The academic motivation and the Dark triad of personality

Abstract

The article is devoted to the discussion of the characteristics’ relationship between an academic motivation and the personality traits of the Dark triad. The academic motives are studied according to the self-determination theory. The study sample was 124 students (age M = 18,9; SD = 0,26). There were studied the intrinsic and extrinsic motives and an amotivation. Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy were diagnosed with the short version of the Dark triad questionnaire. The most connection is found between the narcissism and the index of the academic motives that fall into the intrinsic motivation (new knowledge, the motivation of achievement and self-development). The motivation of self-development and the extrinsic motives pertain to the psychopathy. Machiavellianism is not a predictor of the academic motives.