TY - JOUR

T1 - Rethinking aversive personality

T2 - Decomposing the Dark Triad traits into their common core and unique flavors

AU - Bader, Martina

AU - Hilbig, Benjamin E.

AU - Zettler, Ingo

AU - Moshagen, Morten

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - ObjectiveTo explain and predict unethical behavior, much attention has been devoted to the “Dark Triad of Personality”, a set of three socially aversive personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Despite its popularity, research on the Dark Triad has been beset by recurring concerns surrounding the distinctiveness of its components. Herein, we propose an alternative theoretical view that conceptualizes the Dark Triad traits as specific manifestations of the common core of aversive traits (conceptualized as the Dark Factor of Personality, D) flavored by unique, essentially non-aversive characteristics.MethodIn two studies (total N > 1000), we test this idea by examining the conceptual and empirical overlap and specificity of the Dark Triad traits vis-à-vis D and each other.ResultsFindings support the conceptualization of the Dark Triad traits as flavored manifestations of D and also reveal a marked discrepancy between the current conceptualization of the Dark Triad traits and the empirical structure of its subdimensions. In fact, evidence clearly failed to support the existence of a triad of traits.ConclusionConceptualizing single aversive traits as a conjunction of core D aspects and essentially non-aversive characteristics (admiration; disinhibition vs. planfulness; vulnerability vs. boldness) holds promise to move the field forward.

AB - ObjectiveTo explain and predict unethical behavior, much attention has been devoted to the “Dark Triad of Personality”, a set of three socially aversive personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Despite its popularity, research on the Dark Triad has been beset by recurring concerns surrounding the distinctiveness of its components. Herein, we propose an alternative theoretical view that conceptualizes the Dark Triad traits as specific manifestations of the common core of aversive traits (conceptualized as the Dark Factor of Personality, D) flavored by unique, essentially non-aversive characteristics.MethodIn two studies (total N > 1000), we test this idea by examining the conceptual and empirical overlap and specificity of the Dark Triad traits vis-à-vis D and each other.ResultsFindings support the conceptualization of the Dark Triad traits as flavored manifestations of D and also reveal a marked discrepancy between the current conceptualization of the Dark Triad traits and the empirical structure of its subdimensions. In fact, evidence clearly failed to support the existence of a triad of traits.ConclusionConceptualizing single aversive traits as a conjunction of core D aspects and essentially non-aversive characteristics (admiration; disinhibition vs. planfulness; vulnerability vs. boldness) holds promise to move the field forward.

U2 - 10.1111/jopy.12785

DO - 10.1111/jopy.12785

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36256568

VL - 91

SP - 1084

EP - 1109

JO - Journal of Personality

JF - Journal of Personality

SN - 0022-3506

IS - 5

ER -