Psychology Today

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.

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?

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

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

Narcissists can be charismatic yet also alienate others. Narcissism combines adaptive and maladaptive traits. This makes it difficult to reconcile narcissism with the theory that all personality traits express a single underlying dimension such as a general factor of 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.

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?

According to new research, atheists can threaten a person’s confidence in an afterlife, and this may be a factor in widespread prejudices against atheists. According to terror management theory most people defend against their dread of mortality in ways that generate intolerance. Cultivating a humble attitude might ease death's sting and reduce prejudice.

The Fifty Shades Trilogy has provoked controversy because the story revolves around an abusive relationship. A group of researchers has argued that the books may harm women by glamorizing abuse. However, the authors' findings are inconsistent with their claims. Whether the books have a harmful influence or are simply titillating fantasy remains to be demonstrated.

Whether a person identifies with their head or their heart can say a lot about their personality. Are people in their heads really smarter than those in their hearts?

The relation between intelligence and the personality trait agreeableness presents a puzzle. Agreeableness is unrelated to IQ, yet lay people tend to associate agreeableness with lower intelligence, even though it is a desirable quality. A new study found that agreeable people choke under pressure, suggesting that being too nice can be a liability at times.

Recent research looks at whether heroes and psychopaths are "twigs from the same branch." People who have performed heroic actions to help others often have a history of antisocial behavior as well. There may be loose connections between heroism and having "psychopathic" qualities, but the reasons for this remain unclear.

A recent study of intensely positive experiences in people who have used psilocybin found that some users had experienced profoundly altered states of consciousness, including visual hallucinations even when not under the direct influence of the drug. Perhaps psilocybin might have lasting effects on a person’s ability to enter altered states of consciousness without drugs.

Although a number of long-term studies have linked cannabis use to later risk of mental illness, the question of whether the one causes the other remains unresolved. The possibility that a third factor, such as genetic or personality predispositions, underlies both cannabis use and the development of psychosis needs to be considered more carefully in future research.