A primer on the Dark Triad traits - Monica A. Koehn, Ceylan Okan, and Peter K. Jonason

What is the overall subject of A Primer on the Dark Triad Traits

An overview of the Dark Triad personality traits, how they are defined, measured, and understood, and their consequences for behavior and social life

What are the Dark Triad traits?

Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—three partially heritable, socially aversive personality traits

Why were the Dark Triad traits proposed?

To complement models like the Big Five by capturing darker, antisocial aspects of personality

How are the Dark Triad traits generally characterized?

As dispositions toward self-interest, manipulation, callousness, and antisocial goal pursuit

What is narcissism?

A trait marked by grandiosity, egotism, entitlement, and self-focus

What is Machiavellianism?

A trait associated with manipulation, exploitation, self-interest, and low morality

What is psychopathy?

A trait characterized by impulsivity, antisocial behavior, lack of empathy, and lack of remorse

What do the Dark Triad traits share in common?

Low agreeableness and low honesty-humility

Which HEXACO trait best binds the Dark Triad?

Low honesty-humility

How does narcissism differ from the other Dark Triad traits?

It is positively associated with extraversion, confidence, and sometimes functional impulsivity

How does Machiavellianism differ from the other Dark Triad traits?

It is linked to strategic manipulation, low extraversion, and emotional detachment

How does psychopathy differ from the other Dark Triad traits?

It is linked to impulsivity, poor self-control, antisocial behavior, and physical aggression

What intrapersonal tendencies are linked to the Dark Triad?

Present-focus, reward sensitivity, low empathy, dominance-seeking, and hedonism

How is impulsivity different across Dark Triad traits?

Narcissism is linked to functional impulsivity, while psychopathy is linked to dysfunctional impulsivity

How do Dark Triad traits relate to empathy?

Machiavellianism and psychopathy show low cognitive empathy; narcissism shows fewer empathy deficits

What humour styles are associated with the Dark Triad?

Machiavellianism and psychopathy use aggressive or self-defeating humour; narcissism uses affiliative humour

What kinds of life outcomes are associated with the Dark Triad?

Socially undesirable outcomes such as aggression, manipulation, and interpersonal conflict

How are Dark Triad traits related to aggression?

All predict aggression, but psychopathy predicts physical aggression most strongly

Which Dark Triad trait is most associated with bullying?

Psychopathy

How are Dark Triad traits related to cyberbullying?

All three traits predict cyberbullying, with psychopathy being the strongest predictor

What evolutionary perspective do the authors discuss?

The Dark Triad traits may reflect short-term, exploitative strategies that can be adaptive in certain environments

What concerns do the authors raise about Dark Triad research?

Measurement issues, trait overlap, and the risk of oversimplifying complex behaviors