Summary Dark Triad Personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy

Address for Correspondence: Asst. Prof. Doruk Uysal Irak, Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Çırağan cad. Osmanpaşa Mektebi sokak No:4 Beşiktaş / İstanbul. E-mail: doruk.uysalirak@eas.bau.edu.tr The Dark Triad reveals the malevolent side of human beings and consists of the personality traits Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy which have recently begun to be a subject of interest to the studies with the term Dark Triad revealed by Paulhus and Williams (2002). People who are high in the Dark Triad traits often disregard moral values and social norms and engage in socially-aversive behaviors such as lying, cheating, deception, and bullying (Muris, Merckelbach, Otgaar, & Meijer, 2017). They are also likely to employ ineffective coping strategies (e.g.; Birkás, Gács, & Csathó, 2016; Kealy, Ogrodniczuk, Rice, & Oliffe, 2017), which make them more vulnerable to the negative consequences of a stressful event and negatively affects their psychological well-being. Sub-clinical narcissism is characterized by a lack of empathy, feelings of superiority, egocentricism, self-enhancement, arrogance, and manipulative behaviors (Emmons, 1987; Fernie, Fung, & Nikčević, 2016; Sedikides & Gregg, 2008). Machiavellianism is mostly defined by a cynical worldview and interpersonal manipulation (Furnham, Richards, & Paulhus, 2013). In order to succeed, Machiavellians often make decisions based on the practical outcomes of a situation rather than the possible emotional consequences of their behavior (Zeigler-Hill & Vonk, 2015). Lastly, sub-clinical psychopathy is described by deviant behaviors, a lack of empathy, remorselessness, disinhibition, a desire for dominance, and dishonesty (Cleckley, 1976). In this literature review, the Dark Triad traits will be presented with their similarities and differences and their relationship with the major personality models. Moreover, facets of the three traits and frequently used measures of the construct will be introduced. Then, the relationships between the Dark Triad traits, different coping styles and psychological well-being will be discussed. The main aim of this literature review is to provide a detailed Turkish reference for the researchers as Dark Triad has become a growing research interest.