Dark Tetrad Traits Research Articles

How Spiteful Are We? Validation of the Spitefulness Scale in Spaniards.

Spitefulness has been defined as the willingness to cause some kind of harm to other people, even if this action does not bring any benefit and causes harm to herself. Given its relationship with a multitude of antisocial behaviors, interest in studying this trait has been growing and it was in 2014 when the first scale to measure it was validated: the Spitefulness Scale. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of its Spanish version. In a sample of 758 participants (M = 31.44; SD = 12.91; 72.80% female), the Spitefulness Scale, the Short Dark Triad, the Assessment of Sadistic Personality, the HEXACO-60, and the Global Assessment of Internet Trolling were administered. Results showed the unidimensionality of the scale, adequate reliability indices, and construct validity, evidenced by positive relationships with the Dark Tetrad traits and trolling behavior. Additionally, the analysis revealed significant gender differences, with males scoring higher on spitefulness. This Spanish validation allows us to establish a solid basis for cross-cultural comparisons. Understanding this trait, considered like the Dark Tetrad traits an antagonistic personality trait, has important implications for understanding the interpersonal and social dynamics. Given that spitefulness is closely related to aggressive behaviors, it is essential to study it to understand the underlying mechanisms of aggression and hostility in social interactions.

Assessing the dark personality traits with observer reports: A meta-analysis of inter-rater agreement on the Dark Triad and Dark Tetrad traits.

Assessing dark personality traits with self-reports may be hampered by biases such as socially desirable responding. To address this, observer reports could be an effective complement or alternative to self-reports. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the correlations of observer reports of the Dark Triad and Dark Tetrad traits with these traits' self-reports. A comprehensive search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and PsycINFO yielded 24 studies that met the inclusion criteria (with 32 effect sizes) and included the assessment of at least one of the dark traits. Results showed positive self-observer correlations of medium-high magnitude for psychopathy (r = 0.47) and of medium magnitude for narcissism and Machiavellianism (respectively, r = 0.44 and 0.41). In addition, for Machiavellianism and psychopathy, it was shown that the better acquainted the observer and the observed, the higher the self-observer correlations. For sadism, no results could be obtained because only one study included the assessment of this trait. This is the first meta-analysis of inter-rater agreement in assessing the Dark Tetrad. The findings suggest that observer reports could be a supplement or even be alternatives to self-reports when assessing the Dark Tetrad traits.

Filling in the missing pieces: Personality traits (un)related to dishonest behavior

Despite notable progress in the study of dishonest behavior and in particular the identification of personality traits (most notably, Honesty-Humility) that are robust predictors of individual differences in dishonesty, prior research has also left several traits untested or yielded inconsistent or inconclusive findings for other traits. We herein provide corresponding evidence, testing the associations between dishonesty and six operationalizations of Big Five Agreeableness, the dark tetrad traits, impression management and lie scales, and self-control versus impulsivity. We relied on a large dataset ( N = 1,916) across two incentivized measurements of dishonesty (separated by about 5 weeks) and tailored hierarchical modeling, and preregistered all hypotheses prior to data analysis. As expected, neither impression management and lie scales nor self-control versus impulsivity were related to dishonesty. By contrast, dark tetrad traits were consistently associated with dishonesty, though almost entirely due to their shared aversive core, the dark factor of personality. Finally, several (but not all) operationalizations of Big Five Agreeableness were associated with dishonesty, but none explained incremental variance above Honesty-Humility whereas the opposite was always the case. We discuss the implications of these findings for recent controversies about basic personality structure, the question of theoretical parsimony, and the dangers of jingle-fallacies.

Relationships Between Intimate Partner Cyberviolence and Dark Tetrad Traits: A Moderation Effect of Gender

ABSTRACT While previous studies have shown significant effects of dark traits on intimate partner violence, little is known about their effect on intimate partner cyberviolence (IPCV), and findings are rather mixed. The aim of this research was to explore the relationships between the Dark Tetrad traits and forms of IPCV, using a multidimensional approach, as well as examining the moderation effect of gender on these associations. The sample included 293 heterosexual adults from Serbia. The results showed that all Dark Tetrad traits had significant correlations with threatening behaviors as a direct form of IPCV. Furthermore, primary psychopathy explained the use of devices to monitor partners and threatening (or actual) posting of embarrassing photos of a partner, which are combinations of indirect, invasive, and direct forms of IPCV. Secondary psychopathy explained all other forms of IPCV that were more intrusive and excessive. Narcissistic admiration contributed to explaining threatening behaviors, and narcissistic rivalry explained checking behaviors. Moreover, the results showed that sadism and Machiavellianism in men, and sadism and narcissistic rivalry in women, were associated with certain IPCV forms. These results contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between dispositional factors of antisocial behaviors (dark traits) and various forms of IPCV.

Machiavellianism as a crucial Dark Tetrad trait for the prediction of life-course criminal behavior

The Dark Tetrad (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism) is a taxonomy of personality dispositions toward immoral, antisocial, and antagonistic behavior; still, its predictive power in the domain of criminal behavior is rarely tested. In the present research, we analyzed the associations between the Dark Tetrad and several indicators of criminal behavior (onset of criminal behavior, juvenile correctional measures, problematic use of psychoactive substances [PUPS], penal recidivism, number of convictions, violent offences, and the risk of future recidivism) in a sample of Serbian prisoners (N = 471). While all dark traits were positively associated with criminal behavior indicators on a zero-order level (except violent offences), regression analyses identified Machiavellianism as the most prominent predictor. Psychopathy positively predicted PUPS, while narcissism had a negative contribution to PUPS and penal recidivism. Interactions with the participants’ sex showed that sadism represents a risk factor for females regarding early offences and PUPS, while Machiavellianism elevates the chance of repeated prison sentences for men. Finally, the structural model showed that juvenile offending mediates the association between Machiavellianism and general criminal recidivism. Findings showed the fruitfulness of assessing the Dark Tetrad traits in order to predict various aspects of criminal behavior.

Utilitarian ethics: the impact of the dark tetrad traits and the mechanisms of moral disengagement

Utilitarian ethics: the impact of the dark tetrad traits and the mechanisms of moral disengagement

Image-Based Sexual Abuse Perpetration: A Scoping Review.

Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) refers to the nonconsensual creating, taking, or sharing of intimate images, including threatening to share images. It can also include coercing someone into sharing intimate images, or sending unwanted intimate images. In recent years, there has been growing attention to the nature, scope, and impacts of IBSA, but comparatively little attention has been paid to the perpetration of these harms. This scoping review consolidates and synthesizes the existing knowledge on the perpetration of IBSA against adults. The review involved a systematic search of scholarly and gray literature across select databases. In total, 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were included if they were published in English between 2013 and 2023 and reported on findings of a sample of adults over the age of 16 who admitted IBSA perpetration behaviors. The review found that prevalence of subtypes of IBSA varied significantly across the studies. There was consensus that adults who engage in IBSA perpetration are more likely to be men, younger adults, and LGBTIQ+. Motivations were multifaceted, but tended to relate to social rewards, power dynamics, sexual gratification, and retaliatory impulses. Dark Tetrad traits were found to be positively associated with IBSA perpetration. The research also indicates on overlap between victimization and perpetration, as well as an association with other offending behaviors, such as intimate partner violence. Prevention interventions should be focused on changing the opportunities, affordances, and infrastructures for offending, as well as addressing problematic societal attitudes and norms, with early interventions focused on building resilience and self-esteem, and promoting healthy behaviors and respectful relationships.

Do Dark Humour Users Have Dark Tendencies? Relationships between Dark Humour, the Dark Tetrad, and Online Trolling.

Humour and antisocial behaviour on the internet are under-researched. Online spaces have opened a gateway for new ways to express unrestrained humour (e.g., dark humour) and ways to behave antisocially (e.g., online trolling). The tendencies and motivations of those engaging with such humour and behaviour are yet to be clearly established and understood. The present study aimed to fill this gap by exploring the interplay between dark humour, online trolling, and dark personality traits. Participants (N = 160) completed an online survey consisting of trait scales to assess the Dark Tetrad, dark humour, and online trolling, as well as two online trolling tasks (enjoyment and ability) and two dark humour meme tasks (enjoyment and ability). The results confirmed relationships between the Dark Tetrad and the dark humour trait, and several Dark Tetrad traits were related to the enjoyment of and ability to produce dark humour. Furthermore, dark humour and online trolling were closely related. The findings also revealed that online trolls did not enjoy being trolled but did enjoy trolling, and this ability to troll is underpinned by sadism. These findings illustrate the potential dark psychological motivations for using dark humour, demonstrate that online trolling is infused with darker forms of humour, and provide deeper insights into online trolls.

Unfavorable prison social climate links dark tetrad traits with self-reported institutional misconduct

The Dark Tetrad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism) are associated with various adverse and destructive social outcomes. However, the data about the functioning of dark personalities in institutional settings are relatively scarce. In the present research we analyzed the links between Dark Tetrad traits, the prison social climate (measured by prisoners' quality of life) and institutional misconduct (assessed by the number of disciplinary corrections, special measures, solitary confinements, and control measures) in a sample of Serbian convicts (N = 582). Our main hypothesis was that negative prison social climate mediates the link between Dark Tetrad and institutional misconduct. Correlation and regression analysis showed negative association between the Dark Tetrad and prison social climate, together with negative links between social climate and institutional misconduct; associations between Tetrad traits and misconduct were positive. The best predictor of misconduct was the prison social climate but Machiavellianism and sadism independently contributed to the prediction as well. Finally, the structural model showed that negative prison social climate represents a mediator in the links between Machiavellianism, sadism and institutional misconduct. Therefore, our main hypothesis was confirmed, but only for Machiavellianism and sadism as the Dark Tetrad traits. The current data reveal novel socially-aversive outcomes of the Dark Tetrad traits and depict personality and contextual factors that can be practically important for enabling the better functioning of convicts in the prison wards.

The differential effect of psychopathy on active and bystander trolling behaviors: the role of dark tetrad traits and lower agreeableness.

This study aimed to develop the Global Assessment of Active Trolling and Passive Bystanderism (GAATPB) scale and investigate the influence of personality traits on trolling behaviors. Focusing on the Dark Tetrad (DT) traits and agreeableness, the present study examined their associations and predictive utility on active trolling and passive bystanderism. Participants were recruited from social networking sites (SNSs), and eligibility criteria included active SNS usage and engagement in online interactions. A total of 797 healthy adult students participated in the study, with data from 300 used for the initial exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the remaining 497 (Mage = 22.25years, SD = 3.37) for the subsequent analyses. Results indicated a significant correlation between DT traits and agreeableness across both active trolling and passive bystanderism, revealing a shared personality profile. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that narcissism, Machiavellianism, and trait sadism were predictors of active trolling, with psychopathy being the strongest predictor. However, psychopathy did not emerge as a predictor for passive bystanderism. The study also highlighted that DT traits mediated the relationship between lower agreeableness and overall trolling behavior, suggesting that trolling manifests from lower agreeableness through the instigation of callous-unemotional, manipulative, and self-centered traits inherent in DT.

When Kinks Come to Life: An Exploration of Paraphilic Behaviors and Underlying Predictors

ABSTRACT Paraphilia is defined as a condition in which sexual excitement relies on fantasizing about and/or participating in unusual sexual behavior. Although recent studies have assessed the concordance between paraphilic interests and paraphilic behaviors, few studies have studied which individual traits and demographics predict engaging in paraphilic behaviors, or the level of concordance between arousal and behavior. The current study replicated and expanded Joyal and Carpentier’s 2022 study. We assessed concordance between paraphilic arousal and behavior. Further, we assessed the impact of Dark Tetrad traits, impulsivity, social desirability and demographic variables on engaging in paraphilic behaviors using self-report questionnaires in a sample from the general population and FetLife. Finally, we were interested in whether these individual differences moderated the concordance between arousal and behavior. Results indicated high concordance between paraphilic arousal and behavior for all paraphilias except pedophilia and hebephilia. Younger, male participants were more likely to engage in various paraphilias than women and older participants. Machiavellianism was linked with lower paraphilic behavior, particularly impulsive or risky ones. Psychopathy predicted engaging in more deviant or illegal paraphilias, whereas sadism only showed an association for engaging in frotteurism and narcissism was not a predictor for engaging in any paraphilia. For several paraphilias, individual traits moderated the effect of arousal on behavior. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.

The Ties That Bind: Low Morals, High Deception, and Dark Creativity

ABSTRACT Self-reported dark creativity has been related to lower concerns for all moral foundations, especially among those with dark personality traits. The present study aimed to extend these findings using real-world divergent thinking tasks with ethical and unethical instructions. Data (N = 1346, males = 388, females = 840, M age = 20.93, SD = 5.48) were collected on creative performance, moral foundations, and dark personality traits, including trait deceptiveness. Divergent thinking responses were coded for fluency, flexibility, creativity, goal-directedness, deception, moral valence, and a virtue caveat (where participants explicitly denied to give unethical responses). Results indicated that for both ethical and unethical tasks, lower binding foundations (loyalty, authority, purity) were associated with higher creative performance, whereas higher concerns for moral foundations were related to more noble and positive responses and lower deception used in responses. Among dark personality traits, only trait deceptiveness was a significant mediator between low binding foundations and high creativity. Contrary to our predictions, none of the Dark Tetrad traits were significant mediators. These findings reinforce the salience of deception in the process and outcomes related to dark creativity; implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Relationships between Dark Tetrad traits and beliefs in conspiracy theories: Mediation effects of cognitive styles

The aim of this study was to investigate the direct effects of the Dark Tetrad traits on beliefs in conspiracy theories as well as the indirect effects via rational and experiential cognitive styles. The study included 259 participants from the community population in Serbia. The results showed direct positive effects of Machiavellianism, primary psychopathy, and secondary psychopathy on conspiracy beliefs. Furthermore, only the rational cognitive style showed a significant mediation role, but the direction of its effect depends on the specific dark trait. Machiavellianism, primary psychopathy, secondary psychopathy, and narcissistic rivalry had an indirect effect on belief in conspiracy theories through a lower tendency toward rational style, while narcissistic admiration had an indirect effect through a higher tendency toward rational style. Surprisingly, the experiential cognitive style did not emerge as a significant mediator.

Is the link between the Dark Tetrad and the acceptance of sexual violence mediated by sexual machismo?

Previous studies have established relationships between the Dark Tetrad traits and sexual violence and its acceptance through myths about this type of violence. Sexual violence is positively associated with machismo, with sexist beliefs having been found to be linked with the Dark Tetrad and with the acceptance of sexual violence. Using a community sample comprising 362 adults between the ages of 18 and 70 (M = 35.6, SD = 14.3) and three self-report measures, this cross-sectional study aimed to explore the mediating role of sexual machismo in the relationship between each of the Dark Tetrad traits and the acceptance of sexual violence, both in the overall sample and by gender, as well as whether a significant variance in this acceptance is explained by the "dark" traits, sexual machismo, and gender. In the regression, sexual machismo (the male) gender, and only Machiavellianism were uniquely associated with the acceptance of sexual violence, and sexual machismo partially mediated the associations between the Dark Tetrad and the acceptance of sexual violence. These findings indicate that being male and higher in sexism is more closely linked with the acceptance of sexual violence than most Dark Tetrad traits. Moreover, the associations between the Dark Tetrad, sexual machismo, and the acceptance of sexual violence were stronger in men, consistent with the notion that these traits facilitate a "male" exploitive mating strategy, which likely also extends to victim-blaming and positive attitudes about sexual violence more broadly. Lastly, the results emphasize the pervasiveness of beliefs about male superiority over women and its relationship with victim-blaming even in women.

Are the dark personalities sincere? Connections between the Dark Triad and the Big Three.

There are different theories and models of personality. In the antisocial area, the model used is the Dark Triad, a model of personality composed of the traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism. The links between the Dark Triad and other general models have been widely studied; however, there is little research connecting it with the traditional, but still used, model of personality described by Eysenck (psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism). Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the connections between the Dark Triad of personality and Eysenck's personality model. Additionally, we interpret the connections between the sincerity scale of Eysenck's model and the Dark Triad. Our final sample was composed of 2385 participants who completed different personality questionnaires measuring the Dark Triad and Eysenck's model. Bivariate analyses and structural equation modelling were performed. Narcissism and Machiavellianism have positive connections with neuroticism and extraversion, whereas psychopathy is positively associated with psychoticism and negatively associated with extraversion. All the Dark Triad traits, mainly Machiavellianism, show the strongest connections with sincerity. Considering the deceptive and manipulative nature of the Dark Triad, these results would imply that these traits could be mismeasured in some contexts. However, in research conditions those people who score higher on the Dark Tetrad traits do not hide behaviours that tend to be socially undesirable, implying some degree of honesty in their answers. Further efforts to develop more objective measures, such as implicit, indirect, task-based, or forced-choice measures, should be considered.

Who knowingly shares false political information online?

Some people share misinformation accidentally, but others do so knowingly. To fully understand the spread of misinformation online, it is important to analyze those who purposely share it. Using a 2022 U.S. survey, we found that 14 percent of respondents reported knowingly sharing misinformation, and that these respondents were more likely to also report support for political violence, a desire to run for office, and warm feelings toward extremists. These respondents were also more likely to have elevated levels of a psychological need for chaos, dark tetrad traits, and paranoia. Our findings illuminate one vector through which misinformation is spread.

World wide web of lies: Personality and online deception

The deliberate act of falsifying aspects of a person's identity is rampant online and across social networking sites. Although personality traits have been found to be related to deception in traditional contexts, less is known about how this relationship translates to an online setting. The current study investigates the relationships between the dark tetrad traits (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism), self-esteem, and online identity-based deception. A combined student and community sample (N = 342, 18 – 72 years old, 70.2% female) was asked if they had previously engaged in eight common identity-based deceptive behaviours on social networking sites (e.g., used a fake name, created a fake profile). Personality traits were measured using the Short Dark Triad, the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, and the Rosenburg Self-Esteem Scale. Overall, engagement in identity-based deception was found to be common on social networking sites. Machiavellianism emerged as a unique predictor of using a fake name and altering one's age with higher Machiavellianism also associated with a greater frequency of lying about one's name, age, appearance, and relationship status. Psychopathy, however, failed to uniquely predict any of the online-deceptive behaviours examined when controlling for other personality variables. Together, these findings suggest that online identity-based deception is a calculated endeavour.

“It’s All in Your Head”: Personality Traits and Gaslighting Tactics in Intimate Relationships

Abstract Background Gaslighting is a form of psychological/emotional abuse inflicted upon an intimate partner that includes manipulative tactics such as misdirection, denial, lying, and contradiction – all to destabilize the victim/survivor. Compared to other forms of intimate partner abuse, gaslighting remains underexplored in the literature. Aims/Purpose In this preregistered study, we aimed to explore correlates between the Dark Tetrad traits (i.e., grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, Machiavellian tactics, Machiavellian views, primary psychopathy, secondary psychopathy, and sadism) and acceptance of gaslighting tactics in intimate relationships. Method Participants (N = 315; Mage = 42.39; 62.2% women) were recruited online and completed an online questionnaire. We developed and internally validated the Gaslighting Questionnaire, a 10-item self-report measure of acceptance of gaslighting tactics in intimate relationships. Results All the Dark Tetrad traits were associated with more acceptance of gaslighting tactics in intimate relationships, with primary psychopathy, Machiavellian tactics, and sadism emerging as significant predictors in the regression. We also examined sex differences. Compared to women, men found deploying gaslighting tactics more acceptable, and this was largely driven by sex differences in primary psychopathy. Further, men high in vulnerable narcissism demonstrated the greatest acceptance of gaslighting tactics. Conclusions These findings provide foundational information for understanding gaslighting tactics in intimate partner abuse and may have practical implications for relationship counsellors and clinicians practicing in this space. For example, the present findings indicate that personality assessment can be a valuable tool for estimating a client’s propensity to gaslight.

Down to the core: The role of the common core of dark traits for aversive relationship behaviors

Typically, up to four dark traits, i.e., the dark tetrad, are investigated to explain the dispositional side of aversive relationship behaviors (ARBs). However, the picture across studies is scattered and inconclusive: All dark tetrad traits show similar zero-order relations with ARBs and multiple regression analyses produce divergent results concerning which dark trait is the primary predictor. Instead, we suggest to concentrate on what is shared among dark traits when predicting ARBs. The shared variance of all dark traits is conceptually represented by the Dark Factor of Personality (D). Based on the theory of D, we made two predictions: First, any set of at least two dark tetrad traits will lead to (almost) the same proportion of explained variance. Second, a direct measure of D will explain a comparable amount of variance in ARBs. We tested these predictions in an online sample (N = 705) using latent factor modeling. Confirming predictions, all sets of dark traits explained roughly the same amount of variance. Also, D approximated the maximum of explained variance by any set. It is thus more parsimonious and theoretically informative to use D, i.e., the common core of aversive traits, in the prediction of ARBs, rather than any set of dark pairs, triads, or tetrads.

Theoretical models of Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) and its relationship with socially desirable responding: Findings on the Croatian version

The interest in the so-called dark traits in the area of individual differences is rising, and there are several instruments assessing currently the most prominent dark traits constellation, the Dark Tetrad. The first aim of this study was to examine the structure of the newly developed Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) measure in the Croatian context using latent variable modeling and testing two competing models: the confirmatory factor analytic model with four interrelated factors where items load only on their respective trait or factor, and the bifactor model with both the general “dark” factor where all the items load on and four specific orthogonal factors on which only their respective items load. The second aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Dark Tetrad traits and egoistic and moralistic socially desirable responding. Data were collected on a convenience sample of 439 participants (81% female) in Croatia. The results showed that, although some of the fit statistics of both tested models fell somewhat below the conventional acceptable fit threshold, their values were comparable to those from the original validation study, indicating that the Croatian version of SD4 is valid and can be used to assess the Dark Tetrad traits. Moreover, relations between the Dark Tetrad traits and egoistic and moralistic socially desirable responding point to the distinctiveness of narcissism from the rest of the Dark Tetrad.