Toward a Taxonomy of Dark Personalities

• Published in: Current directions in psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 421 - 426
• Main Author: Paulhus, Delroy L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2014; Sage Publications; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Empathy; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Identification; Impulsiveness; Machiavellianism; Narcissism; Personality; Personality psychology; Personality traits; Personality. Affectivity; Playing the dozens; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology; Sadism; Social psychology; Taxonomy; Workplaces; subclinical narcissism; Dark Tetrad; everyday sadism; Dark Triad; Machiavellianism; subclinical psychopathy; Human; Sadism; Asymptomatic; Narcissism; Personality; Review; Three-factor personality model; Psychopathia; Classification
• ISSN: 0963-7214; 1467-8721
• DOI: 10.1177/0963721414547737

The term dark personalities refers to a set of socially aversive traits in the subclinical range. Not extreme enough to invite clinical or forensic attention, they can get along (even flourish) in everyday work settings, scholastic settings, and the broader community. Along with my research group, I have studied a constellation of these personalities—Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and everyday sadism—under the label "Dark Tetrad." We have argued that, because of their overlap, these four traits should be studied in concert. Recently developed inventories now facilitate identification of the unique contributions of each trait. The present review highlights key advances and controversies emerging from work on these malevolent, yet fascinating, characters.