Varieties of Sadistic Tendencies (VAST)

All people have different sets of psychological traits and different sensitivity to serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins — the so-called reward hormones. Unfortunately, some people get pleasure from hurting, insulting, or humiliating others. This personality trait is called sadism. The term comes from the Marquis de Sade, a French philosopher and writer who described it in detail.

Almost everyone has a tendency toward sadism to one degree or another. It usually increases in late adolescence and is more common among boys than among girls. The mechanisms by which this tendency develops are still being studied. But scientists agree that a tendency to sadism is influenced by a combination of different factors — from genetic predisposition to environmental influences. A high level of sadism among adults significantly increases the risk of committing a crime, and can also lead to problems in intimate relationships and at work.

The Varieties of Sadistic Tendencies Test (VAST) was developed by Professor D. L. Paulhus and lets you quickly gauge your sadistic tendencies on two scales:

Direct sadism — cruel treatment, aggression aimed at humiliating another person, limiting their freedom, or dominating them.

Vicarious sadism — the desire to watch someone be humiliated, suffer physical pain, or endure emotional distress. Here the observer is not the one initiating the harm.

Find out how strong your sadistic tendencies are with this free online test.

Source:

• Paulhus, D. L., & Jones, D. N. (2015). Measures of dark personalities. In Measures of personality and social psychological constructs (pp. 562–594). Academic Press.