title: Prioritizing Harm.
abstract: In this study, we examined if a self-report of trait spite, the Spitefulness Scale, retains the same associations with dark personality traits in individuals with severe mental illness. We also examine if reports on the Spitefulness Scale are correlated with observed spiteful behavior in a game developed to offer opportunities for spite. One hundred twenty individuals clinically diagnosed with psychotic spectrum disorders and receiving inpatient treatment at a state hospital participated in this study and completed measures of personality. The Spitefulness Scale retained its associations with measures of dark personality traits in individuals with psychosis. Spitefulness Scale scores were also related to a performance measure of spite and spite was evidenced by a significant proportion of participants across measures (20.8%-26.7%). These data suggest the presence of spite as it is understood in the general population in a significant subset of individuals with psychosis. Spite could be considered an independent personality trait and part of the family of dark personality traits.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior , Augusta University.|b East Central Regional Hospital , Augusta , Georgia.
authors.forename: Katherine H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Moyer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior , Augusta University.|b East Central Regional Hospital , Augusta , Georgia.
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McEvoy
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior , Augusta University.
authors.forename: P Alex
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mabe
authors.affiliation: c Psychology Department , Missouri State University.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior , Augusta University.
authors.forename: Akhilesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior , Augusta University.
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Buckley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006252:Hate; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report