30). Indeed, some empirical support has been found for an association between heroism and psychopathy Selleckchem BTK inhibitor ( Smith, Lilienfeld, Coffey, & Dabbs, 2013). Might these positive features of psychopathy also be regarded as a resiliency factor mediating against the adverse effects of stress on mental health? Resiliency can be conceptualized as the “tendency to remain strong during hardship”

( Kauten, Barry, & Leachman, 2013, p. 383). Cleckley’s descriptions of positive psychological functioning in psychopaths do not just include the absence of symptoms of anxiety, but also “the presence of psychological hardiness and adjustment” ( Patrick & Bernat, 2009, p. 1111). A number of constructs have been associated with resiliency, and psychological hardiness is one such construct. Hardiness refers to a set of personality characteristics

that appear to protect individuals from the negative physical and mental health effects of stress ( Bartone et al., 1989, Kobasa, 1979 and Maddi, 2002). The term hardiness was first used by Kobasa (1979) to describe executives who were found to remain healthy despite a high degree of work stress, in contrast to those who developed various stress-related illnesses. Hardiness consists of the three interrelated Torin 1 supplier dimensions of commitment, control, and challenge ( Ramanaiah, Sharpe, & Byravan, 1999). Commitment entails a generalized sense of purpose and engagement in life ( Kobasa, 1979). A person who scores high on commitment is predisposed to interpret interactions with people and events as interesting

and worthwhile ( Khoshaba & Maddi, 1999). Control is a belief in personal Immune system control and influence over life events and experiences. Challenge is characterized by anticipation and the capacity to see change as a potential for growth and development. These three interrelated hardiness components are believed to influence the individual’s perception, evaluation, and coping in stressful situations ( Cole, Feild, & Harris, 2004). One study found that hardy individuals rated the same objective stressors as less threatening than non-hardy individuals ( Wiebe, 1991). Along with studies associating high hardiness with lower levels of somatic and cognitive anxiety in sport settings ( Hanton et al., 2003 and Singley et al., 2012), there is a strong theoretical rationale for linking the positive appraisal and coping mechanisms associated with hardiness to the experience of general anxiety in stressful situations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between psychopathy, psychological hardiness, and anxiety.