Haters Gonna Hate, Trolls Gonna Troll: The Personality Profile of a Facebook Troll

Haukur Freyr Gylfason, Anita Hrund Sveinsdottir, Vaka Vésteinsdóttir and Rannveig Sigurvinsdottir
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Haukur Freyr Gylfason: Department of Business, Reykjavik University, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Anita Hrund Sveinsdottir: Department of Psychology, Reykjavik University, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Vaka Vésteinsdóttir: Department of Psychology, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Rannveig Sigurvinsdottir: Department of Psychology, Reykjavik University, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: Personality factors, such as the Dark Tetrad personality factors (Machiavellianism, narcissism and sadism) relate to greater online trolling. Other personality factors, such as the Big Five Personality factors, honesty–humility and negative social potency, may also play a role in cyberbullying, which is an aggressive behavior similar to trolling. The purpose of this study was to predict Facebook trolling behavior based on personality factors. A total of 139 participants completed a survey on their online behavior and personality factors. Online trolling behavior positively correlated with sadism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism, and negatively correlated with agreeableness, conscientiousness and honesty–humility. A hierarchical linear regression showed that sadism, Machiavellianism and negative social potency were the only unique predictors of online trolling behavior. Trolling was unrelated to the frequency of Facebook use and the frequency of commenting. Enjoyment of trolling fully mediated the relationship between Machiavellianism and the trolling behavior. The results thus suggested that Facebook trolling behaviors may be motivated by enjoying the manipulation of others.

Keywords: trolling; personality; sadism; Dark Triad; HEXACO; antisocial internet behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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