The role of the dark triad in perceptions of academic incivility

Abstract

Academic incivility is defined as behavior incongruent with the welfare of the classroom community and may take a number of forms and levels of intensity. This study seeks to determine the relationship between the Dark Triad personalities (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) and perceptions of appropriateness and frequency of academic incivilities. A sample of 519 university students indicated the degree to which each of 20 uncivil academic behaviors was perceived appropriate and how often students perceived those behaviors in the classroom. Factor analysis of the academic incivilities produced six factors: Low Class Engagement, Poor Class Presence, Student Retaliation, Cheating, Class Disruption, and Attempted Domination. Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that Machiavellianism, and to a lesser extent, narcissism, predicted both perceptions that academic incivilities were appropriate and the frequency of observations of incivilities. Psychopathy had no relationship with either perceptions of appropriateness or frequency of observation.