American psycho: Which states are the most psychopathic?

America's psycho: Which states are the most psychopathic? - Everyone has felt a little loony from time to time, but is it just you or is it your entire state? Ryan Murphy, professor at Southern Methodist University, published a study estimating the level of psychopathy in each state. Keep clicking to find out which states he found to be the most maniacal.

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But first, the method - To determine the level of psychopathy, each state was evaluated based on their “big five” personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience.

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The method - Those big five traits were then translated into the three traits of psychopathy: disinhibition, boldness, and meanness. Keep clicking to find out how!

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The method - “Boldness corresponds to low neuroticism and high extraversion, meanness corresponds to low agreeableness, and disinhibition corresponds to low conscientiousness,” the study explains.

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The least psychopathic states - Of the 49 continental states analyzed (District of Columbia included), the state with the lowest level of psychopathy is West Virginia, followed by Vermont, Tennessee, North Carolina, and New Mexico.

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The top 30 most psychopathic states: - Keep in mind that the study focuses on levels of psychopathy and not number of psychopaths. Plus, not all psychopaths are criminals! Some of them might be driving the same roads as you...

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30. Louisiana - It seems the streets aren’t only driven with madness during Mardi Gras.

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29. Rhode Island - The “Ocean State” might be a little mad with all those visitors seeking refuge from daily life on the beach.

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28. Pennsylvania - People definitely seem to be bold in Pennsylvania, with some recent events appearing in the news.

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27. Alabama - Sweet home Alabama might not be as sugar-coated as you think!

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26. Michigan - The big city of Detroit draws in many people with psychopathic tendencies, the study reports.

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25. North Dakota - With a large space and a small population, North Dakota doesn’t rank too high, but it still ranks!

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24. Idaho - Everyone’s talking about the mass stabbing that recently occurred in Boise, Idaho, that allegedly left nine injured and the whole state massively shaken. Idaho, like other states, isn't a stranger to madness.

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23. Arkansas - Even with all the gorgeous natural scenery, Arkansas lands itself among the 25 states with the highest levels of psychopathy.

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22. Utah - Vast expanses of desert could be enriching for the soul, and it could also drive you a little psycho.

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21. Ohio - West Virginia’s immediate northern neighbor apparently has vastly different characteristics, putting it almost on the other end of the spectrum.

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20. Texas - The second largest state in both size and population is bound to get a little deranged.

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19. Colorado - The deserts, canyons, mountain ranges, and cities seem idyllic, but Colorado has its share of psychopathy, like the man who allegedly set fire to over 40,000 acres of land.

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18. Iowa - The state’s flash flooding inevitably makes people even less agreeable.

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17. Florida - The state from which all the world’s strangest headlines seem to originate is only ranked as the 17th highest in its population’s psychopathy.

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16. Arizona - All that wide open space and dramatic rocky red landscape make for an interesting backdrop to slightly higher levels of psychopathy.

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15. Massachusetts - The heatwave certainly isn’t helping people’s moods.

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14. Delaware - There’s a conspiracy theory that Delaware doesn’t even exist, so you can’t really blame them for feeling a little mean from time to time.

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13. South Dakota - The rolling prairies and small towns make this state a bit of an outlier on this spectrum of psychopathy.

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12. Maryland - States in the northeast region of the country tend to be the most psychopathic, according to the study.

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11. Virginia - Virginians, at least you’re not in the top 10?

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10. Illinois - The “Prairie State” is also home to Chicago, a dense urban center that nurtures psychopathic desires for stimulus and upward mobility.

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9. Nevada - The state that hosts Las Vegas inevitably displays a tendency for the psychopathic.

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8. Wisconsin - “America’s Dairyland” churns out some fantastic cheese and apparently some highly extroverted and irritable people.

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7. Maine - Lobster rolls weren’t enough to soothe the minds and temperaments of Maine’s citizens.

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6/5. New York and Wyoming (tie) - New York’s population has a longstanding reputation for not being the sunniest, but Wyoming is described as “an odd data point, ranking very high in psychopathy given its lack of population.”

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4. New Jersey - As the most densely populated state in the country, New Jersey is the ideal place for psychopathy to bloom and spread.

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3. California - People who have driven in Los Angeles’ traffic will have felt this psychopathy directly.

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2. Connecticut - Though its coastal cities, historic small towns, and reputable universities attract people who don’t consider themselves psychopathic in the slightest, citizens of the state might be in for a surprise with this new data.

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1. District of Columbia - Washington, D.C. appears to be a hot spot for psychopathy! Murphy explains that psychopaths are drawn to both densely populated cities and positions of power, and adds that psychopaths are likely to succeed in politics!

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