Cannibals and Cutthroats: Big Five and Dark Tetrad Personality Judgments of Yellowjackets and Succession Characters

We examined personality trait judgements for lead characters from the TV series Yellowjackets (Study 1; 120 ratings across 2 time points cross-classified across 6 characters and 40 viewers) and Succession (Study 2; 542 ratings cross-classified across 7 characters and 163 viewers). Our research modeled consensus—the extent to which different perceivers (viewers) rate different targets (characters) similarly—and assumed similarity—the extent to which perceivers (viewers) see targets (characters) as they see themselves. In both studies, viewers (fans from Yellowjackets or Succession subreddits) provided self-ratings and character ratings using 3-item measures for each of 9 personality traits—the Big Five and the Dark Tetrad. Cross-classified structural equation models showed that consensus correlations were significant for all traits across both studies (mean rs = .54 to .60). Assumed similarity slopes were significant for open-mindedness, narcissism, sadism, and the Dark Tetrad composite in Yellowjackets, but only for open-mindedness in Succession (after controlling for viewer sex and age). Thus, viewers tended to project their own open-mindedness onto characters from both TV shows, whereas Yellowjackets viewers projected Dark Tetrad traits onto characters, driven largely by their assumed similarity of narcissism and sadism. We also used k-means clustering to examine structural relationships among characters based on the trait means provided by viewers, yielding a novel visualization of character groupings and the dimensions that may underly them. Because viewers’ perceptions of similarity to fictional characters contributes to forming parasocial relationships, understanding personality perception’s role in this process is likely central to advancing theory in media psychology.