Certain socially aversive personality traits may help explain why some people believe humans deserve moral superiority over other animals, according to a new study published in Current Psychology. The research suggests that psychopathy and sadism, two of the so-called “Dark Tetrad” traits, are linked to stronger beliefs in human dominance over animals, along with lower empathy and a preference for social hierarchies. These findings support the idea that speciesism (a belief system placing humans above non-human animals) is rooted in broader psychological patterns that also underlie prejudice toward other humans.
Speciesism refers to the belief that humans are inherently more important than non-human animals, often used to justify the exploitation of animals for food, clothing, and scientific research. Although many people recognize that animals are capable of suffering, most societies continue to treat them as inferior beings. This view has serious implications, not only for animal welfare but also for human health and environmental sustainability.
Psychologists have recently begun to investigate how individual differences in personality might relate to speciesist beliefs. One focus has been on the Dark Tetrad—a group of four personality traits that reflect tendencies toward manipulation, callousness, and enjoyment of others’ suffering. These traits are narcissism (excessive self-love and entitlement), Machiavellianism (strategic manipulation), psychopathy (emotional coldness and impulsivity), and sadism (pleasure from harming others).
Prior research has linked the Dark Tetrad to various antisocial behaviors, including aggression, bullying, and prejudice. The new study aimed to explore whether these traits are also related to attitudes toward animals, and whether this relationship is shaped by empathy and ideological beliefs about social hierarchies.
“I live in Serbia, where we share our towns and cities with many abandoned animals,” said study author Marija Branković, a research associate at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory at Belgrade University and an associate professor at Singidunum University. “My academic interest in the topic stemmed from my attempts to help these animals. My impression, from this activist experience, was that the same psychological capacities and traits relevant to our relationships with other humans also determine our relationships with non-human animals. This is what has driven the interest in pursuing this study.”
The research involved two separate studies using surveys to assess personality traits, attitudes toward animals, and related psychological characteristics. In both cases, participants were primarily young adults recruited from student populations.
In the first study, 369 participants completed questionnaires measuring the Dark Tetrad traits, their level of speciesism, their intentions to behave in ways that benefit animals (such as adopting a more plant-based diet or helping stray animals), and their meat consumption habits. The researchers also accounted for the effects of age, gender, and education.
The results indicated that higher levels of psychopathy and sadism were strongly related to greater speciesism. People who scored higher on these traits were also less likely to express intentions to help animals. Machiavellianism was only weakly linked to more frequent meat consumption, and narcissism did not appear to play a significant role in attitudes toward animals.
A statistical analysis revealed that psychopathy and sadism were the key personality predictors of speciesist attitudes, with psychopathy especially associated with both stronger speciesist beliefs and lower prosocial intentions. This pattern suggests that a lack of empathy and a disregard for others’ suffering may be central to negative attitudes toward animals.
In the second study, the researchers aimed to understand the psychological processes that might explain the link between Dark Tetrad traits and speciesism. A new group of 234 participants completed measures of psychopathy, sadism, speciesism, three components of empathy (emotional, cognitive, and concern-driven), and two ideological variables: social dominance orientation and right-wing authoritarianism.
Social dominance orientation reflects a preference for hierarchical social systems where some groups dominate others. Right-wing authoritarianism describes a tendency to favor tradition, obedience to authority, and social conformity.
This second study found that psychopathy was again associated with stronger speciesist beliefs, but its effect was fully explained by a person’s level of social dominance orientation. In other words, people high in psychopathy tended to favor social hierarchies, and this belief in dominance extended to the way they viewed animals. All three aspects of empathy—feeling with others, understanding others, and caring about others—were also linked to less speciesism, both directly and indirectly through their relationship with social dominance orientation.
Interestingly, sadism did not emerge as a significant predictor in this second study once other variables were accounted for. Similarly, right-wing authoritarianism did not play a notable role in shaping speciesist beliefs when considered alongside social dominance orientation.
Together, these studies suggest that speciesism is not just about personal preference or cultural tradition—it may reflect broader personality patterns and social ideologies. People who are emotionally detached, less capable of empathizing with others, or who enjoy exerting power and control may be more likely to view non-human animals as less worthy of moral concern. These psychological traits also appear to support a worldview where dominance and hierarchy are seen as natural or desirable.
“We found that the same psychological capacities and traits, such capacities for empathy and basic social attitudes, predict the relationship with both humans and non-human animals. We found that the so-called Dark Tetrad traits, in particular psychopathy and sadism, are related to higher speciesism – support for animal exploitation. However, the general social attitudes are even more important for our relationship to animals.”
“In particular, our endorsement of ideologies of superiority is a key factor in all relationships with those who are different. In contrast to the Dark Tetrad traits, which are considered more enduring personality characteristics (although not immutable), ideologies of superiority are learned within a social context and can be unlearned. This is our key message – individuals and societies should seek to critically reexamine the ideologies of superiority to foster a more compassionate relationship with both humans and other animals.”
The study, like all research, includes some caveats. The samples in both studies were relatively homogenous, consisting mostly of young adults and students. This may limit how broadly the results can be applied. The reliance on self-report questionnaires also raises the possibility of social desirability bias, where participants might underreport socially frowned-upon beliefs or traits.
In addition, the measures used to assess empathy were specifically focused on non-human animals. While this specificity is useful for the topic at hand, it remains unclear how well these results would generalize to empathy more broadly. Future research could explore whether general empathy and species-specific empathy operate in similar ways.
“A group of my colleagues and I are working toward an enhanced understanding of the links between violence against animals and humans. We seek to understand the shared psychological underpinnings of violent behaviors, as well as how society and the social context help enhance and sustain violent behavior, to be able to prevent them.”
The study, “Dark minds do not like animals: the Dark Tetrad traits as predictors of relations with non-human animals,” was authored by Marija Branković, Janko Međedović, and Anastasija Budžak.
