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Those who possess cryptocurrency are more likely to have โdark tetradโ personality traits, according to a new study.
Investors They are also more likely to be male, rely on fringe social media sources, believe in conspiracy theories and feel victimized on digital currencies.
That's according to a new study that surveyed 2,001 American adults about whether they owned or had owned cryptocurrencies. About 30 percent of them said yes.
They were then asked important demographic information, as well as other questions designed to reveal their political, psychological and social traits.
The researchers then took that data and tried to determine which characteristics were the best predictors of whether someone had purchased cryptocurrency.
They found that, among other important characteristics, those who had purchased them were more likely to report having personality traits aligned with the โdark tetrad,โ which is made up of narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism.
The Dark Tetrad is a psychological theory that builds on the more famous Dark Triad and adds sadism. The triad was first proposed at the turn of the century and researchers have said that those who exhibit this behavior are more likely to be problematic employees, commit crimes or cause other problems.
But the strongest predictor of whether someone owned cryptocurrency was whether they relied on fringe social media sources for news, the researchers said.
They also pointed out other important characteristics: masculinity, tendency to argue, higher income and feelings of victimization.
The researchers acknowledged that the sample of participants was relatively limited and that the study participants were relied upon to report their own characteristics. But they found a strong correlation between some of the characteristics, suggesting that they could lead to further research into what drives people to use cryptocurrencies.
The new study, 'The Political, Psychological, and Social Correlates of Cryptocurrency Ownership,' is published in the magazine PLUS ONE.
