The Dark Triad

Abstract

The Dark Triad refers to a set of three overlapping traits – Machiavellianism, subclinical narcissism, and subclinical psychopathy. Each of the Dark Triad traits is characterized by callous social attitudes, egocentrism, dominance, entitlement, low humility, manipulativeness. The article reviews 1) the history of the ideas about the content and structure of the Dark Triad traits; 2) the main results of the experimental studies of Machiavellianism, subclinical narcissism and subclinical psychopathy in the non-clinical populations, 3) the place of the Dark Triad in the structure of high-order personality traits; 4) proposed models for the common core of the Dark Triad traits.