Could This Be The One Trait that Predators Target?

Could This Be The One Trait that Predators Target? When we think about what makes someone a target for crime, most people imagine factors like being alone at night, carrying valuables, or wandering into a dangerous neighborhood. But researchers have discovered something far more subtle, and disturbing. The way we walk, our gait, may silently communicate vulnerability, and individuals with psychopathic traits are unusually skilled at detecting it.

A study conducted by Kimberly Costello and Joseph A. Camilleri, and published in the National Library of Medicine, explored this phenomenon in depth. Their work builds on earlier research suggesting that predators, consciously or unconsciously, identify victims based on body language. This blog post unpacks the study’s findings, explains why gait matters, and reflects on what it tells us about the chilling psychology of predatory behavior.

The Roots of the Research

The idea that body language can make someone a target is not new. In 1981, Grayson and Stein conducted a now-famous study where observers were asked to watch videos of people walking down a street. Strikingly, even untrained viewers could pick out individuals who had been previously victimized. Their judgments weren’t based on clothing, age, or size, it was movement. The subtle cues in gait seemed to reveal vulnerability to those paying attention. Could This Be The One Trait that Predators Target?

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Decades later, researchers began asking: What if certain individuals are especially good at spotting these cues? If so, who are they? This is where psychopathy enters the discussion.

What Is Psychopathy?

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by traits like superficial charm, lack of empathy, manipulativeness, and impulsivity. It is commonly measured by the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R), developed by Robert Hare in 2003.

The PCL-R divides psychopathy into two broad factors:

Factor 1: Interpersonal/Affective Traits – This includes characteristics such as callousness, lack of remorse, and emotional shallowness.

Factor 2: Lifestyle/Antisocial Traits – This includes behaviors like impulsivity, irresponsibility, and a tendency toward criminality.

What’s particularly chilling is that individuals who score highly on Factor 1 often appear calm, calculating, and perceptive. Unlike impulsive offenders, they can be highly strategic in how they identify and exploit victims.

The Study: Gait and Vulnerability in a Prison Sample

Costello and Camilleri’s study brought this theory into one of the most relevant environments: a maximum-security prison in Ontario, Canada.

Participants: 47 inmates, all serving sentences for serious crimes.

Task: Each inmate was shown short video clips of people walking. Their job was to judge how vulnerable each target appeared to victimization.

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Measurement: The researchers assessed the inmates’ psychopathy scores using the PCL-R and analyzed whether these scores correlated with accuracy in vulnerability detection.

The “targets” in the videos were ordinary individuals, not prisoners, and had been assessed beforehand for victimization history. This allowed the researchers to test whether the inmates could accurately sense vulnerability simply from gait. Could This Be The One Trait that Predators Target?

Key Findings

The results were both fascinating and unsettling.

Higher Factor 1 Scores Predicted Greater Accuracy
Inmates who scored higher on the interpersonal/affective traits of psychopathy were significantly better at identifying who was vulnerable. Their accuracy was not random, they were picking up on subtle, nonverbal cues in how the targets walked.

Gait Was Explicitly Mentioned
Unlike previous studies with non-criminal participants, the psychopathic inmates often explained their judgments by explicitly referencing gait. They described how someone walked as a key reason for labeling them vulnerable. This suggests not only unconscious detection but also conscious recognition of gait as a signal.

Factor 2 Was Less Relevant
The impulsive, antisocial aspects of psychopathy (Factor 2) were not strongly linked to accuracy. This makes sense: rash, reckless offenders are less likely to carefully study a victim’s behavior, whereas calculating individuals high in Factor 1 traits are more deliberate and perceptive.

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Why Does Gait Reveal Vulnerability?

It might seem puzzling that something as simple as walking could reveal so much. But psychologists point to several factors:

Lack of Coordination: Individuals who move with poor balance or uneven rhythm may appear less capable of defending themselves.

Low Confidence: Slouched posture, downward gaze, and hesitant steps can signal insecurity.

Physical Weakness: Subtle stiffness, limping, or restricted arm movements can hint at injury or frailty.

What’s remarkable is that most people are not consciously aware they’re picking up on these cues. Yet predators, particularly those with psychopathic traits, seem to perceive them with uncanny clarity.

Implications for Victimology

The study reinforces a troubling reality: victimization is not always random. To a degree, some individuals may be signaling vulnerability without realizing it. This does not mean victims are to blame, but it highlights how predators exploit subconscious cues. Could This Be The One Trait that Predators Target?

For law enforcement, self-defense instructors, and even ordinary individuals, this raises important questions:

Can people be trained to change their gait to appear less vulnerable?

Should victim prevention programs include movement awareness, in addition to situational awareness?

How can we better understand the psychology of offenders to prevent crime before it happens?

The Chilling Perspective of the Predator

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the study is the mindset of psychopathic offenders themselves. Unlike most people, who might vaguely notice someone looks “shy” or “awkward,” psychopathic individuals may actively frame this as opportunity. Their ability to read vulnerability is not neutral, it is weaponized.

By acknowledging gait as a factor, they rationalize their choices: “This person looked easy to overpower.” It becomes part of a predatory calculus. This cold, unemotional reasoning is a hallmark of Factor 1 psychopathy.

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Broader Context: Psychopathy Outside Prison Walls

While this study was conducted inside a prison, its implications extend beyond. Not every psychopath is behind bars. Many live in society, often undetected, using their perceptiveness for manipulation rather than direct violence.

Think about the workplace bully who singles out the most timid colleague, or the manipulative partner who targets someone with low self-esteem. These dynamics reflect the same underlying ability: identifying and exploiting vulnerability. Could This Be The One Trait that Predators Target?

Final Thoughts

The study by Costello and Camilleri sheds light on a haunting truth: some predators don’t just stumble upon victims, they select them with precision. Gait, a behavior so ordinary we hardly think about it, can act as a silent signal of vulnerability. And those high in psychopathic traits, particularly the interpersonal and affective dimensions, are disturbingly adept at reading it.

For victims, this knowledge is not about blame, but empowerment. Awareness of how body language communicates vulnerability may help people project greater confidence. For researchers and law enforcement, it provides crucial insight into offender psychology.

Ultimately, the study reminds us that crime is not only about opportunity, it is also about perception. And when perception is sharpened by psychopathy, the stakes are higher than most of us would like to imagine. Could This Be The One Trait that Predators Target?

Attributions

National Library of Medicine

Revisiting Psychopathy in Women

The Latent Structure of Psychopathy