Impact of Adaptive Psychopathic Traits and Boldness on Risk Taking in University Students

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among adaptive psychopathic traits, boldness, and risk-taking behavior in young adults of Pakistani universities. Psychopathy, traditionally studied in forensic settings, is increasingly recognized as a dimensional trait present in non-clinical populations, with boldness identified as its most adaptive component. Grounded in the Triarchic Model of psychopathy (Patrick et al., 2009), the study tested whether boldness and risk-taking relate to adaptive psychopathic traits, and whether these variables predict risk-taking behavior among university students. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with a sample of 200 university students (61.5% female; age range 18–25 years, 48.5%, male; age range 18-21 years) recruited from multiple academic institutions in Pakistan. Three self-report instruments were used: the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure Boldness Subscale (TriPM), the General Risk Propensity Scale (GRiPS), and the Adaptive and Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire (ADPTQ). Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Regression analysis confirmed that adaptive psychopathic traits significantly predicted risk-taking (β = .285, p < .001), whereas boldness did not (β = -.128, p = .060), with the overall model explaining 10% of the variance in risk-taking (R² = .100). The null findings for boldness are discussed in terms of cultural factors, measurement limitations, and sample characteristics. This study extends research on adaptive psychopathy to a non-Western population and highlights the need for culturally validated psychopathy measures within Pakistani contexts.