Adaptable Psychopathic Traits: Military and Para-Military Organizations

Although culturally distinct, both military and law enforcement careers demand individuals to operate effectively in high-risk environments; a characteristic shaped through processes of military and para-military occupational socialization, reinforced by an adaptable personality. Understanding the distinctions between military and law enforcement cultures provides a foundation for examining individual-level factors such as personality, behavior, and mental health. Recent research (e.g. Anestis et al., 2019; Batastini et al., 2023; Falkenbach et al., 2017; Falkenbach et al., 2018; McKinley & Verona, 2023; Patton et al., 2018; Preston et al., 2020; Roșca et al., 2021) has increasingly applied a psychopathic framework to study these professions, highlighting the potentially adaptive roles of traits such as social dominance, a lack of empathy, and fearlessness. This study builds on that work by comparing law enforcement officers (LEOs) with and without military backgrounds to explore differing psychological profiles, using psychopathic personality theory to investigate trait differences across groups. Despite the growing body of research on psychopathy in high-risk occupations, no known studies have specifically compared psychopathic traits between LEOs with and without military experience. To address this gap, the study analyzes participant responses on the Psychopathic Personality Inventory Revised (PPI-R), Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). The goal is to determine: (1) the level of psychopathic traits and related correlates in law enforcement officers with versus without military experience, and how those trait levels compare to a correctional sample; (2) the relationship between psychopathic traits and associated correlates; and (3) how prior military experience moderates the relationship of time spent in the profession with psychopathic traits and correlates.