Troll studies 🤓

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Some psychologists and academics who have studied online trolls do note commonalities between excessive trolling habits and use disorders, though only to a point. They say it's a catch-22: Although trolling is a serious problem for which many people should get psychological treatment, some trolls are unlikely to ever seek it.

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Psychological studies show trolls tend to be male, show higher levels of psychopathy traits — low levels of empathy, guilt and responsibility for their actions — and higher levels of sadism traits, the enjoyment of causing others physical and psychological pain.

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Trolls are also motivated by what psychologists call "atypical social rewards".

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Not all trolls exhibit traits like low affective empathy or psychopathy. Some may simply be motivated by negative social rewards, like creating mayhem.

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And creating mayhem motivates the troll to keep going back for more.