Week 3: The Dark Triad

Question 1

What are the characteristics of narcissism?

Answer 1

Grandiosity, dominance, entitlement and egotism

Question 2

What are the characteristics of machiavellianism?

Answer 2

Manipulation of others, cynicism, pragmatic morality

Question 3

What are the characteristics of psychopathy?

Answer 3

Impulsivity, thrill seeking, lack of empathy or anxiety

Question 4

How could the dark triad be evolutionary?

Answer 4

Exploiting other members of our group can help us to survive and attract mates. It’s adaptive in larger social groups that are loosly connected.

Question 5

Are people high in the dark triad, high or low in k factor?

Answer 5

Low

Question 6

How is the dark triad negative frequency dependent?

Answer 6

Only has a positive effect if few people posess it, otherwise the group would fall apart due to lack of cooperation and cohesion

Question 7

What kind of selection is used for the evolutionary basis of the dark triad?

Answer 7

Fluctuating selection

Question 8

Where do people fall on the agency-communion scale if they are high in the dark triad?

Answer 8

High agency (dominant) and low communion (cold)

Question 9

What traits in the big 5 correlate with narcissism and psychopathy?

Answer 9

High Extraversion and openness

Question 10

What traits in the big 5 correlate with machiaevellianism and psychopathy?

Answer 10

Low conscientiousness

Question 11

How is neuroticism linked to psychopathy?

Answer 11

Low neuroticism, high psychopathy

Question 12

What traits in the big 5 correlate with the dark triad as a whole?

Answer 12

Low agreeableness and honesty

Question 13

What is overclaiming measure?

Answer 13

Participants were asked to rate their familiarity with certain measures, 20% of which were made up. Narcists were likely to lie and rate themselves highly in everything

Question 14

What is every day sadism?

Answer 14

Callousness, enjoying cruelty and seeking opportunities to cause suffering

Question 15

What behaviours are predicted by everyday sadism?

Answer 15

Vandalism and online trolling

Question 16

What are the 2 componants of narcissism?

Answer 16

Adaptive/Admiration

Maladaptive/Rivalry

Question 17

What are the characteristics of adaptive narcissism?

Answer 17

Authority
Self-sufficiency
High self esteem
Self enhancing using both public and private stratergies

Question 18

What are the characteristics of maladaptive narcissism?

Answer 18

Entitlement
Exploitativeness
Exhebitionism
Self enhancing and protecting using public stratergies

Question 19

What is the dynamic self regulatory processing model of narcissism?

Answer 19

Split into mental constructs and self regulation processes, both for the self and others

Question 20

What are the two componants of psychopathy?

Answer 20

Instrumental/Primary

Hostile/Reactive/Secondary

Question 21

What are the characteristics of primary psychopathy?

Answer 21

Shallow affect 
Lack of empathy 
Interpersonal coldness
Emotionally stable 
Negative correlation to neuroticism

Question 22

What are the characteristics of primary psychopathy?

Answer 22

Impulsivity
Responsibility
Agression
Positive correlation to neuroticism

Question 23

How can sexual behaviour be explained by the dark triad?

Answer 23

They’re more likely to have hook ups and steal other people’s partners - and have their own stolen

They retain mates using aggression which usually contributes to break ups

Question 24

How can aggressive behaviour be explained by the dark triad?

Answer 24

Psychopathy related to physical, verbal and premeditated aggression

Machiavellianism related to physical and verbal aggression as well as hostility

Narcissism is related to hostility and reactive aggression

Question 25

How can criminal behaviour be explained by the dark triad?

Answer 25

Psychopathy predicts all delinquent behaviour, including more serious crime

Machiavellianism predicts bulling and minor crime

Narcissism predicts bullying, drugs, anti-authority acts and minor crime. Related to white collar crime. Youth offenders were higher in it too

Cheating is related to all traits but most strongly to psychopathy
There is widespread evidence of high psychopathy in offenders but with little attention to subcomponents

Question 26

How can relationships be explained by narcissism?

Answer 26

They make good first impressions but this wears off over time. They have a ludus style of love with low commitment and a focus on alternatives

Unlikely to have long term relationships but attractive for short term flings