Agentic and communal behavioral biases in the Dark Triad traits

Abstract

We assessed the correlations between the Dark Triad traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) and behavioroid manifestations of agency and communion (N = 294). All three traits were positively associated with more agentic behavioral intentions and narcissism was also positively associated with communal behavioral intentions. The agency association was driven mostly by the shared variance as opposed to the unique variance in the traits, but both the unique and shared variance was necessary to derive a good fit between agency and the Dark Triad traits. Indeed, when the shared variance was partialed, the Dark Triad traits revealed a less agentic intentionality. Sex differences in the Dark Triad traits and agency were replicated but, we also found that sex differences in the latter were fully mediated by individual differences in the former. Results are discussed using a life history paradigm, suggesting that agentic behavioral intentions may be part of the fast life history strategy that characterizes the Dark Triad traits.