Psychopathic traits and self-conscious emotions: What is the role of perspective taking ability?

While it is well established that individuals with psychopathic traits have a marked deficit in affectivity and empathy, the extent to which empathic perspective taking can play a role in psychopathic traits and self-conscious emotions has yet to be studied in detail. Using a community sample (N = 736), the current study investigated the relationship between psychopathic traits, moral-based emotions, and empathic perspective taking ability, by exploring the effect of perspective taking in moderating the link between psychopathic traits and self-conscious emotions. Results revealed that the three components of psychopathy – self-centered impulsivity, fearless dominance, and coldheartedness – yielded different relations with empathic perspective taking and self-conscious emotions. Moreover, perspective taking ability moderated above all the relationship between psychopathic traits (impulsivity and fearless dominance) and guilt, shame and detachment. Summarising, our findings suggest that if psychopathic traits are related to an overall deficit in self-conscious emotions and perspective taking, then promoting perspective taking ability might lead to an enhancement of pro-social moral self-conscious emotions.