Item Details

title

Profiling the Bullshitter: Links Between Bullshitting Propensity and Individual Differences

author

li, yanying

abstract

The proposed study aimed to investigate the relationships between bullshitting propensity (i.e., one’s tendency to generate statements without concern for facts or evidence) and various individual differences, including personality traits, thinking styles, cognitive ability, and self-esteem. By employing three distinct measures of bullshitting propensity, the current study sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of bullshitting propensity and its underlying constructs. Additionally, this research aimed to identify the characteristics of individuals more likely to engage in bullshitting behaviors. To address the research questions, a correlational design was employed with a sample of 417 undergraduate participants. Partial correlations were used to assess associations between bullshitting propensity and related variables while controlling for lying tendency. The results indicated that self-reported bullshitting propensity was positively correlated with traits associated with the Dark Triad personality traits, Close-minded thinking, and a reference for intuition, while negatively correlated with Honesty-Humility, Conscientiousness, Open-minded thinking, and a preference for effortful thinking style. Cognitive ability measures were generally unrelated to bullshitting propensity. Moreover, self-esteem was only negatively associated with evasive bullshitting. These findings contributed to a more nuanced understanding of the psychological profiles of individuals who are prone to bullshitting.

subject

Bullshit

Individual differences

contributor

Petrocelli, John (advisor)

Stone, Eric (committee member)

Garrison, Mason (committee member)

Krcmar, Marina (committee member)

date

2025-06-24T08:36:31Z (accessioned)

2025-06-24T08:36:31Z (available)

2025 (issued)

degree

Psychology (discipline)

identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/111019 (uri)

language

en (iso)

publisher

Wake Forest University

type

Thesis