Trouble when they walk in? Candidates, dark personality, and attack behavior in German televised debates

This study analyzes the impact of aversive personality on the use of negative campaigning in televised debates. The study combines data from content analyses of the attack behavior of 19 unique candidates with 47 appearances in 30 German televised debates between 2005 and 2023 and expert ratings of an aversive personality in those candidates. The results show that candidates with higher ratings for a "dark" personality were significantly more likely to use attacks. Our findings suggest that personality influences aggressive communication by candidates even in such a highly regulated and highly visible format as a televised debate.