Dark triad in the context of "Narcissistic"

Play Trivia Questions online!

or

Skip to study material about Dark triad in the context of "Narcissistic"




⭐ Core Definition: Dark triad

The dark triad is a psychological theory of personality, first published by Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. Williams in 2002, that describes three notably offensive but non-pathological personality types: Machiavellianism, sub-clinical narcissism, and sub-clinical psychopathy. Each of these personality types is called dark because each is considered to contain malevolent qualities.

All three dark triad traits are conceptually distinct although empirical evidence shows them to be overlapping. They are associated with a callous–manipulative interpersonal style.

↓ Menu

👉 Dark triad in the context of Narcissistic

Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Named after the Greek mythological figure Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection, narcissism has evolved into a psychological concept studied extensively since the early 20th century, and it has been deemed highly relevant in various societal domains.

Narcissism exists on a continuum that ranges from normal to abnormal personality expression. While many psychologists believe that a moderate degree of narcissism is normal and healthy in humans, there are also more extreme forms, observable particularly in people who have a personality condition like narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), where one's narcissistic qualities become pathological, leading to functional impairment and psychosocial disability. It has also been discussed in dark triad studies, along with subclinical psychopathy and Machiavellianism.

↓ Explore More Topics
In this Dossier

Dark triad in the context of Machiavellianism (psychology)

In the field of personality psychology, Machiavellianism (sometimes abbreviated as MACH) is the name of a personality trait construct characterized by manipulativeness, indifference to morality, lack of empathy, and a calculated focus on self-interest. Psychologists Richard Christie and Florence L. Geis created the construct and named it after Niccolò Machiavelli, as they devised a set of truncated and edited statements similar to his writing tone to study variations in human behaviors. Apart from this, the construct has no relation to the historical figure outside of bearing his name. Their Mach IV test, a 20-question, Likert-scale personality survey, became the standard self-assessment tool and scale of the Machiavellianism construct. Those who score high on the scale (High Machs) are more likely to have a high level of deceitfulness, exploitativeness and a cold, unemotional temperament.

It is one of the dark triad traits, along with the subclinical versions of narcissism and psychopathy.

↑ Return to Menu

Dark triad in the context of Agreeableness

Agreeableness is the personality trait of being kind, sympathetic, cooperative, warm, honest, straightforward, and considerate. In personality psychology, agreeableness is one of the five major dimensions of personality structure, reflecting individual differences in cooperation. People who score high on measures of agreeableness are empathetic and self-sacrificing, while those with low agreeableness are prone to selfishness, insincerity, and zero-sum thinking. Those who score low on agreeableness may show dark triad tendencies, such as narcissistic, antisocial, and manipulative behavior.

Agreeableness is a superordinate trait, meaning it is a grouping of personality sub-traits that cluster together statistically. Some lower-level traits, or facets, that are commonly grouped under agreeableness include trust, straightforwardness, altruism, helpfulness, modesty, and tender-mindedness.

↑ Return to Menu