Allocentric and Egocentric Daily Life Moral Judgment in Psychopathy

Psychopathy is defined by deficits in empathy, impulsivity, deceitfulness, and a disregard for social norms. This study examines the impacts of allocentric and egocentric moral judgment in individuals with psychopathic traits within everyday life situations. We recruited a sample of 231 university students and explored whether the discrepancy between allocentric and egocentric moral judgments correlates with psychopathy scores. In addition, we investigated if emotion regulation mediates this potential relationship. Participants completed a modified version of the moral situations questionnaire and the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale. We found small but significant correlations between psychopathy scores and moral judgments. This shows that individuals with higher psychopathy traits show altered moral judgment. However, the mediation analysis showed no significant role for cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression. The data support a direct-effect model, not a mediation model.