The Dark Triad Traits,Humor Styles,and Schadenfreude: Others' Misery as the Devil's Laughing Stocks1

This research investigated the relationships of the Dark Triad traits, humor styles, and schadenfreude with 169 participants who completed the Short Dark Triad, the Humor Style Questionnaire, and a measure of schadenfreude. Significant correlations imply that those with salient dark traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism) elicit pleasure from others' misfortune. Additionally, schadenfreude can be a product of self-defeating and aggressive humor styles. Indirect effect analysis revealed the significance of the indirect effect of the measured aggressive humor style on the Dark Triad's direct effects on schadenfreude. These results imply that those with salient Dark Triad traits enjoy others' misery as a means to undermine them. Hence, individuals with salient Dark Triad traits tend to engage in downward social comparison.     

Humor styles and borderline personality

The present study examined the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations between four humor styles (affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating) and four dimensions of borderline personality disorder (affective instability, identity disturbance, negative relationships, self-harm) as well as a total borderline personality disorder score. Participants were 574 same-sex Australian adult twin pairs. At the phenotypic level, the two adaptive humor style dimensions (affiliative and self-enhancing) were found to correlate negatively with borderline personality and the two maladaptive humor style dimensions (aggressive and self-defeating) were found to have positive correlations with borderline personality. Bivariate genetic analyses demonstrated significant genetic, common environment, and unique environmental correlations. These results indicate that a large component of the phenotypic association between borderline personality disorder and humor style arises from the influence of shared familial and environmental factors associated with both phenotypes.     

Dominance styles mediate sex differences in Dark Triad traits

We sought to determine what styles of social dominance are associated with Dark Triad traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) and whether sex differences in Dark Triad traits are mediated by dominance styles measured by the Dominance and Prestige Scale, and the Rank Styles with Peers Questionnaire. Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism are strongly associated with dominance-striving, but only narcissism is consistently correlated with prestige-striving. Dark Triad traits are negatively correlated with coalition-building, but positively correlated with dominant leadership and ruthless self-advancement. Sex differences in Dark Triad traits were mediated by various dominance styles, but mainly by dominance-striving and ruthless self-advancement. These results suggest that particular styles of social dominance are utilized by both men and women with Dark Triad traits.     

Environmental attitudes in China: The roles of the Dark Triad,future orientation and place attachment

Given the current environmental situation and social change in China, we explored the relationships between the Dark Triad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy) and environmental attitudes (beliefs regarding environmentally related issues), and the mediating roles of future orientation (the tendency to plan for meeting long‐term objectives) and place attachment (the emotional connection with the place of residence) in these relationships. Using a national sample from all 31 provinces of mainland China (N = 998), we found that the psychometric structure of the Dark Triad was well confirmed under Chinese culture. The Dark Triad as a whole was negatively related to environmental attitudes, but narcissism was not significantly associated with environmental attitudes when the three Dark Triad traits were considered as the predictors simultaneously. Future orientation and place attachment mediated the association between the Dark Triad and environmental attitudes. These findings enrich our understanding of the relevant variables of environmental attitudes and provide references for China's government and other developing countries to improve environmental issues. The uniqueness of narcissism could expand the understanding of the commonality and diversity among the Dark Triad traits, and an efficient tool of the Dark Triad was provided under Chinese culture.     

The Dark Triad and risk behavior

The Dark Triad traits—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy—are theorized to facilitate short-term, exploitative social tactics. Thus, the Dark Triad traits should be positively related to (a) similar short-term-focused traits such as impulsivity and sensation-seeking, and (b) risky behaviors. In two studies (N > 1400), we examined the relationships among the Dark Triad traits and impulsivity and sensation-seeking. In Study 2, we incorporated risk behaviors, including blackjack betting and temporal discounting of money. Both studies showed positive relationships among the Dark Triad traits and impulsivity and sensation-seeking. Study 2 showed positive relationships among the Dark Triad traits, blackjack betting, and steeper temporal discounting. An experimentally manipulated ego threat in Study 2 marginally moderated the narcissism–discounting relationship; ego-threatened participants had a significantly positive relationship, whereas those who were not threatened showed no relationship. We discuss implications of the Dark Triad traits for understanding risk behavior.     

黑暗三联征与攻击行为关系的元分析

利用元分析方法, 从整体上探究黑暗三联征和攻击行为的关系, 共纳入87篇定量研究, 90个独立样本, 41273名被试进行元分析。结果发现：黑暗三联征与攻击行为的关系均呈正相关(r = 0.338~0.405), 自恋与攻击行为的相关强度显著低于马基雅维利主义和精神病态的相关强度。黑暗三联征与攻击行为的关系受到文化背景、性别、攻击类型等多种因素的影响。结论显示, 自恋与其余两种黑暗人格有较大差异, 后续研究可以结合东方文化进一步探究黑暗三联征。     

Patience as a Mediator Between the Dark Triad and Meaning in Life

Recently, researchers have shed light on the link between personality and meaning in life. The present study was designed to explore this association by investigating the relationships between the Dark Triad personality traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism), meaning in life, and patience. Notably, patience is a construct derived from the Buddhist six perfections theory. It is composed of (1) the patience to endure suffering willingly (PES), (2) the patience to not retaliate against harm (PNH), and (3) the patience to thoroughly scrutinize phenomena (PSP). We also examined the potentail mediating role of patience in the links between the Dark Triad personality traits and meaning in life. Participants in the present study were 434 company employees in China. A battery of questionnaires measuring the Dark Triad personality traits, patience, and meaning in life was admininstered to the participants. The results showed that the Dark Triad personality traits were negatively correlated with patience and meaning in life. Results also indicated that patience fully mediated the relationships between the Dark Triad personality traits and meaning in life. Taken as a whole, the findings suggest that the lack of meaning in life among the working population in China might be associated with inadequate patience. The present study reveals the possible mechanism governing the associations between the Dark Triad personality traits and meaning in life and contributes to the process of bridging Buddhism and psychology.

     

Different routes to limited empathy in the sexes: Examining the links between the Dark Triad and empathy

A fundamental observation regarding the Dark Triad traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) is that they are all associated with limited empathy. However, little is known about these relationships beyond some basics. In this study (N = 352), we asked three questions. What is the nature of the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and empathy? Does limited empathy account for sex differences in the Dark Triad? Are men and women low on empathy through different personality traits? The Dark Triad traits were all related to low levels of empathy even when controlling for the shared variance among the traits. Empathy rates mediated sex differences in different aspects of the Dark Triad but not others. Low empathy rates were related to narcissism in women but psychopathy in men, suggesting different routes to limited empathy for men and women high on the Dark Triad.     

The dark triad: Facilitating a short‐term mating strategy in men

This survey (N = 224) found that characteristics collectively known as the Dark Triad (i.e. narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism) were correlated with various dimensions of short‐term mating but not long‐term mating. The link between the Dark Triad and short‐term mating was stronger for men than for women. The Dark Triad partially mediated the sex difference in short‐term mating behaviour. Findings are consistent with a view that the Dark Triad facilitates an exploitative, short‐term mating strategy in men. Possible implications, including that Dark Triad traits represent a bundle of individual differences that promote a reproductively adaptive strategy are discussed. Findings are discussed in the broad context of how an evolutionary approach to personality psychology can enhance our understanding of individual differences. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mirror,mirror, on the wall,who is the most masculine of them all? The Dark Triad,masculinity, and women’s mate choice

Although the Dark Triad of personality (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) has been researched widely, few studies have looked at women’s preferences for men who are high and low in Dark Triad. Further, it is not clear what the relationships between the Dark Triad and facial masculinity are. We investigated female preference for computer manipulated Dark Triad male faces in two on-line studies (Study 1: n = 125; Study 2: n = 1633). We found that women rated the high psychopathy and narcissistic faces the most masculine (Study 1). We also found that women showed a low preference for the high morphs in both long and short term relationships, and that preference for masculinity was correlated with a preference for narcissism (Study 2). We discuss the results in terms of male and female mating strategies.     

The Dark Triad and animal cruelty: Dark personalities,dark attitudes,and dark behaviors

Research examining the interpersonal interactions of those high on the Dark Triad has proliferated in recent years. Extant research, however, has not examined other types of relationships such as attitudes and behaviors towards animals. Further, there has been limited research examining the associations between personality and attitudes and behaviors towards animals generally. In this study, participants (N = 227) completed an online survey measuring the Dark Triad, attitudes towards animals, and acts of animal cruelty. The results revealed that individuals with higher levels of the Dark Triad demonstrated less positive attitudes towards animals and reported engaging in more acts of animal cruelty. Age and sex were found to be significant predictors of less positive attitudes and behaviors towards animals, independent of the Dark Triad. These results suggest that those callous and manipulative behaviors and attitudes that have come to be associated with the Dark Triad are not just limited to human-to-human interactions, but are also consistent across other interactions.     

Do humor styles matter in the relationship between personality and subjective well‐being?

The primary goal of this research was to examine the role of humor styles in the relationships between personality (extraversion and neuroticism) and two components of subjective well-being: life satisfaction and affective well-being. The sample consisted of 225 young adults, with mean age 23.61 years. Results indicated that the relationship between both extraversion and neuroticism and satisfaction with life could be partially explained by the mediating role of self-enhancing humor. Additionally, affiliative humor proved to be a partial mediator of the relationship between neuroticism and affective well-being. The findings of this research suggested that adaptive humor styles might be one of the mechanisms linking personality and subjective well-being.     

The discriminant validity of honesty-humility: A meta-analysis of the HEXACO,Big Five,and Dark Triad

We perform a meta-analysis of almost 400 studies to assess honesty-humility’s relationships with the (H)EXACO, Big Five, and Dark Triad dimensions. We meta-analytically support that honesty-humility shares a modest amount of variance with the (H)EXACO and Big Five dimensions, although it is more strongly associated with Big Five agreeableness than HEXACO agreeableness. Honesty-humility does, however, very strongly relate to the Dark Triad, and the unreliability-corrected correlation of honesty-humility with Machiavellianism approaches levels expected in tests of convergent validity. Most relationships significantly differed based on the measure and facet. We urge future authors to investigate the facets shared between honesty-humility and Machiavellianism as well as assess differences of the HEXACO against the Big Five and Dark Triad (B5 + D3) when studied together.     

Dark Triad personality traits and adolescent cyber-aggression

The current study empirically investigates the relationships between the Dark Triad personality traits and cyber-aggression among adolescents (14–18 year old). The sample consisted of 324 participants aged 14–18 (M = 16.05, SD = 1.31). Participants completed the Short Dark Triad (SD3) as a measure of the Dark Triad personality traits, the Facebook Intensity Scale and a scale to measure cyber-aggression. Structural equation modelling was applied to investigate the relationships. Results show that only Facebook intensity and psychopathy significantly predict cyber-aggression, when controlling for age and gender. Findings are discussed regarding the potential importance to further study Dark Triad traits, and psychopathy in particular, in the context of adolescent cyber-aggression.     

The Dark Triad and Disordered Gambling

Disordered gambling refers to persistent and recurrent patterns of problematic gambling behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. The purpose of the present study was to examine the connections that the Dark Triad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) had with disordered gambling in a sample of 572 undergraduate students (129 men, 443 women). Our analyses revealed that narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism were each related to disordered gambling. However, psychopathy was the only Dark Triad personality trait that had a unique association with the risk for disordered gambling when controlling for the other Dark Triad traits. The discussion focuses on the implications of these results for understanding the connections between psychopathy and disordered gambling.     

Acquisitive or protective self-presentation of dark personalities? Associations among the Dark Triad and self-monitoring

The Dark Triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) is associated with interpersonal manipulation which requires skills in navigating through social situations. Thus, positive relationships between the Dark Triad and self-monitoring (acquisitive: perceptiveness, impression management; protective: protective variability, protective social referencing) were hypothesized and examined in an online-study (N = 408) with (canonical) correlations and factor analyses. Results indicated that narcissism was related especially to acquisitive, Machiavellianism to protective, and psychopathy to both forms of self-monitoring, which supports the view of distinct Dark Triad traits. Findings are discussed concerning different aspects of self-presentation.     

Conceptualizing the Dark Triad of personality: Links to Social Symptomatology

The current study examines the conceptualization of the sub-clinical Dark Triad personality traits (Psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and Narcissism; Paulhus & Williams, 2002) by relating them to normal and abnormal personality. Factor analyses using two samples (N₁ = 232, N₂ = 198) showed the Dark Triad traits clearly aggregated with each other, with Social Symptomatology, and with low agreeableness. More detailed analyses found that sub-clinical psychopathy is related to a core of socially malevolent traits and items that reflect self-reported deviant socialization in childhood, alienation from others, interpersonal problems, and impulsivity. For Machiavellianism, these relationships were apparent at the item level but not at the trait level. Narcissism, however, appears to be a more distinct construct that relates to aspects of psychopathology other than Social Symptomatology. Overall, results indicate that the Dark Triad is best conceptualized as a form of disordered personality, with links to low agreeableness.     

Implicit Coping Styles as a Predictor of Aggression

Research exploring potential antecedents of aggression provides contradictory results, with some data relating adaptive coping styles with high aggression and other studies finding the inverse. Clarification of these relationships could improve intervention and prevention strategies. This study investigated relationships between aggression and 3 coping styles (adaptive, neurotic, and maladaptive) via cross-sectional correlational methodology (N = 355). Data supported both hypotheses: First, the use of less adaptive coping styles predicted higher levels of aggression; second, this relationship held true for both cognitive (anger and hostility) and overt (physical and verbal) expressions of aggression. Results indicate that maladaptive coping significantly predicts aggression. Implications include potential prediction and prevention strategies to reduce the probability of higher risk individuals exhibiting aggression.     

Creativity and the Dark Triad: A meta-analysis

This paper presents a meta-analysis of the relationships between creativity (creative potential, activities, and achievement) and the Dark Triad of personality: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Multilevel meta-analytic models demonstrated a small but significant positive association between creativity and narcissism (r = 0.15 [0.10, 0.29]) and Machiavellianism (r = 0.06 [0.02, 0.09]), but not with psychopathy (r = 0.03 [-0.02, 0.07]). Creativity measures (self-report-vs.-performance), aspects (self-perception, creative activity, creative abilities, creative achievements), and domains (general, art, science, and everyday creativity) moderated the links with the Dark Triad. We discuss the possible mechanism of associations between Dark Triad traits and creativity and highlight future research directions.