Toward a taxonomy of dark personalities
Abstract
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.
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- Authors
- Paulhus, D. L.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Paulhus, Delroy L.
- ORCID
- Paulhus, Delroy L.
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-12
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 421-426
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- OpenAlex
- W2129913289
- Cited by
- 711
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 49 · 2025: 78 · 2024: 86 · 2023: 101 · 2022: 78 · 2021: 73 · 2020: 70 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 47 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 8 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 35.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- dark personality traits, Dark Tetrad, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, everyday sadism, personality tests
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