Dirty Dozen Research Articles

Psychometric properties of the Serbian version of mental toughness Inventory and Dark Triad Dirty Dozen in police students

Police work is a stressful occupation, where officers are exposed to chronic and intense stressors. When it comes to understanding and predicting reaction to prolonged stress, it has been shown that there is more to personality than what can be captured by the most widespread personality models. Adding Mental Toughness as the capacity to tolerate and overcome stress at work, as well as the Dark Triad as a tendency for malevolent behaviour, to the traditional model of assessing the personality of a police officer can improve the prediction of important outcomes. The aim of this paper was to examine the psychometric properties of the Serbian translations for the Mental Toughness Inventory (MTI) and the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (DTDD) in a population of police students. The research was conducted on a sample of 92 students in their first and second years at the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies. Considering the specificity of the sample, both instruments showed good reliability (Cronbach's Alpha Based on Standardized Item a = 0.81 for MTI and a = 0.84 for DDTD); factor structure was confirmed for the MTI (ch² = 51.5, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.864) and DTDD (ch² = 105, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.886) as well as convergent (r=-.384, p < 0.01 between Mental toughness, and Machiavellianism). Although deviations from the normal distribution were obtained, having in mind the rigor of psychological and physical selection into the Police University, the obtained psychometric properties of the MTI and DTDD were acceptable and we recommend the instruments for further usage.

ЛОКУС КОНТРОЛЯ В СИСТЕМЕ ЛИЧНОСТНЫХ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИК МОЛОДЕЖИ: СИБЛИНГОВЫЙ КОНТЕКСТ

On a sample of siblings at the age of early adulthood, the structure of links between the locus of control and other psychological characteristics is considered. The sample included 106 pairs of siblings (212 respondents in total) with an age difference of no more than 5 years; the average age of the older sibling is 24.51 ± 4.56, the younger one is 21.73 ± 4.17 full years. Each member of the sibling couple completed 5 questionnaires: Level of Subjective Control, Short Big Five Portrait Inventory, Short Version of the Uncertainty Tolerance Inventory, Short Version of the Sensation Seeking Inventory, and the Dirty Dozen Inventory. The data obtained during the study are studied in two subgroups - older and younger siblings of each pair. It was revealed that, on average, older and younger siblings do not differ from each other in the localization of control over significant events for themselves, both in life in general and in particular specific situations (health status, achievements, failures, family, workplace and interpersonal relationships). At the same time, the study of the structure of the links between the level of subjective control and other psychological characteristics in the groups of older and younger reveals a number of differences.

Empathy and attitude to uncertainty and risk-readiness in Russian doctors

One important part of the problem of medical uncertainty is the psychological profiles of doctors of different specialties, as well as the role of empathy in their activities. This article tests hypotheses about the specificity of the relationship between empathy and attitudes to- wards uncertainty and risk in the personal profile of doctors of different specialties and, in particular, among psychiatrists. Testing the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), we used: Medical Risk Scale; Budner’s Scale of Tolerance-Intolerance of Ambiguity, Personal decision-making factors (LFR-21), and the Dirty Dozen (DD) to identify the properties of the Dark Triad. The study involved 265 people: 112 doctors (Mage=36.8; SD=8.6), as well as 153 students who were also included in the JSE approbation. Samples of doctors included: 1) 46 psychiatrists in Moscow (Mage=38.4, SD=8.4), of whom 39 are women; 2) 66 doctors of other special- ties (Mage=41.01, SD=12.8), of which 37 are women. Doctors with expressed personal risk- readiness rated average riskiness for transferring a decision to another one lower, but at the same time, the average risk level when postponing a decision was higher. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy in a Russian-speaking sample of doctors showed a similar three-factor structure to the English-speaking sample. Empathy scales are associated with a positive attitude of doctors to uncertainty and risk, also with their risk assessments in medical decisions, and are included in the differentiation of latent profiles (in a sample of psychiatrists).

Латентные личностные профили стилевой регуляции принятия решений

Decision making (DM) generally assumes that the person is performing a choice between a multitude of alternatives under uncertainty and possible risk. According to the concept of dynamic regulative systems (Kornilova, 2016), preferred or most relied on DM strategies are linked in an integrative way with a variety of personality traits that can be at the top of the hierarchy. These include risk readiness, rationality, and Dark Triad traits as reflective of a generally unstable personality core. Decision-Making Tendency Inventory (DMTI; Misuraca et al., 2015) defined DM characteristics via maximization, satisficing and minimization. However, the relationships between DM characteristics captured by DMTI and the listed personality traits have not been explored before. The goal of the current study was establishing latent personality profiles in a person-centered approach that integrates DM “tendencies” and the listed personality traits by identifying relatively homogenous subgroups of individuals with similar profiles. Methods. 625 individuals in the age from 17 to 39 years (М = 20,17, SD = 3,02; 84% females) participated in the study. We used DMTI, Dirty Dozen, and LFR questionnaires to measure DM tendencies, Dark Triad traits, and risk readiness/rationality, respectively. Latent profile analysis was performed in VarSelLCM for R. Results. The results indicated the presence of three latent profiles in the data after adjustments for age and sex. Risk readiness and Dark Triad traits were positively related with maximizing and satisficing, forming one latent class. In another class lower rationality, on the other hand, was linked with minimization. In the third class higher rationality accompanied lower Dark Triad traits. Conclusions. The results provide evidence in favor of the general hypothesis that latent profiles of personality traits are associated with distinct preferences for specific DM tendencies. Higher levels of maximizing, satisficing, and minimizing were not related to subclinical psychopathy or Machiavellianism. Higher narcissism and risk readiness, generally unrelated, are nonetheless characteristic of the latent class that prefers maximizing and satisficing. Preference for minimization of effort during DM was associated with lower rationality. Latent class or latent profile analysis is a powerful technique that sheds new light on the relationships between personality and DM, beyond the contributions of variable-centered approaches such as correlational analysis.

22 Game On! Meeting the Mission of Gamification to Teach Human Factor Skills

Failings in human factors are a significant contributory factor in accidents/incidents in aviation, energy and healthcare. There is no ‘one thing’ that will address human factor failings- it requires multiple interventions; including developing human factor awareness and skills to influence behavioural change. Local research in the Northern Health & Social Care Trust This project deployed the application of Gamification to human factor learning in healthcare. Feedback from face-to-face Human Factor training is positive, but it is challenging in an organization of 13,500 staff to meet the capacity for this training. More recently, response to COVID-19 has challenged us all to think about how we make training more accessible outside of traditional methods.The Gaming Strategy is centred around Dupont’s Dirty Dozen (Figure 1) – the 12 most common human factor elements which degrade a person’s ability for them to perform effectively and safely, which can lead to errors.Dupont’s dirty dozenThrough a series of missions ‘gamers’ follow a patient (Joe) as he journeys through the healthcare system, and experiences a series of human factor errors. The five missions below, each incorporate Dupont’s Dirty Dozen: communication and team workinglack of knowledge and assertivenesssituational awarenesscomplacency and normspressure and lack of resourcesEach mission introduces characters and is scenario-driven, depending upon gamers’ responses they will either be successful in their mission (in which case they can proceed to the next step), or unsuccessful and have to restart the mission. At the end of each mission ‘gamers’ must complete a quiz, after which they are rewarded with access to the next mission. The gaming App includes additional learning resources, opportunity for reflection and generation of a completion certificate to support professional development. Psychological and behavioural experiences of gamers’ is captured by the App via quizzes at the start and completion of the Game. The project deployed Quality Improvement and Agile development methodologies. All scenarios and characters were developed by the NHSCT project team, with software development commissioned externally.The Game is accessible via mobile phone from the App Store. Project testing completed in June 2021, with the launch of the Game in NHSCT thereafter. The App has potential for scale-up across NI and the UK.

Testing Measurement Invariance of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen in a Belgian Adult Sample.

The Dirty Dozen (Jonason & Webster, 2010) is a frequently used concise version of the Dark Triad to measure three socially aversive personality traits: Machiavellianism, psychopathy and, narcissism. The present study has examined measurement invariance in a sample of Belgian adults. The present study aims to assess measurement invariance of the Dutch version of the Dirty Dozen measure across gender in a large city-based representative adult sample in Belgium (N = 1587). Multi-group first-order confirmatory factor analysis for categorical indicators was utilized. In addition, unique associations between Dirty Dozen traits, trait self-control and, acceptance of illegitimate norms were examined in a series of structural equation models. Results indicated that the internal consistency of the Dirty Dozen subscales was good for Machiavellianism (α = 0.80) and narcissism (α = 0.80), but modest for psychopathy (α = 0.64). The hypothesized three correlated factors model with separate factors for Machiavellianism, psychopathy and, narcissism provided a poor fit for men and women. Invariance testing across gender showed evidence for weak invariance only, indicating that the underlying latent factors are measured the same way with the same metric in the two populations. However, we were not able to establish strong measurement invariance. Observed group differences should be interpreted with caution. Furthermore, Machiavellianism and psychopathy were strongly associated with trait self-control in both men and women. Strong correlations were found between acceptance of illegitimate norms and Dirty Dozen traits, Machiavellianism and, psychopathy, but not with narcissism.

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.

People that score high on psychopathic traits are less likely to yawn contagiously

Considerable variation exists in the contagiousness of yawning, and numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the proximate mechanisms involved in this response. Yet, findings within the psychological literature are mixed, with many studies conducted on relatively small and homogeneous samples. Here, we aimed to replicate and extend upon research suggesting a negative relationship between psychopathic traits and yawn contagion in community samples. In the largest study of contagious yawning to date (N = 458), which included both university students and community members from across 50 nationalities, participants completed an online study in which they self-reported on their yawn contagion to a video stimulus and completed four measures of psychopathy: the primary and secondary psychopathy scales from the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRPS), the psychopathy construct from the Dirty Dozen, and the Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS). Results support previous findings in that participants that yawned contagiously tended to score lower on the combined and primary measures of psychopathy. That said, tiredness was the strongest predictor across all models. These findings align with functional accounts of spontaneous and contagious yawning and a generalized impairment in overall patterns of behavioral contagion and biobehavioral synchrony among people high in psychopathic traits.

DFT study on the adsorption properties of aldrin and dieldrin molecules on blue phosphorene nanotubes

The potent removal of the chlorinated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are categorized as “Dirty Dozen” by the Stockholm Convention – Aldrin and Dieldrin, by (8,8) armchair blue-Phosphorene nanotube (blue-PNT) is explored in the study by utilising the density functional framework. Besides, the structural firmness of the chief component is affirmed from the negative magnitude of cohesive formation energy (−3.766 eV per atom). Further, the significant interaction features of the POPs interacted blue-PNT like the supreme adsorption energy, average band gap variation, and desirable Bader charge transfer proposes the utility of blue-PNT to remove the POPs – aldrin and dieldrin.

Safety of food products intended for children: residual amounts of pesticides (literature review)

The literature review examines data on the assessment of contamination of food products and biological media with organochlorine pesticides, modern approaches, and methods for the identification and quantification of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) as follows: hexachlorobenzene (HCB), aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, and endrin in various vegetable matrices, of animal origin (food products) and biological media (breast milk, blood serum, tissues). These pesticides, along with DDT and its metabolites and HCH (α, β, γ isomers), are persisting organic pollutants (POPs) according to the list of the Stockholm POPs Convention, included in the so-called global “dirty dozen substances”. Despite the prohibition of the production of these pesticides by most countries of the world community and the elimination of the quantities already produced, their migration along the food chain from contaminated objects of the environment to plants, and through plants to animals and humans, is still observed. Today’s contamination with OCPs and their metabolites remains a severe problem since they are detected in environmental objects, food products, and baby formula and breast milk. The literature review is based on virtual database platforms: Elsevier, PubMed, Science Direct, Medline, SciELO, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, e-LIBRARY, Electronic collection of legal and regulatory documents, and others.

Dark personality traits and tolerance towards unethical behaviors on entrepreneurship: A comparison between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs create businesses and employment. However, their behaviors might generate negative outcomes. Since external funding for startups is vital and challenging to get, this ecosystem becomes a breeding ground for unethical behaviors. This paper will explore the association between the tolerance to unethical behaviors and the Dark Triad Traits (DT) of personality, as well as the moderator role of being an entrepreneur in this relationship. For that purpose, 84 entrepreneurs and 112 non-entrepreneurs completed a survey comprising the Dirty Dozen Scale to assess the DT and the new Tolerance to Unethical Behaviors in Entrepreneurship (TUBE) scale which was able to distinguish entrepreneurs from non-entrepreneurs. Findings suggest that entrepreneurs show higher levels of Machiavellianism and tolerance to unethical behaviors than non-entrepreneurs.

Effect of Time Perspective Therapy on Dark Tetrad Personality Traits of Mothers and Separation Anxiety Disorder of Their Preschool Children

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Time Perspective Therapy (TPT) on dark tetrad personality traits of mothers and Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) of their preschool children. Methods: This is quasi-experimental clinical trial with pre-test, post-test, follow-up design. Participants were the mothers of 32 preschool children with SAD in Kazerun County, Iran in winter 2019 who were selected using a convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into intervention (n=16) and control (n=16) groups. Mothers in the intervention group received TPT at six 90-min sessions, once per week. The data were collected using the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen inventory, Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, and Children Symptom Inventory. The collected data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS v. 22 software. Results: The TPT led to a significant decrease in SAD symptoms and narcissism (P≤0.05) at the post-test and follow-up phases, but had no any significant effect on other dark tetrad personality traits of mothers (P≥0.05). Conclusion: The TPT of mothers decreases their narcissism and the SAD symptoms of their children.

Dark Triad, Risk Taking and Counterproductive Work Behavior in Different Organizational Contexts

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between Dark Triad of Personality, risk-taking and counterproductive work behaviort. The study involved 200 people aged between 18 and 51 years, M = 27.69, SD = 9.83, of which 35 are males (17.5%) and 165 are females (82.5%). The instruments used were The Dirty Dozen: A Concise Measure of the Dark Triad (Jonason & Webster, 2010), Counterproductive Work Behavior Checklist - CWBC (Spector, Bauer & Fox, 2010) and RISK-TAKING [JPI: Risk Taking [Rkt] (Goldberg et. al, 2006). The results showed that people who work in non-profit organizations (volunteers), those who have a low seniority in work or who hold a leadership position tend to take more risks than others. Low seniority at work also correlates with counterproductive behaviors. In contrast, no significant difference was observed as far as the other two demographic characteristics are concerned. Moreover, the results show that Machiavellianism is responsible for 16% of the variation of counterproductive work behavior, and risk-taking mediates this relatonship. Narcissism and psychopathy are responsible for 10% and 13% respectively of the variation of this behavior, the mediation percentage of risk taking being 19.2% concerning the first one and 22.4% concerning psychopathy. Given these results, the study can be useful in the organizational field, providing employers with more data that they can take into account when recruiting staff. It can also be helpful when it comes to better employee management, as well as a deeper understanding behind counterproductive behaviors, thus leading more easily to diminishing them.

Cognitive emotion regulation strategies mediate the relationships between Dark Triad traits and negative emotional states experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has become a major source of stress as it puts individuals at risk of a range of mental health problems. Personality traits may predispose people to use adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies that lead to different health-related outcomes. The goal of the present study was to examine whether the use of distinct coping strategies during this stressful COVID-19 outbreak mediates the relationships between Dark Triad (DT) traits and stress, depression, and anxiety.The study was conducted in Poland (N = 1086) and Spain (N = 582), thus cross-culturally validated measures were used to assess depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21), cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERQ) and socially aversive traits covered by DT (Dirty Dozen scale).The study shows that maladaptive CERS mediates the relationships between narcissism/Machiavellianism and stress, anxiety and depression. Additionally, adaptive CERS mediates the relationship between psychopathy and depression.The results provide a better understanding of the mediating role of CERS on the relationships between DT traits and the stress, anxiety and depression experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dark Triad of Personality's Relationship with Compliance towards COVID-19 Pandemic Recommendations along with Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Polish Citizens.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to comply with rules of a sanitary regime and social distancing on a daily basis. The aim of our research was to assess the differences in the levels of Dark Triad traits between people who obeyed and disobeyed the pandemic restrictions. Additionally, we considered the possible correlation between the Dark Triad and the intensity of symptoms of depression and anxiety. A total of 604 Polish participants, whose average age was 28.95 ± 11.27 years, completed an online survey which measured Dark Triad traits using the Polish version of the Dirty Dozen test. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The results revealed a possible relationship between personality traits and compliance with pandemic restrictions. Individuals with higher levels of psychopathy tended to disobey newly introduced rules. On the other hand, a higher level of subclinical narcissism might have contributed to a better civil compliance. The results showed a significant positive correlation between the intensity of the Dark Triad and the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, narcissism was linked to anxiety symptoms. These results can contribute to a better understanding of behavioural patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic within the group of individuals who exhibit the Dark Triad traits. Our conclusions might help to identify individuals who are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems.

Exploring employer–employee relationship: A psychological contract breach-exit voice and loyalty effect mediated by the dark triad

Purpose: To understand the underlying employer–employee relationships when there are weak labour laws and high unemployment, we tested a mediation of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ – 12 – items measuring the dark triad (Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism) on the Psychological Contract Breach (PCB) – Exit, Voice and Loyalty (EVL) effect. Design/methodology/approach: Using 391 respondents comprising the staff of a large financial institution in Nigeria, we formulated the hypotheses to establish direct, indirect and total effects of the variables studied. Constructs diagnostics were performed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for construct validity, composite reliability for internal consistency and Hayes’ mediated regression to test the hypotheses. Findings/results: All direct effects were statistically significant. Narcissism is shown as the non-statistically supported mediator amongst the dark triad, whilst the study showed that the total effect of the multiple mediators worsens loyalty behaviour more than they predict exit behaviour. Practical Implications: This implies that employers should do better to maintain a healthy work climate in developing climes, as the dominant response to contract breach would not be exit, but rather disloyalty, which would be more disruptive to the organisation than either exit or voice. Originality/value: Post Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) there could be a threat to sustainable work systems. Both employers and employees would have to develop methods to deal with perceived breach from employers and idiosyncratic work behaviour of employees. The contributions of this study would aid sustainable work-related practices, especially within unregulated work environments as present in Africa and other developing nations across the world.

The relationship between risk, the dark triad traits, and empathy

IntroductionEmpathy is generally viewed as a “positive” trait, while the Dark Triad traits are regarded as a “negative” side of a Dark personality. The perception of Risk is less univocal, as it plays a role in both courage and questionable behavior.ObjectivesWe posed the following research questions: 1. Is risk linked to empathy and the Dark Triad traits? 2. Which traits help distinguish between participants with contrasting latent profiles (determined cumulatively for the specified personality variables)?MethodsParticipants (n=250) completed three questionnaires: the Dirty Dozen, Personality Factors of Decision-making and the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE). Correlation and Latent profile analysis (LPA) were performed.ResultsRisk was linked to Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and decentration (positively) and to emotion contagion and affective empathy (negatively). Rationality was positively correlated with cognitive empathy. Machiavellianism correlated negatively with rationality and online simulation (a cognitive empathy subscale). Empathy subscales were linked to psychopathy (negatively) and to narcissism (positively). LPA established two latent profiles: the smallest BIC value was obtained for the model with two profiles (log-likelihood: -3204.013, df=77, BIC=-6833; VEE). Analysis of means revealed that Class 1 was characterized by significantly higher Dark Triad values and higher Risk, whereas Class 2 was characterized by lower Dark Triad traits, lower Risk, and higher Rationality (see Figure 1).Figure 1. Latent profile analysisConclusionsThe Dark Triad traits and Risk are the more discriminative variables, while Empathy subscales do not help distinguish between the two classes of participants. The study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project 19-29-07069.

Big Five and Dark Triad personality traits as predictors of multicultural attitude and efficacy.

The advances in communication and transportation facilities have accelerated the formation of multicultural societies worldwide. Personality traits may be one of the most important indicators of adapting to multicultural environments. Educational environments are multicultural in terms of the composition of students they serve. The present study investigated the predictive role of Big Five and Dark Triad personality traits on multicultural attitude and efficacy (MAE) among teacher candidates. The study population comprised of teacher candidates (N = 404) studying in Turkey. In order to collect data, Big Five personality and the Dark Triad, the Adjective Based Personality Scale and the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen Scale were used respectively. In addition, data regarding MAE were collected through the Multicultural Efficacy Scale. The results showed that openness to new experience positively (β = .16, p < .01) and psychopathy negatively (β = -.16, p < .01) predicted multicultural attitude. On the other hand, multicultural efficacy was positively predicted only by openness to new experience (β = .32, p < .001). Therefore, openness and psychopathic traits can play an important role in explaining multicultural attitude and efficacy. Also, there is no significant difference with regard to teacher candidates' multicultural efficacy and attitudes according to their grade level. Individuals with openness to new experiences personality trait have a positive attitude towards multiculturalism, and they view themselves as competent to get involved in multicultural environments. On the other hand, individuals with the psychopathy personality trait have negative attitudes towards multiculturalism.

The Relationship between Dark Triad Personality Traits and Sexting Behaviors among Adolescents and Young Adults across 11 Countries

Background: Sexting is an increasingly common phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Some studies have investigated the role of personality traits in different sexting behaviors within mainstream personality taxonomies like Big Five and HEXACO. However, very few studies have investigated the role of maladaptive personality factors in sexting. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between Dark Triad Personality Traits and experimental (i.e., sharing own sexts), risky (i.e., sexting under substance use and with strangers), and aggravated sexting (i.e., non-consensual sexting and sexting under pressure) across 11 countries. Methods: An online survey was completed by 6093 participants (Mage = 20.35; SDage = 3.63) from 11 different countries which covered four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and America). Participants completed the Sexting Behaviors Questionnaire and the 12-item Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that sharing own sexts was positively predicted by Machiavellianism and Narcissism. Both risky and aggravated sexting were positively predicted by Machiavellianism and Psychopathy. Conclusions: The present study provided empirical evidence that different sexting behaviors were predicted by Dark Triad Personality Traits, showing a relevant role of Machiavellianism in all kinds of investigated sexting behaviors. Research, clinical, and education implications for prevention programs are discussed.

Contributions of the dark triad to moral disengagement among incarcerated and community adults

Previous research has revealed a strong association between moral disengagement (MD) and criminal behaviour. However, few studies have attempted to examine the contribution of dark personalities to MD. This study aims to first analyse the differences between forensic and community samples in the use of MD strategies and then replicate the factorial structure of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale in an incarcerated sample as a pre‐condition to examine the relationship between dark triad (DT) traits (i.e. Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism) and MD. The sample comprised 160 incarcerated and 160 community adults. Comparisons between these two groups demonstrate that the incarcerated sample scored higher in MD and DT than the community sample. Furthermore, different MD strategies were related to each of the DT traits in the forensic and community samples. The results of exploratory factor analysis for the incarcerated sample indicate adequate fit indices for a bifactorial model of the DT (a latent factor of the shared variance of these constructs named the global DT and three specific latent factors for each component of the DT). The SEM analysis for this bifactorial model and MD disclosed direct and significant relationships between the global DT and MD in the incarcerated adults, while the Machiavellianism factor was directly and significantly related to MD in the community adults. These results highlight the relevance of cognitive (i.e. MD) strategies in forensic contexts, especially in incarcerated adults who present high levels of this DT profile.