Dark Triad personality traits

The three Dark Triad personality subtypes are narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopath. Overall, the Dark Triad personality traits share certain features, such as emotional coldness, duplicity, and aggressiveness. The dark-triad personality traits are found to be more prominent in men than in women.

"The “Dark Triad” personality traits are a toxic amalgamation of various negative traits and behaviors, such as they are domineering, violent, volatile, manipulative, remorseless, cynical, deceitful, etc."

Health.com states concerning people with dark triad personality traits and one of the best ways to deal with them: "...people with dark triad personality traits may be able to change, but the likelihood of that happening is "minuscule," noted Hokemeyer. "The personality traits that make up a dark triad are deeply ingrained in their psyche and highly resistant to any sort of challenge that would manifest a change. The best strategy is to move away from them as quickly as possible."

The dark triad personality traits and their various sub-traits.

Some of the characteristics of psychopaths are being angry, rash, impulsive, and oppositional (among others).

Reduced empathy, often seen in psychopathy, increases the prevalence of goal-directed aggression. Psychopaths have a greater risk of suffering from irritability/reactive aggression. Both decreased empathy and increased anger are associated with maladaptive aggression.

Narcissists don't learn from their mistakes because they don't think they make any.

Causal factors of the dark triad personality traits

As far as the causes of dark triad traits, according to PsychCentral.com: Research from 2013 suggests that consistently harsh or unstable parent-child relationships — which can often lead to insecurities related to attachment — could be a key contributing factor to these personality traits.

As far as the causes of dark triad traits, according to PsychCentral.com:

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Research from 2013 suggests that consistently harsh or unstable parent-child relationships — which can often lead to insecurities related to attachment — could be a key contributing factor to these personality traits. According to Gauri Khurana, MD, MPH, a psychiatrist and a clinical instructor at Yale University School of Medicine, causes of the dark triad personality may be linked to: childhood neglect physical, verbal, or sexual abuse in childhood genetic factors In situations of neglect or abuse, “a child [may act out] from a young age, either receive attention or to engage in what they would consider a soothing behavior, such as lying, cheating, and abusing others,” Khurana explains. Showing a few symptoms might not qualify someone as expressing traits of one or more of the dark triad. Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy all exist on a continuum. That means many people might have a few symptoms to varying degrees. For example, you may be prone to moments of self-centeredness, a lack of empathy, or entitlement, though this may not be a constant or enduring experience.

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According to the abstract to the journal article The role of the Dark Triad traits and two constructs of emotional intelligence on loneliness in adolescents published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences: "Results indicated that both the latent Dark Triad factor and the three Dark Triad traits contributed to loneliness among adolescents. While narcissism was negatively related to loneliness, Machiavellianism and psychopathy were positively associated with loneliness."

There is no single cause of psychopathy, but factors such as genetics, trauma, brain structure, exposure to violence during childhood, and environmental conditions are potential/possible contributing factors. Also, every person has free will and ultimately has responsibility for their actions.

Dark triad personality and physical health

• New study uncovers links between dark triad personality traits and disordered eating habits, PsyPost, 2023

Dark Triad personality traits and mental illness

• Narcissism and psychopathy are linked to reduced psychological well-being, PsyPost, 2023

• Impact of Dark Triad on Anxiety Disorder: Parallel Mediation Analysis During Pandemic, Frontiers in Psychology, 2022

Dark triad personality and increased risk of depression

• Relationship between the Dark Triad and depressive symptoms, PeerJ, 2019

Studies relating to Dark Triad personality traits and cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is bullying committed using the internet, specifically defined as repeated and deliberate acts of harm and harassment against specific individuals carried out via information technology networks. It is the single biggest abhorrence plaguing the internet to this day. As committed by adults, cyberbullying is more severe than trolling, which is by its definition short-term and/or indiscriminate, and is by definition systematic, long-term and personalized; one-off hostile remarks do not count.

Cyberbullying may include false accusations, stalking, impersonation and identity theft, threats, and hate "art", richly-designed media targeting specific individuals. Cyberbullies often use illegal means to hide their identities, making it difficult to punish them, by legal processes or otherwise.

Studies relating to Dark Triad personality traits and cyberbullying

• Dark triad and cyber aggression among Chinese adolescents during COVID-19: A moderated mediation model, Frontiers in Psychology, 2022

• The Nexus of the Dark Triad Personality Traits With Cyberbullying, Empathy, and Emotional Intelligence: A Structural-Equation Modeling Approach, Frontiers in Psychology, 2021

• Dark Triad Personality Traits in Cyber Aggression Among College Students, Violence and Victims, 2020

• Dark Triad personality traits and adolescent cyber-aggression, Personality and Individual Differences, 2015

Dark Triad personality test

IDRLabs.com notes about the Dark Triad Personality test: "The Dark Triad is a personality inventory that explores the socially undesirable traits of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy. The Dark Triad test is often used by police and the courts, in psychiatric wards and evaluations, and even in big corporations. Studies have shown that people who score high on the Dark Triad are more likely to commit crimes or get in trouble with the law and also more likely to cause social distress among their friends or problems for their workplace."

Methods to reduce dark triad personality traits

• A surprising way to tamp down ugly 'Dark Triad' personality traits, Southern Methodist University, 2022

See also

• Personality

Narcissism:

• Narcissus
• Homosexual narcissism
• Atheism and narcissism

Machiavelliasm:

• Niccolò Machiavelli
• The Prince
• Goebbels' maxim
• Psychological manipulation

Psychopathy:

• Irreligion, psychopathy, crime, violence and antisocial behavior

External links

• The Dark Triad and dispositional aggression, Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 86, November 2015, Pages 360-364
• Understanding the Dark Triad, Mindtools.com
• Dark Triad Personality Traits, Simply Psychology website
• People with dark personalities feel more satisfied in romantic relationships with partners who also exhibit similar dark traits, PsyPost, 2023
• How Dark Triad Personalities Are Linked To The Perpetration Of War Crimes, IFLScience, 2023