A new study from Germany has shown which styles of humor go hand in hand with internet trolling, confirming the already known link of this form of social provocation to psychopathy and sadism. Scientists have also revealed how social isolation affects the desire to “troll” people.

Although anonymity on the Internet sometimes only occurs, the ability to hide one’s name when communicating online often evokes the worst qualities in people. So-called trolls or simply network provocateurs who deliberately insult and humiliate other users have repeatedly become the subject of scientific research. From them, the relationship between such behavior and the features of the “dark notebook” – Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy and sadism is known.

However, there are less studied points on the subject. A team of German scientists, including a researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), undertook to take into account some of the nuances. In the study published in the journal PLoS OneThe authors tried to understand the types of humor in people prone to trolling and tested whether social isolation encourages such behavior with the help of an experiment.

The study participants were 1026 individuals (mean age – 26.5 years; 77.2% – female), selected from four universities in Germany and with the help of a popular scientific website on psychology. In the first phase, volunteers provided demographic data about themselves and answered questions about the existence of fake accounts. If the answer is “yes”, it is recommended to specify which online platforms are used and for what purposes.

Subjects then completed questionnaires aimed at determining Internet trolling propensity, expressiveness of “black book” traits, and humor style. Following the survey, the volunteers, who were previously randomly divided into two groups, were offered to play virtual games. Cyberball Paradigm while the ball is rolling. It is used in psychology to simulate social interaction and exclusion.

Participants are made to understand that they are playing with other subjects, but what actually happens is controlled by experimenters who manage the inclusion and exclusion of players. Subjects in one of the “included” groups received 10 out of 30 cannon shots, while the others fired only one shot, creating a feeling of social isolation. After the game, participants were asked to rate their trolling motivation.

Researchers found that those prone to trolling preferred aggressive styles of humor characterized by self-aggrandizement with the help of others. The correlation with self-deprecating humor was unexpected for the authors. That is, Internet provocateurs may tend to mock not only others, but also their own weaknesses and shortcomings.

As expected, the results of the survey showed a strong connection between the tendency to troll people and the characteristics of dark notebooks. The possible impact of social isolation on the desire for such behavior has not yet been confirmed. Following the cyberball experiment, volunteers in the simulated social exclusion group showed no greater motivation to troll compared to “on” participants.

The authors of the article suggested that either virtual gaming is not enough in principle to produce a significant effect, or simply a one-time experience of social exclusion cannot cause a sudden aggressive reaction as an increase in the desire to “troll”.

Although the study contributes to knowledge about the psychology of Internet trolls, its results should be treated with caution, given the limitations of the survey design and the predominantly female demographic composition of participants in Germany.