Unique—Like Everybody Else

Personality, intelligence, and the differences that matter
Scott A. McGreal, MSc.
BagoGames

What Makes a Hero? And What Makes a Psychopath?

Are heroes and psychopaths cut from the same cloth? It depends on how important fearlessness is for understanding psychopathy.
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Are Heroes and Psychopaths Cut From the Same Cloth?

Do evil psychopaths and valiant heroes share a common core? The issue is complicated, but hard-core psychopaths are highly unlikely to be motivated to become heroes.
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Romantic Love, Casual Sex, and Human Ecology

Do harsh environments foster short-term mating, and rich ones long-term commitment? Environmental effects on reproductive strategies are more complicated than one might think.
Free image from Pixabay

Critiquing "Spiritual Intelligence"

Is it possible to consider "spiritual intelligence" in a rational and scientific manner?
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What is "Spiritual Intelligence" Anyway?

If "spiritual intelligence" is a real thing, what might it consist of? Probably, elements of personality, intelligence, and altered states of consciousness.
Spiritual Intelligence Training website

Is "Spiritual Intelligence" a Valid Concept?

"Spiritual intelligence" has been popularized in recent years as an "alternative" intelligence based on little evidence, However, could the concept have some scientific merit?
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Understanding the Personality of Moral Rebels

What does it take to do the right thing in the face of social pressure to conform? And what does this suggest for claims that moral behavior is controlled by situational forces?
Scot A Harvest

When Spirituality and Sexuality Clash

Are sexuality and spirituality naturally antagonistic? Recent research suggests that sexual thoughts can weaken spiritual motivations. Can the two be reconciled?
Wikimedia Commons

Does Watching Porn Promote Submissiveness in Women?

A study suggests that women who watch more porn, engage are more sexually submissive. Does this reflect the influence of porn on their behavior? Or just their pre-existing taste?
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Is Using Profanity a Sign of Honesty?

A recent paper suggests that profanity may be a reflection of emotional honesty and candor. However, closer examination of the studies' results casts doubt on this idea.
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The Fundamental Errors of Situationism

Are people really "pure dispositionalists" who underestimate the "power of the situation" to influence behavior? A closer look at the evidence suggests these claims are overhyped.
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The Fundamental Attribution Error is Overrated

Does the so-called fundamental attribution error deserve to be more widely known? The importance of this phenomenon has actually been blown out of all proportion.
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The Paradox of Conscientious Prisoners

Criminals are usually lower than normal people in conscientiousness, yet a new study finds that prisoners are higher in this trait. What can explain this apparent paradox?
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Are Psychopaths Really Smarter Than the Rest of Us?

There is a popular belief that psychopaths are highly intelligent, but this isn't true. What accounts for this misconception?
James Bond Wikia

What Is the Link Between Heroism and Antisocial Behavior?

Research suggests a seemingly paradoxical link between antisocial behavior and heroism. Psychopathy has been suggested as a linking factor, but this seems unlikely.
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The Strange Link Between Attitudes Towards Sex and Drugs

According to evolutionary theories, people's attitudes to recreational drug use may be influenced by their preferred mating strategies.
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The Ghost of Situationism and Why Personality Is Not a Myth

A recent podcast on the "myth" of personality trots out long discredited arguments against the reality of personality. Why do these ideas keep returning like a restless ghost?
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Fantasy Choices and the Real Self

Choices people make in fantasy contexts reflect rather than complement their personalities. People may be reluctant to create imaginary identities that mismatch their real selves.
Wikipedia

The Mating Strategies of Extraverts

Life History Theory views long-term and short-term mating strategies as polar opposites. However, some people, particularly extraverts, may pursue both, others neither.
Wikimedia Commons, public domain photo

Does Watching TV Encourage Narcissism?

Research links watching certain TV genres, e.g. reality TV, with narcissism. Does this mean TV cultivates narcissism? Or is the relationship deeper and more complicated?
Courtesy of Theonlynewnumber via DeviantArt

Psychedelic Drugs and the Nature of Personality Change

A recent study found increases in openness to experience following a dose of LSD. More detailed studies on psychedelics may lead to a deeper understanding of personality change.
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Race, Sexual Permissiveness, and Questionable Science

According to differential-K theory, racial differences in sexuality should follow a specific hierarchy. However, research evidence suggests that this theory is wrong.
Wikimedia commons

Androgens, Dodgy Penis Size Data, and Differential-K Theory

Can Richard Lynn's use of dodgy data on race differences in penis size be defended with crude statistics? The answer is no. Plus, Neanderthal DNA and why it hardly matters either.
Wikimedia Commons

Race Differences in Androgens: Do They Mean Anything?

What can group differences in androgen levels tell us about racial differences in reproductive strategies? Probably not much.
Wikimedia Commons

Personality Profiles of Great American Presidents

A study finds that presidential greatness is associated with a mix of bright and dark traits. Great presidents have been compassionate, yet also knew how to manipulate people.
Wikimedia commons, image in the public domain

Personality's 'Big One' and the Enigma of Narcissism

Narcissism combines adaptive and maladaptive traits, making it difficult to reconcile narcissism with the theory that all personality traits express a single underlying dimension.
Open Science Framework

Can the Experience of Awe Open the Mind?

People who are open to experience are more prone to experiencing awe. Is it possible that profound experiences of awe could also induce greater open-mindedness? Mystical experiences under the influence of psychedelics can increase openness to experience. Perhaps such experiences are so awe-inspiring that create a deeper and lasting appreciation for the mystery of life.
PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek/Shutterstock

Your Field Guide to the Colorful Personality

People with colorful personalities, or histrionic traits, can be entertaining yet also very self-centered. Charming and theatrical, they may use social skills to exploit others. The colorful personality may be an addition to the growing list of dark personalities.
Vincent van Gogh/DeepDream Generator

LSD, Suggestibility, and Personality Change

A recent study found that LSD increases suggestibility. Research suggests that psychedelic drug use can increase openness to unusual ideas, such as spiritual and paranormal beliefs, in the long-term. Could this be be due to a long-lasting increase in suggestibility and related personality traits?
Photo by Duncan Hull, a demotivational poster designed by Despair, Inc.

Resolving the “Conscientiousness Paradox”

Conscientious individuals generally have good outcomes, but countries with high national levels of conscientiousness generally have poorer levels of human development. What does this apparent "conscientiousness paradox" mean?

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