Dr. Beth Visser
M.A. (2006) Ph.D. (2011) in Social/Personality Psychology from Brock University
Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=PwpCzNAAAAAJ&hl=en
Dr. Beth Visser is a Personality and Forensic psychologist who has published extensively on psychopathy and other socially malevolent personality traits. For many years, Dr. Visser's externally funded research program has focused on psychopathy and victim selection. More recently, Dr. Visser's research has shifted to explore the conditions under which victims and survivors may find it difficult to remove themselves from uncomfortable or risky situations.
Dr. Visser teaches Social Psychology (Psyc 2015), Personality Psychology (Psyc 3016), Forensic Psychology (Psyc/Crim 3350), and Psychopathic Personalities and Crime (Crim 4011/Psyc 4010).
Dr. Visser supervises undergraduate honours thesis students, graduate students, a post-doctoral scholar (Mitacs) and research experience students (Psyc 2017).
Dr. Visser is the Graduate Program Coordinator for Psychological Science. She is Associate editor at Journal of Research in Personality and Collabra: Psychology.
Select Publications:
Bedard, T., McIsaac, A., Visser, B., & Mushquash, A. (2026). Linking the Tendency for Interpersonal Victimhood, Victim Signaling, and Narcissism: The Need to Be Seen as a Victim. Personality and Individual Differences, 251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113597
Visser, B. A., & Bedard, T. (2025). Traits and mates: The role of personality in intimate relationships. Current Opinion in Psychology, 65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102053
Charlton, J. K., Visser, B., MacIsaac, A., & Mushquash, A. R. (2025). Dark, emotional, and avoidant: An intensive longitudinal investigation of the Dark Tetrad and daily coping. Personality and Individual Differences, 247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113440
Visser, B., Batinic, M., Worth, N., Book, A., & Toll, E. (2020). Psychopathic Sims: Testing the cheater-hawk hypothesis in a video game. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 6, 229-240. doi:10.1007/s40806-020-00231-3
Visser, B., DeBow, V., Pozzebon, J. A., Bogaert, A. F., & Book, A. (2015). Psychopathic sexuality: The thin line between fantasy and reality. Journal of Personality, 83, 376-388. doi:10.1111/jopy.12110