Dark Triad Personality Traits Research Articles

The association of Dark Triad personality traits with infidelity: Evidence from the Greek-cultural context

AbstractThe Dark Triad is an important aspect of human personality, and there is evidence that it associated with infidelity. The current research aimed to examine the association between Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Machiavellianism traits and different aspects of infidelity in the Greek cultural context. In particular, using a sample of 509 Greek-speaking participants [57.5% women, mean age 36.5 (SD = 11.7), 42.5% men, mean age 40.1 (SD = 13.1)], we found that higher scores in Psychopathy were associated with higher incidence of infidelity and willingness to be unfaithful to one's partner. Moreover, men and women who scored higher in Psychopathy were more likely to be detected by their partners when unfaithful. Men who scored high in Psychopathy were also more suspicious of their partners for being unfaithful than men who scored low. However, the scores in the Dark Triad traits did not predict the probability to detect a partner's infidelity neither for men nor for women. Overall, in the Greek cultural context, the Dark Triad traits were associated with certain aspects of infidelity.

Pengaruh dark triad personality terhadap perilaku cyberbullying: Empati dan regulasi emosi sebagai mediator

Currently, cyberbullying remains a problem globally. This issue is prevalent among teenagers. Several studies have explored this problem, but none have attempted to test the theoretical model of the dark triad personality, empathy, and emotional regulation on cyberbullying. This research aims to test a model involving cyberbullying, dark triad personality, empathy, and emotional regulation as mediators. A total of 309 out of 1205 high school students from two private schools (207 students) and one public school (102 students) in Yogyakarta voluntarily participated in this study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit respondents. The cyberbullying scale (α = .932), dark triad personality scale (α = .752), empathy scale (α = .785), and emotional regulation scale (α = .915) were used to collect data. Content validity and internal consistency reliability were applied. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Amos 12 software. The results of this study indicate that the model of dark triad personality, empathy, and emotional regulation as mediators of cyberbullying behaviour produces a well-fitting model with its empirical data (CMIN=.747, p=862, RMSEA= .000, GFI= .999). Emotional regulation and empathy partially mediate the influence of psychopathy and narcissism on cyberbullying behaviour. Psychopathy is the only personality trait of the dark triad that directly or indirectly affects cyberbullying. The implications of the research are the need to develop interventions to reduce the dark triad personality traits and enhance empathy and emotional regulation in adolescents, in order to avoid cyberbullying behavior.

The Relationship between Leader's Dark Triad Personality Traits and Workplace Relationship Quality “An applied study on Mansoura University Hospitals employees”

The Relationship between Leader's Dark Triad Personality Traits and Workplace Relationship Quality “An applied study on Mansoura University Hospitals employees”

Chief executive officer’s dark triad personality and firm's degree of internationalization: The mediating role of ambidexterity

This study empirically examines the relationships among CEOs’ dark triad personality (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism), ambidexterity, and firms’ internationalization behavior. Dark triad personality traits have attracted growing attention in the fields of psychology and organizational behavior due to their influence on individual decision-making, particularly by individuals in executive leadership roles. We extend research on dark triad personality to international business (IB) and examine the link between IB decision-makers’ personality traits and firms’ IB outcomes. Our research highlights the complex dynamics shaping firm internationalization, with both the CEO’s dark triad personality and ambidexterity playing significant roles in driving firm internationalization outcomes. An analysis of 405 firms from the United Kingdom and the United States reveals that ambidexterity partially mediates the relationship between dark triad personality and the degree of internationalization and that firms pursuing internationalization may benefit from CEOs with a dark triad personality.

A Study on the Relationship between Teachers’ Dark Triad Personality Traits and Organizational Cynicism Behaviours

In the literature, there have been many studies regarding the personality traits of the “Dark Triad,” which includes Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, that affect individuals’ lives in every aspect, including their workplace. However, the research on the impact of these traits on organizational cynicism has been limited. In this context, the aim of this study is to determine whether having Dark Triad personality traits affects individuals’ attitudes towards organizational cynicism and how it affects them. The research group consists of 266 teachers working in Gaziantep province during the 2022-2023 academic year. To determine the relationship between the two variables under investigation, research data was collected using the “Dark Triad Personality Traits Test” and the “Organizational Cynicism Scale for Teachers.” While demographic variables were analyzed with descriptive analyses, correlation and regression analyses were used to analyze the empirical data. Upon examining the research findings, it was determined that there is a moderate positive correlation between teachers’ dark triad personality traits and their organizational cynicism behavior. Additionally, the dark triad personality traits account for 44. 3% of teachers’ organizational cynicism behavior (R2=0. 443). Considering the limitations of the chosen method, such as being restricted to the number of participants in the sample, it becomes important to address the effects of personality traits, which influence organizational cynicism like many other organizational behaviors, through different research methods or combinations of methods.

Malevolent Monitoring: Dark Triad Traits, Cyber Dating Abuse, and the Instrumental Role of Self-Control.

Cyber dating abuse (CDA) concerns the use of digital technology to control, monitor, and hurt one's intimate partner. CDA can have profound detrimental outcomes, such as mental health problems. As such, it is important to identify intrapersonal factors that may explain these behaviors. Previous research suggests that one such factor is the personality cluster of Dark Triad traits (DTT), comprising Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Additionally, DTT and CDA perpetration have both been linked to poor self-control ability, but these relationships have not yet been tested together in one model. As such, the present study examines if individuals' poor self-control ability mediates the relationship between the DTT and CDA perpetration. To test these associations, we conducted a survey study among a representative sample of Belgian adults (n = 1,144; Mage = 47.66 years; 51.3% female). Findings from correlation analyses revealed that all three DTT were individually associated with CDA perpetration, such that higher scores on these traits corresponded with more CDA perpetration. Additionally, pathway analyses from structural equation modeling revealed that individuals' poor self-control ability fully explained the relationship between Machiavellianism and narcissism and CDA perpetration, and partially explained the relationship between psychopathy and CDA perpetration. As our findings suggest that self-control plays an instrumental role in explaining why individuals control and monitor their partner via digital technology, prevention and intervention efforts should seek ways to improve individuals' self-control ability in situations that may trigger such harmful interpersonal behaviors, particularly among individuals who exhibit Dark Triad personality traits.

How Dark Is the Core of Dark Personality Traits?

Abstract: Previous research on the organizing structure of the Dark Triad (DT) personality traits has consistently found support for the presence of a strong commonality among the DT traits. However, such research has typically relied on a data collection method (e.g., single-source data, multiple traits measured together at the same time) that increases the likelihood of common method variance (CMV) that can artifactually increase the covariance between item scores. In the current study, we administered the 27-item Short Dark Triad (SD3) to 509 working adults in South Korea. Specifically, we added a procedural remedy to mitigate the effect of CMV (temporal separation of 2–5 days between measures), then used a bifactor model to extract a general core of the DT traits along with specific variance that is unique to each trait. Then, we calculated several model-based psychometric indices (omega coefficients, explained common variance) to examine the relative strength of the general and specific variances. Additionally, we examined the degree to which unique variance associated with each DT trait provides incremental validity beyond prediction provided by the commonality among the DT traits for predicting counterproductive work behavior. Results showed that the empirical overlap among the DT traits was not as strong as indicated in previous research.

Dark triad personality traits are associated with decreased grey matter volumes in 'social brain' structures.

Personality traits and the degree of their prominence determine various aspects of social interactions. Some of the most socially relevant traits constitute the Dark Triad - narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism - associated with antisocial behaviour, disregard for moral norms, and a tendency to manipulation. Sufficient data point at the existence of Dark Triad 'profiles' distinguished by trait prominence. Currently, neuroimaging studies have mainly concentrated on the neuroanatomy of individual dark traits, while the Dark Triad profile structure has been mostly overlooked. We performed a clustering analysis of the Dirty Dozen Dark Triad questionnaire scores of 129 healthy subjects using the k-means method. The variance ratio criterion (VRC) was used to determine the optimal number of clusters for the current data. The two-sample t-test within the framework of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was performed to test the hypothesised differences in grey matter volume (GMV) for the obtained groups. Clustering analysis revealed 2 groups of subjects, both with low-to-mid and mid-to-high levels of Dark Triad traits prominence. A further VBM analysis of these groups showed that a higher level of Dark Triad traits may manifest itself in decreased grey matter volumes in the areas related to emotional regulation (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the cingulate cortex), as well as those included in the reward system (the ventral striatum, the orbitofrontal cortex). The obtained results shed light on the neurobiological basis underlying social interactions associated with the Dark Triad and its profiles.

Exploring Parent-Child Traits and Relationship Quality: A Network Study

Big five and dark triad personality traits are likely to influence the perceived quality of the parent-child relationship, as they can impact the behavior of family members and parenting styles. The main objective of this study was to analyze how adult children's and parents' personality traits affect the perceived quality of the parent-child relationship within dyadic interactions. The results revealed that parents' agreeableness and psychopathy had positive or negative effects on children's positive behaviors and feelings toward their parents, respectively. Moreover, mothers' and fathers' positive behaviors and feelings toward their children were positively or negatively associated, respectively, with children's conscientiousness and psychopathy. Furthermore, network analyses demonstrated that the impact of parents' emotional stability and psychopathy on children's perceived quality of the parent-child relationship varied depending on the gender of the parents. Thus, the relationship between personality traits and the perceived quality of the parent-child relationship is influenced by family roles, revealing a complex and variable structure in different dyadic family relationships.

Men with high dark triad personality traits can accurately infer dark triad traits from other people's faces.

The literature suggests that people can accurately infer dark triad (DT) personality traits from other peoples' faces. Using a self-report scale, this study investigated the impact of participants' DT personality traits on their ability to accurately infer other peoples' DT traits from facial cues. We created composite facial photographs of Japanese people with varying Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism scores. The Japanese participants (N = 170) assessed these three DT traits in the facial photographs and completed a questionnaire that assessed their own DT traits. The results indicated that the participants could accurately infer all three DT traits from female faces but not from male faces. Male participants showed a positive correlation between accurate inferences of other men's Machiavellianism and their own DT traits. In contrast, female participants showed a negative correlation between correct inferences of men's DT traits and their own DT traits. These findings offer novel insights into human evolutionary and social adaptations.

Development of a Structural Model of Emotional Divorce Based on the Dark Triad Personality Traits and Conflict Resolution Styles with the Mediation of Marital Conflicts

Objective: This study aims to model the structural equations of emotional divorce based on dark personality traits and conflict resolution styles with the mediation of marital conflicts. Methods and Materials: The research method was descriptive-correlational based on structural equations. The statistical population included all married women aged 25-50 years at Islamic Azad University (Yadegar-e-Imam, Abolfatoh Razi (Mothers), and Tehran North campuses) in the first half of 2021, selected online due to the COVID-19 pandemic using convenience sampling. The research instruments included the Emotional Divorce Questionnaire (Gottman, 1994), the Dark Triad Personality Questionnaire (Johnson & Webster, 2010), Rahim's Conflict Resolution Styles (Rahim, 1983), and the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (Sanaei, 1996). Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. Findings: The results of structural equation modeling indicated that the proposed model fits the empirical data (RMSEA = 0.063). There was a significant relationship between Machiavellianism and emotional divorce (β = 0.173), and between constructive style (β = -0.556) and non-constructive style (β = 0.26) with marital conflicts. The indirect path coefficient of narcissistic traits (P = 0.007), constructive (P = 0.011) and non-constructive conflict resolution styles (P = 0.005) with the dependent variable emotional divorce through the mediating variable of marital conflicts was significant. However, the mediating role of marital conflicts in the relationship between antisocial traits (P = 0.798) and Machiavellianism (P = 0.877) with emotional divorce was not confirmed. Conclusion: Dark personality traits and constructive conflict resolution styles can indirectly affect emotional divorce by influencing marital conflicts, in addition to their direct effect.

The Dark Triad Personality: The Impact and How to Manage at Work

This article is based on a literature review on the dark personality. The Dark Triad personality traits encompass malevolent and socially aversive characteristics and have been associated with a wide range of behaviors and outcomes, including short-term mating strategies, socially aversive outcomes, selfish and exploitative behaviors, and career-related implications. Understanding the implications of these traits is crucial for promoting responsible and ethical conduct in various contexts. The Dark Triad personality traits encompass malevolent and socially aversive characteristics and have been associated with a wide range of behaviors and outcomes, including short-term mating strategies, socially aversive outcomes, selfish and exploitative behaviors, and career-related implications. Understanding the implications of these traits is crucial for promoting responsible and ethical conduct in various contexts. The identification of Dark Triad traits has been approached using various measures and assessments, allowing researchers to explore the malevolent and socially aversive characteristics associated with narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism in different contexts and populations.

Understanding Academic Dishonesty in University Settings: The Interplay of Dark Triad Traits and Moral Disengagement

Understanding the correlates of academic dishonesty is crucial for designing effective preventive interventions, as is the investigation of moderating factors that could affect these interactions. Despite increased interest in the Dark Triad personality traits and their potential link with unethical behavior, there is limited evidence regarding the moderating role of moral disengagement in the relationship. This study aimed to investigate academic dishonesty among Greek university students, its relationship with the Dark Triad, and the moderating role of moral disengagement, using gender as a covariate. Overall, 587 students attending Greek public Universities voluntarily completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire assessing the constructs under investigation. Results showed that male students had higher scores in unauthorized collaboration, plagiarism, Dark Triad, and moral disengagement. Moderation analysis indicated that moral disengagement had an effect in the relationship of psychopathy with unauthorized collaboration, especially among men. Overall, the findings of this study highlight the importance of psychopathy and moral disengagement in the prediction of academic dishonesty and have the potential to make a significant contribution to its prevention, particularly in Greek universities where relative initiatives are lacking.

Dark Personality Traits and Counterproductive Work Behavior: A PRISMA Systematic Review.

Nowadays it is important for companies to keep their profits and productivity high. This can be achieved by creating a good environment in which employees can perform at their best. Unfortunately, counterproductive work behavior (CWB) is widespread in the workplace and poses a serious threat to both organizational performance and employee well-being. Among the many potential risk factors for CWB, the Dark Triad (DT) personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) have received increasing attention in recent years. To assess the robustness and magnitude of the association between DT and CWB, we conducted a systematic review of the available literature on DT and CWB using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines after a thorough search of several databases, 21 papers were included. The results showed that DT and CWB are positively associated. Psychopathy exhibited the strongest positive association with CWB, followed immediately by Machiavellianism and narcissism. Moreover, Machiavellianism and psychopathy showed positive correlations with both forms of CWB (organisational and interpersonal), whereas narcissism was positively correlated only with interpersonal CWB. Our findings highlight that even though organisations could benefit from people with DT at the performance level, there could be serious implications for well-being and an appropriate work environment due to CWB.

Prediction of Narcissistic Behavior on Indonesian Twitter Using Machine Learning Methods

Social media's explosive expansion in recent years has changed people's behavior, leading to an increase in narcissistic tendencies. Arrogance, the need to flaunt one's accomplishments, the urge to get approval from others, and excessive dreams about success, power, intelligence, attractiveness, and other attributes are characteristics of narcissistic behavior. Social media has evolved into a platform for showcasing accomplishments, particularly for people with narcissistic tendencies. Moreover, narcissistic trait is one of the three characteristics of the dark triad personality type. Several research have demonstrated that a variety of machine learning techniques can be used to predict dark triad personality traits and narcissism from social media posts. As some studies have suggested, this narcissistic behavior can further increase the level of cyberbullying in social media, while also have strong correlation with the use of chatbot for academic cheating. This research aims to build a prediction model for behavioral symptoms of narcissism based on posts on Twitter in Indonesian language, using the natural language processing technique and several basic machine learning methods (Nearest Neighbors, Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, and Support Vector Machine), and then compare the results. We concluded that SVM model achieved the best performance, with Accuracy = 0.72 and F1 Score = 0.725.

Young Adults’ Online and In-Person Sexual Harassment Experiences in Romantic Relationships: Exploring the Role of Relationship Type and Dark Triad Personality Traits

As romantic relationships in young adulthood (18–25 years) are frequently characterized by experimentation and risk-taking, this could make young adults particularly vulnerable to experience sexual harassment by a dating or committed partner. This study examines young adults’ victimization and perpetration experiences of online and in-person sexual harassment with their dating or committed partner, and explores the role of the Dark Triad personality traits. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 458 young adults, 371 of whom were in a romantic relationship ( Mage = 20.80, SDage = 1.51, 25.6% men). Our findings revealed that all measured sexual harassment experiences were significantly more prevalent among young adults in dating relationships compared to those in committed relationships. Furthermore, in both relationship types, all online and in-person experiences of sexual harassment were significantly linked, indicating that these harmful experiences occur across contexts. Additionally, all victimization and perpetration experiences were significantly linked in both relationship types, meaning that some young adults were both victims and perpetrators of these behaviors. Lastly, we found that sexual harassment was linked to narcissism in dating relationships, but to Machiavellianism in committed relationships, indicating that different strategies may explain these behaviors.

Moving towards darkness: The personality-environment association between the Dark Triad and residential mobility

Population migration, as one of the most significant activities in human history and current societies, can shape a mobile social ecology entwined with personality traits. In this research, we tested whether the Dark Triad personality traits would adaptively emerge in and self-select into a residentially mobile ecology across eight studies (total N = 6147). Studies 1–2 demonstrated the relationship between residential mobility and the Dark Triad traits. Personal residential mobility was positively related to the Dark Triad traits (Study 1b), and this relationship was detected by lay persons (Study 1a). Residents living in a country (Study 2a) or a province (Study 2b) with a high net population outflow reported a high level of the Dark Triad traits. Studies 3–4 explored the interplay of residential mobility and the Dark Triad traits. Studies 3a–3b revealed the shaping effect of residential mobility, showing that individuals with the mindset of residential mobility (vs. stability) tended to resort to the Dark Triad traits. In contrast, individuals who possess a high level of Dark Triad traits prefer a mobile lifestyle (Study 4a) and a residence with high outflow (Study 4b). Together, this research empirically illuminated the associations and the interactions between residential mobility and personality traits.

The dark side of the mood. Candidate evaluation, voter perceptions, and the driving role of (dark) personality traits

Voter perceptions of leadership traits impact overall candidate evaluations. Less is however known about the impact of candidates’ personality traits, and especially the “darker” ones (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy), above and beyond the structuring role of partisan attitudes. We present a multi-method approach combining an experimental design and a post-electoral survey on the 2020 US Presidential election. Survey data (study 1) shows that perceived personality affects candidate evaluation beyond partisanship. Experimental evidence (study 2) confirms a causal relationship between candidate personality and subsequent evaluation: exposure to a negatively (positively) framed candidate personality reduces (increases) candidate likeability. Moreover, exposure to candidates scoring higher on the dark traits is more impactful than exposure to candidates scoring lower on those same traits. Across both studies, the results highlight the relevance of dark triad personality traits for candidate favorability, and the existence of asymmetric effects for politicians scoring higher vs. lower on dark traits.

Psychological wellbeing of students with trait narcissism

Previous studies suggested that perceived social support (PSS) significantly contributes to psychological wellbeing (PWB), partially explained by the sense of mattering. Nevertheless, individuals with different personality might perceive social support in different ways from the other. The interaction of PSS with trait narcissism, one of the dark triad personality traits was investigated by collecting data from 141 college students who were recruited purposively and instructed to respond to the scales of PWB, PSS, mattering, and narcissism. Bootstrap analysis with 5,000 samples in 95% confidence interval was utilized to test the moderated mediation hypothesis. The results suggested that individuals with moderate-to-high narcissism levels tend to perceive social support as decreasing their sense of mattering to other people, and as they do not feel they matter, their PWB was negatively affected. Limitations, implications, and suggestions are discussed.

Dark Triad personality traits and realistic and symbolic COVID-19 threat: The role of conspiracy mentality.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered global social dynamics through extensive containment measures. Understanding how individuals perceive the virus, distinguishing between realistic and symbolic threats, and considering the influence of personality traits is essential for effective public health messaging and interventions. This study explores the linkage between personality traits and perceived COVID-19 threats, mediated by conspiracy mentality, across diverse international contexts. Online survey data were collected in June 2021 from 13,645 participants across seven European countries, the US, and Colombia. The study explores how individuals with different Dark Triad traits perceive the threat of COVID-19, and whether conspiracy mentality mediates these perceptions. The findings reveal distinct associations. Machiavellianism and narcissism were linked to lower perceived COVID-19 threat, while psychopathy was associated with greater perceived threat. Additionally, individuals with higher conspiracy mentality endorsed greater perceived threat related to COVID-19. This study highlights the influence of Dark Triad personality traits on how individuals perceive the threats posed by COVID-19, with conspiracy mentality mediating this relationship. Understanding these associations provides valuable insights into psychological factors affecting COVID-19 perception, informing future research and public health strategies.