People who score high in psychopathic traits are less likely to trust strangers and show distinct brain activity when evaluating social risks and financial rewards. An experiment using brain wave recordings suggests these individuals experience intense cognitive conflict when suppressing cooperative behavior and feel outsized disappointment when their expectations of a payout are violated. The research was published in the journal BMC Psychology. While popular media often portrays psychopathy as a trait exclusive to violent criminals, psychologists recognize it as a continuous spectrum present in the general population. Psychopathic traits include manipulativeness, a lack of empathy, a preference for self-interest, and impulsivity. Because these traits heavily impact how a person interacts with others, researchers frequently study how individuals on the higher end of this spectrum navigate social decision-making. Social interactions often rely heavily on generalized trust. Trusting a stranger is essentially a social gamble. If the other person honors the trust, both parties might benefit. If the other person acts selfishly, the trusting party might suffer a loss. Understanding how the brain weighs these outcomes …