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All of OldProf's Comments + Replies

Academia as Company Hierarchy
OldProf10

I agree the base rate is probably lower in the physical sciences.

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Academia as Company Hierarchy
OldProf-10

I would say that sociopaths are everywhere. They make up around 1% of the general population but 4-12% in the C-suite. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackmccullough/2019/12/09/the-psychopathic-ceo/?sh=788d5ba4791e

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Raemon100

I... think you are conflating the term "sociopath" as used by Rao and the clinical term, which is a very different thing.

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5Jay
I think sociopaths are likely underrepresented in the physical sciences.  Sociopaths' defining method is the creation of social realities for others to inhabit, and it's very hard to use that when you're in the lab mucking with vacuum systems or running rats through mazes or whatever.  Sociopaths are much more likely to be attracted to business or politics, with a few in the humanities.  What sociopaths there are in science probably gravitate toward positions where they have control over tangible resources (e.g. grants). OTOH, Aspergians like myself seem to be overrepresented in the physical sciences, partly because the relative distance from social constructs appeals to us.
Academia as Company Hierarchy
OldProf140

Rao's formulation is very similar to McClelland's need theory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need_theory). A Sociopath has a high need for power (nPow), the Clueless have a high need for achievement (nAch), and the Losers (perhaps) have a high need for affiliation (nAff). These are not pure types and people can have combinations of needs.

The higher in a hierarchy the more sociopaths/nPow types you will encounter. In a piece in Harvard Business Review in 1977, McClelland noted that high achievers typically focused on individual achievement whereas high powe... (read more)

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