Remembering helpers and hinderers depends on behavioral intentions of the agent and psychopathic characteristics of the observer

Original article:

Remembering helpers and hinderers depends on behavioral intentions of the agent and psychopathic characteristics of the observer

Evolutionary Psychology 8(2): 303-316 Joseph A. Camilleri, Psychology Department, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, USA, jcamilleri@wsc.ma.eduValerie A. Kuhlmeier, Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, CanadaJenny Y. Y. Chu, Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

Abstract

Individual differences in proneness towards granting benefits (i.e., helping) or imposing costs (i.e., hindering) may have led to processes that detect and remember people who are prone to help or hinder. We examined two factors that might influence such memory: the intentionality of the acts and individual differences in psychopathy characteristics. Participants viewed several videos of computer-animated agents that helped or hindered another agent, either intentionally or unintentionally. Afterward, participants had better memory for agents that acted intentionally. Additionally, participants with more psychopathic tendencies had enhanced memory for helpers, suggesting that certain individual characteristics might result in heightened memory for people who are prone to granting benefits.

Keywords

helper recognition, hinderer recognition, behavioral intent, psychopathy.

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