Dark Triad

New research from China suggests that adolescents who experience social ostracism may become lonelier over time—and that this loneliness can foster narcissistic, manipulative, or antisocial personality traits known as the Dark Triad.

A new study in Sexual and Relationship Therapy found that among the Dark Triad traits, only psychopathy predicts a greater openness to casual sex. Traits associated with empathy and kindness did not show meaningful links once darker traits were considered.

A new study suggests traits like narcissism and psychopathy played little role in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Instead, political attitudes and moral values—such as authoritarianism and fairness—were more closely linked to whether people supported Biden, Trump, or a third-party...

A new study suggests that people who are more resilient are less likely to develop psychopathic traits after experiencing childhood trauma. The findings highlight the protective role of resilience and its potential for reducing harmful personality patterns later in life.

Researchers found that voters’ authoritarian tendencies influenced how they judged the psychopathic traits of 2016 presidential candidates. Those high in authoritarianism were more likely to view Trump favorably and Clinton as psychologically disordered—and vice versa.

A recent study found that psychopathy and narcissism are linked to distinct emotional deficits. Psychopathy impairs emotional reactivity and recognition, while narcissism is tied to inflated emotional self-perception but poor detection of others’ distress.

Narcissism in political leaders may have roots in childhood. A recent study explores how Hitler, Putin, and Trump experienced similar emotional trauma and parenting styles that contributed to unhealthy narcissistic development and shaped their political personas.

Teens who score higher in extraversion, narcissism, and dramatic emotional expression are more likely to want to be influencers, according to a new study. The findings suggest that personality shapes how young people see their future in the digital age.

When narcissistic CEOs feel lonely, they are more likely to hide their true emotions and perform socially expected ones instead, according to a new study examining how personality and isolation shape emotional behavior at the executive level.

New research shows that bad sleep can bring out the worst in people at work. Employees who slept poorly were more likely to display manipulative, narcissistic, and emotionally detached behaviors—traits linked to the so-called “dark triad” of personality.

Narcissism might not be evolutionarily adaptive after all. A Serbian study found that individuals high in narcissism, particularly the vulnerable form, tend to have fewer children and less interest in parenting, partly due to relationship instability and emotional insecurity.

New research reveals that individuals high in narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy are often seen as more trustworthy based on facial appearance alone—leading to increased trust and financial investment from others in short-term interactions, despite their antisocial tendencies.

A study tracking Polish adults over eight months finds that nearly all narcissism types, except sanctity, are tied to social networking site addiction. Some traits even show a bidirectional relationship with addiction symptoms, shedding light on digital-age personality dynamics.

A new study suggests that narcissistic personality traits—especially feelings of entitlement and antagonism—are strongly linked to political polarization. The findings highlight how psychological tendencies may fuel both loyalty to political in-groups and hostility toward opposing sides.

A recent study sheds new light on the complicated nature of narcissism. Rather than a single personality type, researchers identified four different narcissistic profiles.