The Dark Cube: dark character profiles and OCEAN

Garcia, Danilo; Moraga, Fernando Renee González

doi:10.7717/peerj.3845

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…In this context, it would be interesting to see how these parameters differ between a version with 4 or 5 points from the 7-points version used here. Another venue of research is the use of, besides Classic Test Theory and IRT, Quantitaive Semantic Test Theory, which uses computerized methods to addresses how concepts are represented in natural language (see Garcia and Sikström, 2013a , b , 2014 ; Garcia et al., 2015a , 2016 ; Rosenberg et al., 2013 ), and person-oriented methods, which often are data-driven or bottom-up methods that focus on differences between individuals by taking into consideration the existence of sub-populations and the properties of complex adaptive systems, such as in this case, malevolent character ( Lundh, 2015 ; Garcia et al., 2015b ; Garcia, 2018a , b ; Garcia and Rosenberg, 2016 ; Garcia and González, 2017 ; Garcia et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

IRT analyses of the Swedish Dark Triad Dirty Dozen

Garcia

Persson

Nima

et al. 2018

Heliyon

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BackgroundThe Dark Triad (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) can be captured quickly with 12 items using the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (Jonason and Webster, 2010). Previous Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses of the original English Dark Triad Dirty Dozen have shown that all three subscales adequately tap into the dark domains of personality. The aim of the present study was to analyze the Swedish version of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen using IRT.Method570 individuals (nmales = 326, nfemales = 242, and 2 unreported), including university students and white-collar workers with an age range between 19 and 65 years, responded to the Swedish version of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (Garcia et al., 2017a,b).ResultsContrary to previous research, we found that the narcissism scale provided most information, followed by psychopathy, and finally Machiavellianism. Moreover, the psychopathy scale required a higher level of the latent trait for endorsement of its items than the narcissism and Machiavellianism scales. Overall, all items provided reasonable amounts of information and are thus effective for discriminating between individuals. The mean item discriminations (alphas) were 1.92 for Machiavellianism, 2.31 for narcissism, and 1.99 for psychopathy.ConclusionThis is the first study to provide IRT analyses of the Swedish version of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen. Our findings add to a growing literature on the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale in different cultures and highlight psychometric characteristics, which can be used for comparative studies. Items tapping into psychopathy showed higher thresholds for endorsement than the other two scales. Importantly, the narcissism scale seems to provide more information about a lack of narcissism, perhaps mirroring cultural conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

IRT analyses of the Swedish Dark Triad Dirty Dozen

Garcia

Persson

Nima

et al. 2018

Heliyon

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“…Hence, as for the light character traits, the dark character traits might also be seen, at least in theory, as one dynamic complex adaptive system rather than three single traits. In this line of thinking, Garcia (Garcia and Rosenberg, 2016;Garcia, 2018) suggested, analogous to Cloninger's "light" character cube (Cloninger, 2004), the Dark Cube, which comprises the eight possible combinations of high/low scores in the three malevolent traits (see Figure 2; Garcia and Rosenberg, 2016;Garcia and Gonzàlez, 2017;Garcia, 2018;Garcia et al, 2018).…”

Section: The Dark Triad: Machiavellianism Narcissism and Psychopathymentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of Two Short Personality Inventories Using Self-Descriptions in Natural Language and Quantitative Semantics Test Theory

et al. 2020

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Background: If individual differences are relevant and prominent features of personality, then they are expected to be encoded in natural language, thus manifesting themselves in single words. Recently, the quantification of text data using advanced natural language processing techniques offers innovative opportunities to map people's own words and narratives to their responses to self-reports. Here, we demonstrate the usefulness of self-descriptions in natural language and what we tentatively call Quantitative Semantic Test Theory (QuSTT) to validate two short inventories that measure character traits. Method:In Study 1, participants (N 1 = 997) responded to the Short Character Inventory, which measures self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence. In Study 2, participants (N 2 = 2373) responded to Short Dark Triad, which measures Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. In both studies, respondents were asked to generate 10 self-descriptive words. We used the Latent Semantic Algorithm to quantify the meaning of each trait using the participants' self-descriptive words. We then used these semantic representations to predict the self-reported scores. In a second set of analyses, we used word-frequency analyses to map the self-descriptive words to each of the participants' trait scores (i.e., one-dimensional analysis) and character profiles (i.e., three-dimensional analysis).Results: The semantic representation of each character trait was related to each corresponding self-reported score. However, participants' self-transcendence and Machiavellianism scores demonstrated similar relationships to all three semantic representations of the character traits in their respective personality model. The onedimensional analyses showed that, for example, "loving" was indicative of both high cooperativeness and self-transcendence, while "compassionate," "kind," and "caring" was unique for individuals high in cooperativeness. The words "kind" and "caring" indicated low levels of Machiavellianism and psychopathy, whereas "shy" or "introvert" indicated low narcissism. We also found specific keywords that unify or that make the individuals in some profiles unique.

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“…The Dark Cube ( Garcia & Rosenberg, 2016 ; Garcia, 2018 ; Garcia & González Moraga, 2017 ; Garcia et al, 2018 ) is based on the presupposition that the Dark Triad is composed of overlapping yet distinctive constructs that can be measured separately ( Paulhus & Williams, 2002 ) but that may vary within the individual. Hence, the Dark Cube consists of all eight possible combinations of high/low scores in the three dark traits ( Fig.…”

Section: The Dark Cubementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies using the Dark Cube on the other hand, show that Big Five traits and the malevolent characters traits are associated only under certain conditions, thus, probably explaining the inconsistencies in the literature ( Garcia, 2018 ). For example, while high levels of narcissism are associated to high levels of extraversion and high levels of psychopathy are associated to high levels of low agreeableness per se; high Machiavellianism was associated to high neuroticism only when both narcissism and psychopathy were low, high narcissism and high conscientiousness were associated only when both Machiavellianism and psychopathy were also high, and high psychopathy and high neuroticism were associated only when Machiavellianism was low and narcissism was high ( Garcia & González Moraga, 2017 ). In other words, the Dark Cube analyses showed how the complex interactions between dark traits within the individual, an interaction that is often ignored in a majority of studies, may explain inconsistencies, such as, why high levels of psychopathy are in some studies associated to high levels of neuroticism and not associated at all in others ( Garcia et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: The Dark Cubementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, the Dark Cube analyses showed how the complex interactions between dark traits within the individual, an interaction that is often ignored in a majority of studies, may explain inconsistencies, such as, why high levels of psychopathy are in some studies associated to high levels of neuroticism and not associated at all in others ( Garcia et al, 2015 ). More specifically, the Dark Cube analyses suggest that individuals high in psychopathy have a proneness to worry, rumination, hostility, sadness, hopelessness, impulsiveness, and sensitivity in social situations (i.e., high neuroticism) if they are also low in manipulative tendencies and highly narcissistic at the same time ( Garcia & González Moraga, 2017 ). Hence, the Dark Cube, with its eight dark malevolent profiles, is a tool that might help to clarify some of the mixed and inconsistent associations in the Dark Triad literature ( Garcia, 2018 ).…”

Section: The Dark Cubementioning

confidence: 99%

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How “dirty” is the Dark Triad? Dark character profiles, swearing, and sociosexuality

Garcia¹

2020

PeerJ

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Malevolent character traits (i.e., the Dark Triad: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) are associated to emotional frigidity, antagonism, immoral strategic thinking, betrayal, exploitation, and sexual promiscuity. Despite the fact that character is a complex adaptive system, almost every study has solely investigated the linear association between malevolent character and attitudes towards both swearing and sociosexual orientation (i.e., behavior, attitude, and desire regarding promiscuous sexual behavior). In contrast, the aim in this set of studies was to evaluate these associations in relation to specific profiles of malevolent character (i.e., the Dark Cube). In two studies participants responded to the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen, the Taboo Words’ Offensiveness and Usage Inventories (i.e., attitudes towards 30 swear words’ level of offensiveness and usage) (Study 1: N1 = 1,000) and the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory Revised (Study 2: N2 = 309). Participants were clustered according to all eight possible combinations based on their dark trait scores (M/m = high/low Machiavellianism; N/n = high/low narcissism; P/p = high/low psychopathy). The results of this nonlinear approach suggested that the frequent usage, not level of offensiveness, of swear words was associated to Machiavellianism and narcissism. In other words, individuals with high levels in these traits might swear and are verbally offensive often, because they do not see swearing as offensive (cf. with the attitude-behavior-cognition-hypothesis of taboo words; Rosenberg, Sikström & Garcia, 2017). Moreover, promiscuous sociosexual attitude and desire were related to each dark trait only when the other two were low. Additionally, promiscuous sociosexual behavior was not associated to these malevolent character traits. That is, individuals high in the dark traits are willing to and have the desire to engage in sexual relations without closeness, commitment, and other indicators of emotional bonding. However, they do not report high levels of previous sexual experience, relationships, and infidelity. Hence, they approve and desire for it, but they are not actually doing it. The use of person-centered and non-linear methods, such as the Dark Character Cube, seem helpful in the advancement of a coherent theory of a biopsychosocial model of dark character.

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The Dark Cube: dark character profiles and OCEAN

Cited by 13 publications

References 78 publications

IRT analyses of the Swedish Dark Triad Dirty Dozen

IRT analyses of the Swedish Dark Triad Dirty Dozen

Validation of Two Short Personality Inventories Using Self-Descriptions in Natural Language and Quantitative Semantics Test Theory

How “dirty” is the Dark Triad? Dark character profiles, swearing, and sociosexuality

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