Dark Personality Research Articles

Knowledge hiding as a coping response to the supervisors’ dark triad of personality: A protection motivation theory perspective

In the current era of a knowledge-based economy, where the main driver is knowledge transfer, knowledge hiding among employees has become a stumbling block. Drawing on the protection motivation theory, we provide another explanation for employees’ engagement with knowledge-hiding behavior. Specifically, we argue that knowledge hiding is a preventive coping mechanism against the threat induced by supervisors’ dark triad of personality traits. We also introduced mattering and job security as cognitive mediations between the supervisor’s dark triad of personality traits and subordinates’ knowledge-hiding behavior. Our results indicate that the supervisor’s dark personality traits enhance subordinates’ knowledge-hiding behavior, mediated by low mattering perception and threatened job security. We also provide a list of knowledge-hiding antecedents studied over the past ten years. Theoretical and practical contributions along with future research directions are also presented.

The role of bright and dark personality traits in self and other protective pandemic-related preventive behaviors

The role of bright and dark personality traits in self and other protective pandemic-related preventive behaviors

Food Preferences and Dark-side Personality Traits

This study investigated the association between a variety of taste preferences and the Dark Triad personality traits. We noted over twenty studies that linked personality to taste/beverage preference and experience. In this study just under 200 participants completed a personality and food preference questionnaire. Results demonstrated that dark side traits accounted for around ten percent of the variance in tastes, including bitter and sweet as well as alcohol and coffee strength preferences. For a number of the taste preference measures sensation seeking and harm aversive personality traits were particularly influential in determining taste preferences. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

What Do You Recommend? The Effects of Communication and Dark Personality on Misreporting in Autonomous Teams

What Do You Recommend? The Effects of Communication and Dark Personality on Misreporting in Autonomous Teams

The Role of Procrastination Between Personality Traits and Addictive Mukbang Watching Among Emerging Adults

The role of personality traits in the development of addictive use of different online activities has been extensively demonstrated in the previous studies. One new type of online activity is the watching of mukbang (the South Korean term for “eating broadcasts”). However, very little is known about addictive mukbang watching (AMW) and its relationship to personality constructs. The present study investigated the direct and indirect associations of Big Five personality traits (i.e., extroversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness) and dark personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism, spitefulness) with AMW via procrastination. An online survey that comprised items assessing the aforementioned variables was completed by 222 university students who had watched mukbang at least once in the previous week. Path analysis indicated that extroversion was indirectly negatively associated with AMW via procrastination. Furthermore, conscientiousness, sadism, and procrastination were directly positively associated with higher AMW. Findings suggest that individuals may develop and maintain uncontrolled mukbang watching in order to procrastinate and personality traits may play a contributing role in this association.

Dark personality traits and anger in cyber aggression perpetration: Is moral disengagement to blame?

Dark personality traits and anger in cyber aggression perpetration: Is moral disengagement to blame?

Provide a structural model for predicting distress tolerance based on dark personality traits and perceived social support mediated by defense styles in divorce-seeking clients

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the presentation of a structural model for predicting distress tolerance based on dark personality traits and perceived social support mediated by defense styles in divorce-seeking clients. Method: The research method was analytical-correlation by structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the present study was the clients seeking divorce in family counseling clinics in Tehran in 2021. The sample size of 260 people was selected by available sampling method and used by Simmons and Gahr (2005) Distress Tolerance Scale, Johnson & Webster's Dark Triangle (2010), Zimet et al.'s Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (1988) and Defense Mechanism Questionnaire. Andrews et al. (1993) responded. The proposed model was then analyzed by structural equation modeling using SPSS and AMOS version 24. Results: The results showed that direct paths of personality traits and defensive styles were significant on distress tolerance (P <0.01). The direct path of perceived social support on distress tolerance was not significant (P <0.01). Direct paths of personality traits on perceived social support and defensive styles (grown and immature) on distress tolerance were significant (P <0.01), but the coefficient of personality traits was not significant on disturbed defense style (01 / 0 <P). Also, the direct paths of perceived social support on defense styles (disturbed and immature) were significant (P <0.01), but the direct path coefficient of perceived social support on the developed defense style was not significant (0.01). 0 <P). The results also showed that the indirect effects of perceived social support through the mediating role of defense styles on distress tolerance were significant (RMSEA = 0.077, GFI = 0.912, IFI = 0.959 and CFI = 0.957), but the indirect path of personality traits on distress tolerance was not significant with the mediating role of defense styles. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, the structural model of the modified research had a favorable and acceptable fit with the research data and this It is an important step in recognizing the factors affecting the tolerance of distress in clients seeking divorce.

Who finds media violence funny? Testing the effects of media violence exposure and dark personality traits.

Who finds media violence funny? Testing the effects of media violence exposure and dark personality traits.

Development and assessment of the Partner Exploitation Inventory

• We create and assess the Partner Exploitation Inventory (PEI). • Items were generated using act nomination and grouped using act frequency methods. • Three components emerged: Harm-Inducing, Ego-Boosting, and Emotional Manipulation. • Differences in PEI scores based on sex and dark personality traits are reported. • The PEI will be useful in investigating partner exploitation in future work. Differences in mating preferences, strategies, and goals can lead to romantic relationship conflict. One method of addressing conflict is exploitation, which occurs when deception, manipulation, coercion, or force is used to obtain a resource that the exploited is reluctant to provide. Here we create and provide initial assessment of the Partner Exploitation Inventory, which measures the use of tactics to exploit a romantic partner. Participants ( n =172) used an act nomination procedure to generate 62 exploitative acts that may be used against a romantic partner. Next, using a new group of participants ( n =516), we grouped the acts into three components that represent different forms of partner exploitation: Harm-Inducing, Ego-Boosting, and Emotional Manipulation. Men reported greater use of Ego-Boosting and Harm-Inducing exploitation, and women reported greater use of Emotional Manipulation exploitation. Evidence for the validity of the Partner Exploitation Inventory was also found through positive associations with questionnaires measuring similar constructs. This study expands our knowledge of men's use of exploitation strategies and is the first study to directly investigate women's use of exploitation strategies. We also created a tool that can be used to examine exploitation in the future.

THE ROLE OF DARK TETRAD IN RELATIONSHIP OF CHILD ABUSE AND WORKPLACE BULLYING

This study purposes to investigate the predictive impact of childhood abuse on bullying behavior of perpetrators in workplace and the moderating role of dark tetrad (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism and everyday sadism) on the relationship. Self-report questionnaires were used for data collection. Using convenient sampling, 203 employees from public and private sectors in Pakistan were approached. The smart PLS SEM model was used to test the hypothesis. Consistent with the prediction, results of the study showed that abusive experience during childhood is positively associated to workplace bullying (B = 0.33). From the four dark personality traits, only psychopathy and narcissism were found to moderate the relationship between childhood maltreatment was positively associated to bullying behavior in workplace. The results of present study extent the current knowledge on the role of dark tetrad in relation to childhood abusive experience and bullying behavior of perpetrators at workplace.

Impact of Dark Personality Traits on Individual’s Work Performance: Moderating Role of Organizational Culture

Attraction towards the dark personality traits has been increased in the organizational sciences in recent years as indicated by a huge number of research studies regarding the dark personality. However, these negative characteristics of the personality remain relatively understudied and misunderstood yet. The objective of this research study is to analyze the impact of dark personality traits on an individual’s work performance and moderating role of organizational culture. A questionnaire was used for data collection from employees of the banking sector working in Rawalpindi & Islamabad. We distributed 250 questionnaires but 221 filled responses are received and 214 are utilized for analysis purposes. In this study frequency distribution, descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis are applied through SPSS. This Study finds organizational culture moderates the relationship of dark personality traits and an individual’s work performance.

Dark personalities and Bitcoin®: The influence of the Dark Tetrad on cryptocurrency attitude and buying intention

Markets for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have experienced tremendous growth. Yet little research has examined why people want to buy cryptocurrencies that are risky investments. The present research studies a subset of people interested in cryptocurrencies. Specifically, we examine the effect of Dark Tetrad traits (Machiavellianism, subclinical narcissism, subclinical psychopathy, and subclinical sadism) on a person's crypto attitude and buying intention. The following mediators were examined as reasons for people buying crypto: (1) conspiracy beliefs (e.g., distrust of government), (2) positivity and (3) fear of missing out (FoMO). Importantly, we are not suggesting all crypto buyers exhibit Dark Tetrad traits. Based on a pre-registered survey of the main research question rather than hypotheses (N = 566), it was found that narcissism was positively associated with crypto attitude which was mediated by positivity. Machiavellianism was associated with buying intention which was mediated by conspiracy beliefs. Machiavellians were more distrustful of government which was associated with a greater desire to buy crypto. Psychopathy affected crypto judgments through FoMO and a negative effect on positivity. Sadism is associated with FoMO and a lack of positivity which affects crypto judgments.

Dark Triad, Counterproductive Work Behaviour and Job Performance

Dark personality traits are also known as the dark triad which is a multidimensional construct, made up of Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy. They have recently become a major topic of interest in organizational psychology. The present research aims to demonstrate that the dark triad of personality is a significant negative predictor of job performance and studies the relationship between the dark triad and job performance, having as a mediator counterproductive work behavior. The sample of this study is represented by 137 participants from different organizations with different ages and different work experience ranging from one to 40 years, of which 34 men (24.82%) and 103 women (75.18%). The design adopted is cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational, nonexperimental. In this paper each construct of the triad was taken separately and measured in relation to the other two variables mentioned above, and the results varied depending on this aspect. Thus, only one of the two major hypotheses was supported.

Does a visitor of dark sites have a dark personality?

Previous research on dark tourism in vulnerable post-conflict areas, such as South-Eastern Europe, has overlooked the nature of visitor personalities. Accordingly, the main purpose of the present study is to determine which personality traits (dark triad, sadistic impulse, and six personality traits) are related to preference for dark tourism sites. The sample consisted of 227 respondents from Serbia who completed an online questionnaire. Using a multivariate general linear model, it was found that respondents high in Machiavellianism tended to prefer dark exhibitions, while respondents high in psychopathy tended to prefer visiting conflict/battle sites. Visitors to fun factories as an additional type of dark tourism sites showed low levels of sadism, while narcissism showed no effect on preference for dark tourism sites. Hence, only agreeableness and honesty-humility showed a significant effect on preference for dark tourism sites (dark exhibitions and conflict/battle sites). These results show interesting differences in dark sites visitors’ personalities.

The Dark Tetrad and aesthetic preferences: The role of the dark side of personality in the aesthetic preference for paintings

The role of so-called normal and dark personality traits in everyday preferences, interests, and choices is visible in different domains of life. However, a small number of studies have dealt with individual differences in dark personality traits and aesthetic preferences. The domain of dark personality traits is in recent studies generally conceptualized as the Dark Tetrad — comprised of Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. Thus, the aim of this research was to examine the relationship between the Dark Tetrad and visual aesthetic preferences. The sample consisted of 170 participants (Mage = 29.09, SDage = 10.66; 77.1 % females). Participants completed the Short Dark Triad and the Varieties of Sadistic Tendencies questionnaires, and also rated their familiarity and preference for 15 paintings with five different types of motives (religious, abstract, oriental, violence, and landscape). It was shown, based on looking at zero-order correlations that only narcissism positively correlates with the preference for paintings with violent motives. Also, a series of regression analyses were performed, which showed that the only significant regression model is the one that reflects the role of reduced psychopathy in the preference for religious motives. The first finding can be explained on the basis of stable findings on the relationship between narcissism and aggression, and also narcissism and violence. The second finding can be interpreted in the context that general religiosity has previously been shown to be negatively associated with psychopathy. It can be concluded that dark personality traits are one of the factors that affect aesthetic preferences.

The Dark Core of personality: Individual’s expression of locus of control and spirituality

Dark personality traits are amongst the most popular research topics recently. In 2018 the Dark Core of personality was proposed as a common core to capture all aversive subclinical manifestations. In this study, we aimed at investigating how individuals with high scores on the Dark Core perceive control (i.e., internally or externally) and express their spirituality. Participants were 614 adults, mostly females (85.17%), aged from 18 to 73 years-old (M = 36.00; SD = 12.26), and identified themselves as agnostics (22.63%) or Catholics (19.05%). Participants responded to a measure that assessed the Dark Core of personality (D35), the Locus of Control Scale (ELOCUS), and the WHOQOL-spirituality, religiousness, and personal beliefs (WHOQOL-SRPB). We used a path analysis model to estimate their connection. Results indicated that the Dark Core better predicts external locus of control, which respectively predicts connect, strength, and faith, which can be considered as spiritual coping strategies. We concluded that men and women tend to blame external forces when things do not go their way and use personal beliefs to relieve emotional distress.

Personal determinants of vandal behaviour among urban school and student youth from a gender perspective

Introduction. Vandalism is an urgent modern problem. This problem is especially acute for modern megalopolises, the environment of which is often a subject for damages and unauthorised changes. However, the megalopolis, possessing specific environmental characteristics, in a sense creates favourable conditions for vandalism through anonymisation, a decrease in social control, the adoption of borderline deviant-like forms of behaviour, etc. At the same time, foreign and Russian researchers refer to adolescents and young adult males as the subjects of vandal activity, i.e. those young people, who are mostly the subjects of education (schoolchildren, students). Their destructive vandal activity can spread in the space of an educational organisation or in the urban territory. Most often, males are at risk of vandalism, but there are examples of female vandalism. In such a case, the question of the personal determination of vandal behaviour of schoolchildren and students as active subjects transforming the environment remains open.The aim of the present research was to identify personality characteristics as facilitating and inhibiting predictors of motivational readiness for vandal behaviour of school and university students in a modern Russian megalopolis taking into account the gender factor.Research methodology, methods and techniques. The research was carried out among students of schools and universities in Ekaterinburg (an urban area with all the features of a modern Russian megalopolis). The study involved 132 people from 13 to 24 years (42 males, 90 females; 57 schoolchildren, 75 students). The HEXACO Personality Inventory, Dark Triad Personality Test and the questionnaire “Motives of Vandalism” were used as diagnostic tools. Mathematical and statistical processing of the results was carried out using comparative statistics (Student’s t-test) and linear regression analysis.The results of the study confirm the existence of significant differences in the motivational readiness for vandalism among the male and female subsamples. The constructed gender-differentiated regression models made it possible to identify a number of significant personality predictors of vandal behaviour. Predictors-facilitators include personality traits such as psychopathy and narcissism. The predictors-inhibitors of vandalism are honesty-modesty, extraversion, altruism, conscientiousness (female subsample), openness to new experience, Machiavellianism.The scientific novelty is in the fact that specific for the Russian sample of students and schoolchildren living in a megalopolis, personal factors of vandal behaviour were identified, taking into account gender differentiation.The practical significance is due to the potential possibilities of using the obtained data for preventing vandalism by students in the framework of the educational process in an educational organisation.

Distinguishing the Explicit Power Motives

Abstract. Power is an important motivator at work, particularly for leaders. However, power also relates to dark personality traits, which negatively affect employees and organizations. Therefore, we argue that a high explicit power motive is a double-edged sword depending on whether people desire power for dominance, prestige, or leadership. We explored these research questions in a cross-sectional ( N = 151 employees) and a prospective study ( N = 371 leaders). Both studies revealed that dominance is most strongly related to Machiavellianism and moderately to narcissism and psychopathy. Prestige related strongly to narcissism and weakly to Machiavellianism, while leadership only weakly related to narcissism. Dominance best predicted counterproductive work behavior (CWB), while leadership best-predicted organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). In addition, Study 2 showed that transformational and, to a lesser extent, transactional leadership styles mediated the relations between the three power motives with OCB and CWB, respectively. Thus, promoting transformational leadership might be a fruitful way of channeling leaders’ power motives into pro-social actions.

Do the Dark Triad Personality Traits Buffer against Stress? A Study among Students of Higher Education in Malaysia

Stress and anxiety are prominent mental-health issues among students worldwide. The current students of higher education are digital natives who are accustomed to immediate feedback and instant gratifications. Therefore, they are susceptible to stress differently compared to the previous generations. Given the seriousness of the stress-related issue in higher education, this study was conducted to examine the role of dark triad personality (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) as a buffer against stress. The socially aversive and interpersonally adaptive nature of dark personality traits makes them ideal candidates for further investigation on the influence of personality on stress. The Dark Triad Dirty Dozen and Perceived Stress Scale were used to collect data from 549 respondents. Data were analyzed in two stages using Partial-Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The study revealed that the only dark triad personality that has a role in the increased level of stress is psychopathy. However, the finding was significant among men but not for women. The current study cannot statistically account for the population of different institutional settings since it only captured samples within higher education institutions in Malaysia. Therefore, future research should be extended to wider populations that cover individuals in certain practices or those with a leadership position in any profession.

The Dark Side of Humanity Scale: A reconstruction of the Dark Tetrad constructs

There has been an absence of consideration regarding measurement invariance across males and females in the widely available Dark Tetrad (DT) scales which measure psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism and everyday sadism. This has resulted in criticisms of the measures, suggesting that the assessed constructs are not wholly relatable between the groups. This article documents the construction and validation of the Dark Side of Humanity Scale (DSHS), which measures dark personalities from an alternative viewpoint, determined by the constructs as they emerged from the male and female data, whilst aligning with theory and attaining invariance between sex. Across four samples (n = 2409), using a diverse range of statistical methods, including exploratory graph analysis, item response theory and confirmatory factor analysis, a divergence from the widely available DT measures emerged, whereby primary psychopathy and Machiavellianism were unified. This corroborated past research which had discussed the two constructs as being parallel. It further supported the DSHS with a shift away from the traditional DT conceptualisation. The resulting scale encompasses four factors which are sex invariant across samples and time. The first factor represents the successful psychopath, factor two addresses the grandiose form of entitlement, factor three taps into everyday sadism whilst the fourth factor pertains to narcissistic entitlement rage. Construct and external validity of the DSHS across two samples (n = 1338), as well as test-retest reliability (n = 413), was achieved. The DSHS provides an alternative approach to investigating the dark side of human nature, whilst also being sex invariant, thus making it highly suitable for use with mixed sex samples.