The affective and cognitive empathic nature of the dark triad of personality
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Once shared variance was accounted for, affective empathy deficit findings were driven by psychopathy.
“However, once shared variance was accounted for, these findings were driven by psychopathy (15).”
From Empathy at the heart of darkness: empathy deficits that bind the dark triad and those that mediate indirect relational aggression. (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
Affective empathy deficits have been linked to all three dark traits (individually and within the context of the DT).
“Indeed, affective empathy deficits have been linked to all three dark traits (individually and within the context of the DT), indicating a mutual inability to share the emotional experience of others (15, 36).”
From Empathy at the heart of darkness: empathy deficits that bind the dark triad and those that mediate indirect relational aggression. (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
In other cases, cognitive empathy appeared to be spared, or even increased in the case of Narcissism.
“In other cases, cognitive empathy appeared to be spared, or even increased in the case of Narcissism, which would suggest normal or better understanding of others' thoughts and intentions (15).”
From Empathy at the heart of darkness: empathy deficits that bind the dark triad and those that mediate indirect relational aggression. (2019) · cites this paper as [15]
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Introducing the Short Dark Triad (SD3): A Brief Measure of Dark Personality Traits
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Narcissism and empathy in young offenders and non–offenders.
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Empathy in narcissistic personality disorder: From clinical and empirical perspectives.
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A multidimensional view of the relationship between empathy and the dark triad
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Mindreading in the dark: dark personality features and theory of mind.
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Down-Regulating Narcissistic Tendencies: Communal Focus Reduces State Narcissism
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Can neuroscience help to understand narcissism? A systematic review of an emerging field
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MethodFacial Emotion Recognition and Social-Cognitive Correlates of Narcissistic Features
De Panfilis, C., Antonucci, C., Meehan, K. B., Cain, N. M., Soliani, A., Marchesi, C., Clarkin, J. F., & Sambataro, F. (2019) · Journal of Personality Disorders · doi:10.1521/pedi_2018_32_350 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
The role of identity instability in the relationship between narcissism and emotional empathy.
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Chukwuorji, J. C., Uzuegbu, C. N., Agbo, F., Ifeagwazi, C. M., & Ebulum, G. C. (2020) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-018-9881-z · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Understanding empathy and its disorders through a focus on the neural mechanism.
Preston, S. D., Ermler, M., Lei, Y., & Bickel, L. (2020) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2020.03.001 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Leite, Â., Cardoso, S., & Monteiro, A. P. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20126136 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“In turn, psychopathy is characterized by insensitivity, low level of empathy, impulsiveness, imprudence, disdain for others, tendency to tease and deception, and also by loquacity and superficial charm [25,28,31].”
BackgroundStructure of darkness: the dark triad, the dark” empathy and the dark’ narcissism.
Gojković, V., Dostanić, J. S., & Đurić, V. (2022) · Primenjena psihologija · doi:10.19090/pp.v15i2.2380 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Emotion recognition and moral utilitarianism in the dark triad of personality.
Amiri, S., & Behnezhad, S. (2017) · Neuropsychiatria i Neuropsychologia · doi:10.5114/nan.2017.74142 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Cold hearts playing with fire: the dark triad, risk-taking and empathy.
Yap, J. Y., & Elizaveta, B. (2021) · Journal of Health and Translational Medicine · doi:10.22452/jummec.vol24no2.11 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
- Authors
- Wai, M., & Tiliopoulos, N.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Tiliopoulos, Niko
- ORCID
- Tiliopoulos, Niko
- Venue
- Personality and Individual Differences
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-05
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 794-799
- ISSN
- 0191-8869 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2124824556
- Cited by
- 491
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 61 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 41 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 26.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Individual Differences (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Keywords
- Dark Triad, psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, affective empathy, cognitive empathy, facial expression recognition, primary psychopathy, university students
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