Paradise for the self-interested? The association between economic inequality and the Dark Triad

Abstract

Does an environment of high economic inequality encourage and breed the Dark Triad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy)? In four studies, using correlational and experimental methods, we sought to elucidate the nexus between economic inequality perception and the Dark Triad. Study 1 (N = 454) indicated that individuals who perceive greater inequality score higher on the Dark Triad traits (except for psychopathy). When living in an economically unequal context, people tend to endorse the behaviors and mindsets of the Dark Triad traits except for psychopathy (Study 2; N = 199). People considered residents in an economically unequal society as high on the Dark Triad traits (Study 3; N = 159). Moreover, the Dark Triad traits (except for psychopathy) are considered as adaptive, allowing people to obtain more benefits in an economically unequal society (Study 4; N = 157). This study extends the determinants of the Dark Triad traits to the economic environment, thus enriching our understanding of the Dark Triad and its distal shaping factor.