A gender role view of the Dark Triad traits

Abstract

In two college-student samples from Australia (N=305) and Alabama (N=207), we examined how the Dark Triad traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) were correlated with individual differences in gender roles and whether gender roles can account for sex differences in the Dark Triad traits. In Study 1, the Dark Triad traits were associated with less femininity and more masculinity and sex differences in the traits were mediated by femininity only. In Study 2, psychopathy and Machiavellianism were associated with less femininity and narcissism and psychopathy were associated with more masculinity and we replicated the mediation for psychopathy and Machiavellianism. We discuss how the gender roles may be part of the coordinated systems of adaptations that comprise the Dark Triad traits.