The Cluster B personality disorders of the DSM-IV include the
antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality
disorders. While none of these are a perfect description of the typical
troll's behavior, they do share features with the troll.
First of all is the antisocial personality disorder, also known as
psychopathy or sociopathy. Antisocial behavior includes some of the
following elements:
ï‚· Failure to conform to social norms
ï‚· Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or
conning others for personal profit or pleasure
ï‚· Consistent irresponsibility
ï‚· Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or
rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another
Narcissism is the ego unbound. The DSM-IV describes the narcissistic
personality disorder as, "A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in
fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy,
beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts...."
Some indicative behavior are these:
ï‚· Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates
achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without
commensurate achievements)
ï‚· Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power,
brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
ï‚· Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of
especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her
expectations
ï‚· Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to
achieve his or her own ends
ï‚· Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the
feelings and needs of others
ï‚· Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
Some elements of the histrionic personality disorder, a disordered
personality exhibiting an excessive need for attention, also manifest
themselves in trolls:
ï‚· Is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center
of attention
ï‚· Interaction with others is often characterized by provocative
behavior
ï‚· Has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and
lacking in detail
What the Cluster B personality disorders have in common is manipulative
behavior, a lack of empathy, and self-centeredness. What separates
trolls from typical people with Cluster B personality disorders is a
form of social aversion or fear of identification that prevents them
from acting out their self-centered behavior in less anonymous places.
The result is that these needs are satisfied on the Internet. Here are
my criteria for the Internet Troll Personality Disorder:
The Internet Troll Personality Disorder is characterized by
attention-seeking and disruptive behavior in anonymous, delocalized
places of socializing. It is indicated by the following traits:
1. A tendency to make provocative comments to invoke emotional
responses in others
2. A lack of connection to the community being trolled; i.e., will
leave if desired response is not invoked ("Do not feed the trolls!")
3. A dissatisfaction with one's life and a cynical attitude towards
things in general
4. A tendency to challenge the rules and authorities of a community
5. A preference to exhibit these behaviors only in places where one's
true identity is unknown
Disclaimer: It takes a qualified professional to diagnose anyone with a
personality disorder.
Source:
http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/di...sification.htm