Characteristics of the components of the "dark triad" in medical university students with different types of attachment

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study on the components of the "dark triad" (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) among first-year medical university students with different attachment styles. A battery of tests was applied, including the Dark Triad questionnaire by D. Johnson and D. Polhus, adapted by M.S. Egorova, M.A. Sitnikova and O.V. Porshikova, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory by R. Raskin, and H. Terry, and the Machiavellianism Test by R. Christie, F. Geis, adapted by V.V. Znakov. Attachment styles were specified using the semi-structured “Attachment interview for adults" by M. Main and the "Self-assessment of a generalized type of attachment" by K. Bartholomew and L. Horowitz. The sample consisted of 64 participants aged 19 to 23 years (M = 20.5; SD = 1.5 years). Statistical analysis was performed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, H Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U and Cohen’s d criteria. Significant differences were found in the subclinical psychopathy scores among students with secure and disorganized attachment styles.