Background. Research addressing distinctions and similarities between people's malevolent character traits (i.e., the Dark Triad: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) has detected inconsistent linear associations to temperament traits. Additionally, these dark traits seem to have a common core expressed as uncooperativeness. Hence, some researchers suggest that the dark traits are bes...

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 behav...

We study theory of mind (ToM) and empathic underpinnings of Machiavellianism by use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, where account managers are used as participants in 3 studies. Study 1 finds evidence for activation of the medial prefrontal cortex, left and right temporo-parietal junction, and left and right precuneus regions; all five regions are negatively correlated with Machiavell...

Up to the present, the relationship between Machiavellianism and adult attachment has remained a question to be answered in the psychological literature. That is why this study focused on the relationship between Machiavellianism and attachment towards significant others in general interpersonal relationships and in intimate-close relationships. Two attachment tests (Relationship Questionnaire ...

The authors investigated whether students who selectively volunteer for a study of prison life possess dispositions associated with behaving abusively. Students were recruited for a psychological study of prison life using a virtually identical newspaper ad as used in the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE; Haney, Banks & Zimbardo, 1973) or for a psychological study, an identical ad minus the word...

The view that corporate psychopathy played a significant role in causing the global financial crisis, although insightful, paints a reductionist picture of what we present as the broader issue. Our broader issue is the tendency for psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism to cluster psychologically and culturally as ‘dark leadership’ within global financial institutions. Strong evidence for...

The ongoing bioethical debate on pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE) in healthy individuals is often legitimated by the assumption that PCE will widely spread and become desirable for the general public in the near future. This assumption was questioned as PCE is not equally save and effective in everyone. Additionally, it was supposed that the willingness to use PCE is strongly persona...

The present study explored links between male Dark Tetrad personality traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, sadism) and preferences for using outdoor indoor female sex worker services. We also investigated the mediating effects of perceiving workers as deviant victims. Heterosexual males (N = 347) were recruited to take part in an online survey investigating attitudes towards worke...

This study examines the relationship between the ability to deceive and two personality variables: symptoms of psychopathy and Machiavellianism. Participants (N = 21) viewed 11 pleasant and stressful video clips and attempted to maintain a pleasant/neutral facial expression. Their facial expressions were videotaped and coded for level of nonverbal leakage. Nonverbal leakage scores from the stre...

The aim of this study is to evaluate the convergent and operational validity a modified Latvian personality inventory (LPA-3, Perepjolkina, 2014) with multidimensional forced-choice answer format (LMFI). Using three samples, LMFI was conducted. Convergent evaluated by examining relations between on one side Big Five Inventory (BFI) Machiavellianism scale other. Operational assessments subjectiv...