Successful Psychopathy Predicts Variation in Ambition and Motivations for Life Success

Though psychopathic personality has long been considered a robust predictor of antisocial and criminal behavior throughout one’s life, more recent attention has turned to the construct of successful psychopathy. This subtype depicts individuals who are callous and unemotional at their core, yet who are characterised by traits largely considered beneficial or adaptive in daily life and which contribute to positive outcomes in business and social arenas. Though emerging work on this construct has outlined associated markers of success, further investigation is required to better understand what drives this success. In this study (n = 224), hierarchical regression models demonstrated that beyond demographics, successful psychopathic traits accounting for further variance in ambition, as well as the facets of life success: status/wealth seeking, professional fulfilment, personal fulfilment, and security. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for organizational dynamics and potential for employee screening, training, and development.