The effects of the Dark Triad personality traits on health protective behaviours: dyadic approach on self-reports and partner-reports

• Published in: Psychology & health Vol. 38; no. 8; pp. 987 - 1005
• Main Authors: Hudek-Knezevic, Jasna, Kardum, Igor, Banov, Katarina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 03.08.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: actor-partner interdependence model; Antisocial personality disorder; Dark Triad personality traits; health protective behaviours; Narcissism; Personality traits; romantic relationships; romantic relationships; actor-partner interdependence model; Dark Triad personality traits; health protective behaviours
• ISSN: 0887-0446; 1476-8321
• DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2021.1998497

The growing evidence show that romantic partners' personality traits mutually influence each other's health. The research on relationship between personality and health behaviours should include both partner's perspectives - relations between individuals' traits and their own outcomes (actor effects), and relations between individuals' traits and their partners' outcomes (partner effects). The objective of this study was to examine the actor and partner effects of the Dark Triad (DT) personality traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism) on the health protective behaviours (HPB) in romantic couples. A convenience sample of 188 heterosexual romantic couples participated in a cross-sectional round-robin study. Three predictor measures were Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-III, Narcissistic Personality Inventory and MACH-IV inventory, whereas HPB inventory was used as criterion variable. Data were analysed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). The results suggest that men's psychopathy, and to a lesser extent men's Machiavellianism exert deleterious effects on their own and their partner's HPB. The majority of these effects replicated across both self-reports and partner-reports. Women's DT traits exerted weaker actor and partner effects on the HPB than men's DT traits. Findings show that men's psychopathy and Machiavellianism have detrimental effects on their own as well as their partner's HPB.