This paper made the rounds a few years back:<p>&gt;Both studies revealed similar patterns of relations between trolling and the Dark Tetrad of personality: trolling correlated positively with sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, using both enjoyment ratings and identity scores. Of all personality measures, sadism showed the most robust associations with trolling and, importantly, the relationship was specific to trolling behavior. Enjoyment of other online activities, such as chatting and debating, was unrelated to sadism. Thus cyber-trolling appears to be an Internet manifestation of everyday sadism.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sciencedirect.com&#x2F;science&#x2F;article&#x2F;pii&#x2F;S0191886914000324" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sciencedirect.com&#x2F;science&#x2F;article&#x2F;pii&#x2F;S0191886914...</a><p>HN discussion: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=7241233" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=7241233</a>