Dark Triad
The dark triad is a psychological construct of personality traits, first introduced by Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. Williams in 2002, that describes the relationship between three notably aversive but non-pathological personality traits: Machiavellianism, sub-clinical narcissism, and sub-clinical psychopathy. These personality traits are called dark because they are believed to contain aversive qualities.
All three dark triad traits are believed to be conceptually distinct, although empirical evidence shows them to be overlapping. They are associated with a callous–manipulative interpersonal style.
Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy.
Machiavellianism is characterized by manipulativeness, indifference to morality, lack of empathy, and a calculated focus on self-interest.
Psychopathy is characterized by continuous antisocial behavior, impulsivity, selfishness, callous and unemotional traits (CU), and remorselessness.
High scores in these traits have been found to statistically increase a person's likelihood of committing crimes, cause social distress, and create severe problems for organizations, especially if found in people who are in leadership positions. People who score high on these traits also tend to be less compassionate, agreeable, empathetic, and satisfied with their lives, and less likely to believe they and others are good. However, the same traits are also associated with some positive outcomes, such as mental toughness and willingness to embrace challenges.
A factor analysis found that among the Big Five personality traits, low agreeableness is the strongest correlate of the dark triad, while neuroticism and a lack of conscientiousness were associated with some of the dark triad members. Research indicates that there is a consistent association between changes in agreeableness and the dark triad traits over the course of an individual's life.
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