to stay connected with others via the Internet, and online political participation. For example, someone who has FoMO is more likely to participate in an online political manner than someone who does not have FoMO.

The study found a negative correlation between the cognitive ability of individuals and their level of online political participation. However, the researchers made clear that this finding is a statistical relationship; in other words, cognitive ability is not a predictor of how an individual engages in political activity online or which political activity an individual engages in online.

In light of these findings, the data suggests that the relationship between psychopathy-related traits and online political engagement becomes stronger for those who demonstrate a lower level of cognitive ability, a pattern specifically found in five of the eight countries.

Overall, both personality traits and cognitive ability appear to influence online political engagement, but neither plays a determinative role in the level or amount of online political participation, with the impact instead varying based on how one's personality may affect their reasons for participating in online political discussions. Many other things impact why and how active people are regarding their online political activity, but there is no single characteristic that determines participation. Your personality may influence the way you participate in an online discussion on political issues.

Reference
Ahmed, S., & Masood, M. (2025). Dark personalities in the digital arena: how psychopathy and narcissism shape online political participation. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-05195-y