#darktetrad — Public Fediverse posts

A survey of 677 people assessed generative AI use, tolerance of uncertainty, and dark personality traits. Those with the most problematic genAI use had higher narcissism, Machiavellianism, sadism, and intolerance of uncertainty. Vertical individualism--a focus on status, achievement, and acceptance of inequality--partially or fully mediated the relationships.

Summary: https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-individuals-are-more-prone-to-problematic-use-of-generative-ai/

Original paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-026-05012-4

#Science #Psychology #AI #GenAI #Narcissism #DarkTetrad

A survey of 677 people assessed generative AI use, tolerance of uncertainty, and dark personality traits. Those with the most problematic genAI use had higher narcissism, Machiavellianism, sadism, and intolerance of uncertainty. Vertical individualism--a focus on status, achievement, and acceptance of inequality--partially or fully mediated the relationships.

Summary: https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-individuals-are-more-prone-to-problematic-use-of-generative-ai/

Original paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-026-05012-4

#Science #Psychology #AI #GenAI #Narcissism #DarkTetrad

DATE: July 14, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: Narcissistic individuals are more prone to problematic use of generative AI

URL: https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-individuals-are-more-prone-to-problematic-use-of-generative-ai/

A survey of generative artificial intelligence users found that people with pronounced narcissism are more prone to problematic use of generative artificial intelligence. In women, this association was fully mediated by vertical individualism, an orientation that emphasizes personal independence and autonomy alongside competition, achievement, status, and acceptance of inequality between individuals. In men, the association was partially mediated by vertical individualism and intolerance of uncertainty. The paper was published in BMC Psychology.

Problematic use of generative AI refers to a pattern of excessive, poorly controlled, or harmful engagement with generative artificial intelligence tools that causes significant difficulties in a person’s daily life. It may involve spending excessive amounts of time interacting with AI systems, repeatedly using them despite negative consequences, or feeling unable to reduce their use.

People with problematic generative AI use may become overly dependent on generative AI for work, studying, decision-making, creativity, social interaction, or emotional support. Such use can interfere with academic performance, occupational responsibilities, relationships, sleep, or other important activities. Some individuals may increasingly rely on AI to avoid difficult tasks, uncertainty, boredom, loneliness, or unpleasant emotions. Problematic use may also involve compulsive checking, repeated prompting, or persistent engagement that resembles other forms of problematic digital technology use.

Another concern is cognitive overreliance, in which users increasingly delegate thinking, writing, problem-solving, or judgment to AI systems and become less willing to perform these activities independently. Problematic use does not simply mean frequent use, because intensive AI use can be adaptive and productive when it remains controlled and does not cause impairment. The concept is still emerging, but the term is best used to describe AI use characterized by impaired control, functional impairment, psychological dependence, or continued engagement despite meaningful negative consequences.

Study author Kağan Kırcaburun, an assistant professor at Düzce University in Turkey, investigated the relationship between dark personality traits and problematic generative AI use. He was particularly interested in exploring the possible mediating roles of cultural orientations of individualism and intolerance of uncertainty in this relationship. He noted that previous studies already linked problematic technology use with dark personality traits, but that only one very recent study had specifically examined the relationship between those traits and problematic generative AI use.

He conducted an online survey via Prolific. Participants were 677 individuals who reported active use of generative artificial intelligence. Their average age was about 40 years, and 50% of them were men.

The survey contained assessments of problematic generative AI use (the Problematic GAI Use Scale, created by adapting items of a scale designed to measure the problematic use of conversational artificial intelligence), intolerance of uncertainty (the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale), individualistic orientation (the Individualism and Collectivism Scale), and dark personality traits (the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen Scale and the Short Sadistic Impulses Scale).

Dark personality traits are socially aversive characteristics associated with self-interest, manipulation, emotional coldness, and disregard for others. There are four of them: Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. Machiavellianism involves strategic manipulation, cynicism, and a willingness to exploit people to achieve personal goals. Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, entitlement, a strong need for admiration, and sensitivity to threats to one’s self-image. Psychopathy involves callousness, low empathy, impulsivity, and limited remorse. Sadism makes a person prone to deriving pleasure or satisfaction from humiliating, hurting, or controlling others.

Results indicated that participants with more pronounced problematic use of generative AI tended to show somewhat higher narcissism, slightly higher Machiavellianism, and sadism. More pronounced problematic use of generative AI was also associated with higher intolerance for uncertainty and higher vertical individualism.

Intolerance of uncertainty is the tendency to find uncertain or unpredictable situations distressing and to react negatively to not knowing what may happen. Vertical individualism is a cultural orientation that values personal independence and competition while accepting inequality in status, achievement, and power.

Further analysis indicated that, among women, vertical individualism fully mediated the relationship between problematic generative AI use and narcissism. For men, vertical individualism and intolerance of uncertainty partially mediated the relationship. Study authors proposed that narcissism leads to more pronounced vertical individualism and that this pronounced vertical individualism makes an individual prone to problematic use of generative AI.

“Overall, the findings highlight the central role of individualistic value orientations and uncertainty-related processes in explaining how dark personality traits contribute to PGAIU [problematic use of generative AI],” the study author concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of problematic use of generative AI. However, it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived from the results. Additionally, all data were based on self-reports, leaving the possibility that reporting bias might have affected the results. Finally, because the average levels of problematic AI use in this sample were relatively low, the findings may reflect variations in general engagement rather than clinically significant problematic use.

The paper, “Dark Tetrad traits and problematic generative artificial intelligence use: the serial mediating role of individualism and intolerance of uncertainty,” was authored by Kağan Kırcaburun.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-individuals-are-more-prone-to-problematic-use-of-generative-ai/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Narcissism #GenerativeAI #ProblematicAIUse #DarkTetrad #VerticalIndividualism #IntoleranceOfUncertainty #AIInfluence #DigitalWellbeing #AIandPsychology #MentalHealthTech

DATE: July 14, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: Narcissistic individuals are more prone to problematic use of generative AI

URL: https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-individuals-are-more-prone-to-problematic-use-of-generative-ai/

A survey of generative artificial intelligence users found that people with pronounced narcissism are more prone to problematic use of generative artificial intelligence. In women, this association was fully mediated by vertical individualism, an orientation that emphasizes personal independence and autonomy alongside competition, achievement, status, and acceptance of inequality between individuals. In men, the association was partially mediated by vertical individualism and intolerance of uncertainty. The paper was published in BMC Psychology.

Problematic use of generative AI refers to a pattern of excessive, poorly controlled, or harmful engagement with generative artificial intelligence tools that causes significant difficulties in a person’s daily life. It may involve spending excessive amounts of time interacting with AI systems, repeatedly using them despite negative consequences, or feeling unable to reduce their use.

People with problematic generative AI use may become overly dependent on generative AI for work, studying, decision-making, creativity, social interaction, or emotional support. Such use can interfere with academic performance, occupational responsibilities, relationships, sleep, or other important activities. Some individuals may increasingly rely on AI to avoid difficult tasks, uncertainty, boredom, loneliness, or unpleasant emotions. Problematic use may also involve compulsive checking, repeated prompting, or persistent engagement that resembles other forms of problematic digital technology use.

Another concern is cognitive overreliance, in which users increasingly delegate thinking, writing, problem-solving, or judgment to AI systems and become less willing to perform these activities independently. Problematic use does not simply mean frequent use, because intensive AI use can be adaptive and productive when it remains controlled and does not cause impairment. The concept is still emerging, but the term is best used to describe AI use characterized by impaired control, functional impairment, psychological dependence, or continued engagement despite meaningful negative consequences.

Study author Kağan Kırcaburun, an assistant professor at Düzce University in Turkey, investigated the relationship between dark personality traits and problematic generative AI use. He was particularly interested in exploring the possible mediating roles of cultural orientations of individualism and intolerance of uncertainty in this relationship. He noted that previous studies already linked problematic technology use with dark personality traits, but that only one very recent study had specifically examined the relationship between those traits and problematic generative AI use.

He conducted an online survey via Prolific. Participants were 677 individuals who reported active use of generative artificial intelligence. Their average age was about 40 years, and 50% of them were men.

The survey contained assessments of problematic generative AI use (the Problematic GAI Use Scale, created by adapting items of a scale designed to measure the problematic use of conversational artificial intelligence), intolerance of uncertainty (the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale), individualistic orientation (the Individualism and Collectivism Scale), and dark personality traits (the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen Scale and the Short Sadistic Impulses Scale).

Dark personality traits are socially aversive characteristics associated with self-interest, manipulation, emotional coldness, and disregard for others. There are four of them: Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. Machiavellianism involves strategic manipulation, cynicism, and a willingness to exploit people to achieve personal goals. Narcissism is characterized by grandiosity, entitlement, a strong need for admiration, and sensitivity to threats to one’s self-image. Psychopathy involves callousness, low empathy, impulsivity, and limited remorse. Sadism makes a person prone to deriving pleasure or satisfaction from humiliating, hurting, or controlling others.

Results indicated that participants with more pronounced problematic use of generative AI tended to show somewhat higher narcissism, slightly higher Machiavellianism, and sadism. More pronounced problematic use of generative AI was also associated with higher intolerance for uncertainty and higher vertical individualism.

Intolerance of uncertainty is the tendency to find uncertain or unpredictable situations distressing and to react negatively to not knowing what may happen. Vertical individualism is a cultural orientation that values personal independence and competition while accepting inequality in status, achievement, and power.

Further analysis indicated that, among women, vertical individualism fully mediated the relationship between problematic generative AI use and narcissism. For men, vertical individualism and intolerance of uncertainty partially mediated the relationship. Study authors proposed that narcissism leads to more pronounced vertical individualism and that this pronounced vertical individualism makes an individual prone to problematic use of generative AI.

“Overall, the findings highlight the central role of individualistic value orientations and uncertainty-related processes in explaining how dark personality traits contribute to PGAIU [problematic use of generative AI],” the study author concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of problematic use of generative AI. However, it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived from the results. Additionally, all data were based on self-reports, leaving the possibility that reporting bias might have affected the results. Finally, because the average levels of problematic AI use in this sample were relatively low, the findings may reflect variations in general engagement rather than clinically significant problematic use.

The paper, “Dark Tetrad traits and problematic generative artificial intelligence use: the serial mediating role of individualism and intolerance of uncertainty,” was authored by Kağan Kırcaburun.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-individuals-are-more-prone-to-problematic-use-of-generative-ai/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Narcissism #GenerativeAI #ProblematicAIUse #DarkTetrad #VerticalIndividualism #IntoleranceOfUncertainty #AIInfluence #DigitalWellbeing #AIandPsychology #MentalHealthTech

DATE: July 6, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: People hide psychopathy but highlight narcissism when trying to look good

URL: https://www.psypost.org/people-hide-psychopathy-but-highlight-narcissism-when-trying-to-look-good/

New research published in the journal Collabra: Psychology provides evidence that people with certain antisocial personality traits alter their responses in specific ways when trying to make a good impression. The study suggests that while some individuals hide their toxic traits during a simulated job application, those with strong narcissistic tendencies actually highlight them. These findings offer a better understanding of how deception operates in personality testing and how different dark traits respond to social pressure.

The research team, consisting of Bojana M. Dinić from the University of Novi Sad and Irena Boskovic from Erasmus University Rotterdam, wanted to explore how dark personality traits interact with deceptive test-taking. The Dark Tetrad refers to four socially aversive personality traits that share a core of callousness and manipulative interpersonal behavior.

The first is Machiavellianism, which describes a strategic, calculated, and cynical approach to manipulating other people for personal gain. The second is narcissism, particularly in its grandiose form, which is characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, entitlement, and a constant need for external validation.

The third trait in this group is psychopathy, which involves a profound lack of empathy, a deficit in feelings of remorse or guilt, and a tendency toward impulsive behavior. The final trait is sadism, defined as deriving pleasure and enjoyment from the physical or psychological suffering of others.

People who score high in these traits tend to engage in deceptive behaviors, including lying to achieve their goals. The researchers initiated this project to see how people with these traits alter their survey responses when specifically instructed to present themselves in the best possible light.

In psychological assessment, presenting oneself in an overly positive manner is known as faking good. This behavior often takes the form of impression management, where a person intentionally distorts their self-description to appear more competent or moral than they actually are. People can manage their impressions in two main ways, often referred to as agency and communion. Agentic management focuses on getting ahead in life, leading a person to exaggerate their social status, intellectual abilities, and overall competence to seem highly capable.

Communal management, by contrast, focuses on getting along with others. A person using this strategy might exaggerate their cooperativeness and helpfulness while firmly denying any socially unacceptable impulses or flaws. Another specific form of faking good is called supernormality. This occurs when an individual systematically denies experiencing even the most common everyday health complaints, such as mild headaches, to appear perfectly healthy and well-adjusted.

Both impression management and supernormality are common in high-stakes situations like job interviews and forensic evaluations. To test these dynamics, the researchers recruited 104 community participants from Serbia. The sample consisted of 87 women and 17 men, with an average age of about 27 years. Most participants were either university students or actively employed.

The study used a within-subject design, meaning that every participant completed the same set of questionnaires twice under different conditions. During one condition, the participants were instructed to answer the questions honestly. In the other condition, they were asked to imagine they were taking a job selection test and needed to make the best possible impression. The order of these conditions was randomized, so about half of the participants answered honestly first, while the other half started with the fake good instructions.

The scientists measured the participants using three specific psychological tools, including hidden attention checks to ensure participants were reading the questions attentively. They used the Short Dark Tetrad questionnaire, which contains 28 statements, to assess levels of Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. To measure impression management, they used the Bidimensional Impression Management Index. This tool evaluates both the tendency to exaggerate social status and the tendency to deny socially unacceptable impulses.

Finally, they used the Supernormality Scale, which consists of true or false statements to measure how often participants denied common everyday health symptoms. The data provides evidence that participants significantly altered their responses based on the instructions. When instructed to fake good, participants showed decreased scores for psychopathy and sadism compared to their honest answers. This suggests that people recognize the socially undesirable nature of callousness and cruelty, prompting them to hide these traits when trying to secure a job.

However, the narcissism scores actually increased under the fake good condition. This indicates that people often perceive narcissistic qualities, such as high self-confidence and assertiveness, as desirable traits in a professional setting. Because grandiosity shares some overlap with adaptive leadership qualities, participants may have actively highlighted their narcissistic tendencies to appear like ideal job applicants.

Machiavellianism scores remained stable across both the honest and the fake good conditions. The authors suggest this stability might occur because modern measures of Machiavellianism focus heavily on strategic planning and emotional control rather than overt aggression. Participants may have felt that these calculating traits did not need to be hidden, or they might have already been masking their true nature even during the honest condition.

When analyzing the shift between honest and fake good scores, the authors found an unexpected pattern regarding Machiavellianism. Higher scores in honest Machiavellianism actually predicted a lower increase in communal management under the fake good condition. The authors suggest that highly Machiavellian individuals might be keenly aware of the challenges of faking good. Because they want to maintain a realistic and credible image, they might avoid exaggerating their interpersonal warmth to the point that it looks suspicious.

The researchers also looked at how the dark traits related to the specific types of faking good. Under honest reporting conditions, individuals with higher levels of narcissism and Machiavellianism tended to engage in agentic management, meaning they naturally exaggerated their competence and social status. On the other hand, individuals with high levels of psychopathy and sadism showed very low communal management, meaning they did not bother to exaggerate their cooperative or moral qualities.

Interestingly, none of the Dark Tetrad traits were significantly associated with supernormality. This suggests that individuals with dark personality traits are more likely to deceive others regarding their social status and adherence to social norms, rather than faking perfect physical or mental health. The scientists also evaluated the Serbian version of the Supernormality Scale during this process. They noted that a slightly higher cutoff score might be necessary to accurately identify health-related deception in this specific population.

While the research offers a detailed look at personality and deception, a few limitations should be noted to avoid misinterpretations. The study relied on a simulated job application rather than a real scenario. People might behave differently when a real job or legal outcome is actually on the line. Additionally, the sample was relatively small, geographically limited to Serbia, and heavily composed of young women.

Cultural norms dictate which traits are considered socially desirable, so these patterns might look different in other countries or across different age groups. One of the subscales measuring social desirability also showed slightly lower statistical reliability, meaning those specific results should be viewed with some caution. Future research could explore these dynamics in larger, more diverse samples to see if the findings hold true across different cultures.

The authors suggest that subsequent studies should also include specific populations that might be more prone to dark traits and deceptive behavior, such as violent offenders. Testing these measures in true high-stakes environments could provide even more information about how people manipulate their self-presentation in the real world.

The study, “Fake Good in the Dark Tetrad: Score Changes and Relationships With Impression Management and Supernormality,” was authored by Bojana M. Dinić and Irena Boskovic.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/people-hide-psychopathy-but-highlight-narcissism-when-trying-to-look-good/

-------------------------------------------------

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #DarkTetrad #Narcissism #ImpressionManagement #FakeGood #Machiavellianism #Psychopathy #Supernormality #DeceptiveTesting #JobInterviewBehavior #PersonalityTraits

DATE: July 6, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: People hide psychopathy but highlight narcissism when trying to look good

URL: https://www.psypost.org/people-hide-psychopathy-but-highlight-narcissism-when-trying-to-look-good/

New research published in the journal Collabra: Psychology provides evidence that people with certain antisocial personality traits alter their responses in specific ways when trying to make a good impression. The study suggests that while some individuals hide their toxic traits during a simulated job application, those with strong narcissistic tendencies actually highlight them. These findings offer a better understanding of how deception operates in personality testing and how different dark traits respond to social pressure.

The research team, consisting of Bojana M. Dinić from the University of Novi Sad and Irena Boskovic from Erasmus University Rotterdam, wanted to explore how dark personality traits interact with deceptive test-taking. The Dark Tetrad refers to four socially aversive personality traits that share a core of callousness and manipulative interpersonal behavior.

The first is Machiavellianism, which describes a strategic, calculated, and cynical approach to manipulating other people for personal gain. The second is narcissism, particularly in its grandiose form, which is characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, entitlement, and a constant need for external validation.

The third trait in this group is psychopathy, which involves a profound lack of empathy, a deficit in feelings of remorse or guilt, and a tendency toward impulsive behavior. The final trait is sadism, defined as deriving pleasure and enjoyment from the physical or psychological suffering of others.

People who score high in these traits tend to engage in deceptive behaviors, including lying to achieve their goals. The researchers initiated this project to see how people with these traits alter their survey responses when specifically instructed to present themselves in the best possible light.

In psychological assessment, presenting oneself in an overly positive manner is known as faking good. This behavior often takes the form of impression management, where a person intentionally distorts their self-description to appear more competent or moral than they actually are. People can manage their impressions in two main ways, often referred to as agency and communion. Agentic management focuses on getting ahead in life, leading a person to exaggerate their social status, intellectual abilities, and overall competence to seem highly capable.

Communal management, by contrast, focuses on getting along with others. A person using this strategy might exaggerate their cooperativeness and helpfulness while firmly denying any socially unacceptable impulses or flaws. Another specific form of faking good is called supernormality. This occurs when an individual systematically denies experiencing even the most common everyday health complaints, such as mild headaches, to appear perfectly healthy and well-adjusted.

Both impression management and supernormality are common in high-stakes situations like job interviews and forensic evaluations. To test these dynamics, the researchers recruited 104 community participants from Serbia. The sample consisted of 87 women and 17 men, with an average age of about 27 years. Most participants were either university students or actively employed.

The study used a within-subject design, meaning that every participant completed the same set of questionnaires twice under different conditions. During one condition, the participants were instructed to answer the questions honestly. In the other condition, they were asked to imagine they were taking a job selection test and needed to make the best possible impression. The order of these conditions was randomized, so about half of the participants answered honestly first, while the other half started with the fake good instructions.

The scientists measured the participants using three specific psychological tools, including hidden attention checks to ensure participants were reading the questions attentively. They used the Short Dark Tetrad questionnaire, which contains 28 statements, to assess levels of Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. To measure impression management, they used the Bidimensional Impression Management Index. This tool evaluates both the tendency to exaggerate social status and the tendency to deny socially unacceptable impulses.

Finally, they used the Supernormality Scale, which consists of true or false statements to measure how often participants denied common everyday health symptoms. The data provides evidence that participants significantly altered their responses based on the instructions. When instructed to fake good, participants showed decreased scores for psychopathy and sadism compared to their honest answers. This suggests that people recognize the socially undesirable nature of callousness and cruelty, prompting them to hide these traits when trying to secure a job.

However, the narcissism scores actually increased under the fake good condition. This indicates that people often perceive narcissistic qualities, such as high self-confidence and assertiveness, as desirable traits in a professional setting. Because grandiosity shares some overlap with adaptive leadership qualities, participants may have actively highlighted their narcissistic tendencies to appear like ideal job applicants.

Machiavellianism scores remained stable across both the honest and the fake good conditions. The authors suggest this stability might occur because modern measures of Machiavellianism focus heavily on strategic planning and emotional control rather than overt aggression. Participants may have felt that these calculating traits did not need to be hidden, or they might have already been masking their true nature even during the honest condition.

When analyzing the shift between honest and fake good scores, the authors found an unexpected pattern regarding Machiavellianism. Higher scores in honest Machiavellianism actually predicted a lower increase in communal management under the fake good condition. The authors suggest that highly Machiavellian individuals might be keenly aware of the challenges of faking good. Because they want to maintain a realistic and credible image, they might avoid exaggerating their interpersonal warmth to the point that it looks suspicious.

The researchers also looked at how the dark traits related to the specific types of faking good. Under honest reporting conditions, individuals with higher levels of narcissism and Machiavellianism tended to engage in agentic management, meaning they naturally exaggerated their competence and social status. On the other hand, individuals with high levels of psychopathy and sadism showed very low communal management, meaning they did not bother to exaggerate their cooperative or moral qualities.

Interestingly, none of the Dark Tetrad traits were significantly associated with supernormality. This suggests that individuals with dark personality traits are more likely to deceive others regarding their social status and adherence to social norms, rather than faking perfect physical or mental health. The scientists also evaluated the Serbian version of the Supernormality Scale during this process. They noted that a slightly higher cutoff score might be necessary to accurately identify health-related deception in this specific population.

While the research offers a detailed look at personality and deception, a few limitations should be noted to avoid misinterpretations. The study relied on a simulated job application rather than a real scenario. People might behave differently when a real job or legal outcome is actually on the line. Additionally, the sample was relatively small, geographically limited to Serbia, and heavily composed of young women.

Cultural norms dictate which traits are considered socially desirable, so these patterns might look different in other countries or across different age groups. One of the subscales measuring social desirability also showed slightly lower statistical reliability, meaning those specific results should be viewed with some caution. Future research could explore these dynamics in larger, more diverse samples to see if the findings hold true across different cultures.

The authors suggest that subsequent studies should also include specific populations that might be more prone to dark traits and deceptive behavior, such as violent offenders. Testing these measures in true high-stakes environments could provide even more information about how people manipulate their self-presentation in the real world.

The study, “Fake Good in the Dark Tetrad: Score Changes and Relationships With Impression Management and Supernormality,” was authored by Bojana M. Dinić and Irena Boskovic.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/people-hide-psychopathy-but-highlight-narcissism-when-trying-to-look-good/

-------------------------------------------------

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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #DarkTetrad #Narcissism #ImpressionManagement #FakeGood #Machiavellianism #Psychopathy #Supernormality #DeceptiveTesting #JobInterviewBehavior #PersonalityTraits

DATE: July 4, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: New psychology research reveals three distinct types of liars in romantic relationships

URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-reveals-three-distinct-types-of-liars-in-romantic-relationships/

New research published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships and Personal Relationships suggests that people who mislead their romantic partners tend to fall into three specific behavioral categories. By examining the psychological reasons behind romantic deception, scientists provide evidence that lying in intimate relationships serves a variety of purposes. These purposes range from attempts to preserve relationship harmony to calculated strategies for emotional manipulation.

Tim Cole, an associate professor in the College of Communication at DePaul University and author of Broken Trust: Overcoming an Intimate Betrayal, conducted the research alongside Kellie Stonebrook. “This is one of my favorite studies, and it was honored with a Top Paper Award at the International Communication Association conference in Cape Town this year,” Cole said.

Deception in romantic relationships is a common occurrence, despite the high premium most couples place on honesty. People often mislead their partners for various reasons, making it difficult to understand the true impact of a lie. Cole and Stonebrook designed a pair of studies to identify the distinct motives behind these everyday falsehoods. They suspected that specific psychological frameworks might help explain why individuals choose to be dishonest with their significant others.

Attachment theory provides one such framework by describing how people manage intimacy and emotional dependence. Securely attached individuals generally feel comfortable with closeness and trust their romantic partners. Insecure attachment takes two primary forms, known as anxious attachment and avoidant attachment. Anxiously attached individuals crave deep connection but constantly fear abandonment, while avoidantly attached individuals prefer emotional distance and tend to pull away when relationships become too intimate.

To capture a wider range of psychological behaviors, the authors also examined antagonistic personality characteristics known as the Dark Tetrad. This grouping includes Machiavellianism, which involves a highly manipulative approach to social interactions. It also includes narcissism, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, and psychopathy, which is marked by a lack of empathy and remorse. The final trait is everyday sadism, which describes people who experience intrinsic pleasure from causing others emotional or physical pain.

In their first project, Cole and Stonebrook developed a measurement tool called the Motives for Romantic Deception Scale. They initially recruited 926 participants living in the United States to evaluate a long list of reasons for lying to a partner. Through statistical testing, they narrowed the list down to seven distinct motives. The first few motives included malicious intent, attention seeking, conflict avoidance, and emotional appeasement.

Malicious intent means wanting to see a partner suffer, while attention seeking involves lying to make oneself seem more interesting. Conflict avoidance is used to steer clear of arguments, and emotional appeasement involves lying to protect a partner’s feelings. The remaining three motives were mistake concealment, privacy protection, and sexual avoidance. These involve covering up an embarrassing act, withholding facts to maintain personal autonomy, and making up excuses to avoid physical intimacy, respectively.

The researchers validated this new scale with an additional sample of 740 individuals. Following this step, they recruited 549 adults in romantic relationships to explore how these seven motives connected to attachment insecurities. Avoidant attachment was associated with motives involving emotional distance, such as protecting privacy and avoiding physical intimacy. Anxious attachment was linked to motives reflecting a need for reassurance, like seeking attention and hiding mistakes to prevent rejection.

“In the first study, we identified seven common motives for romantic deception—avoiding conflict, protecting privacy, concealing mistakes, sparing a partner’s feelings, gaining attention, avoiding sex, and intentionally causing harm—and linked them to attachment insecurity,” Cole told PsyPost. “The second study asked a different question: Do people cluster into distinct patterns based on why they deceive their partners?”

For their second study, they recruited a new sample of 567 adults who were either married or in a committed romantic relationship. The average participant was 42 years old, and the average relationship length was slightly over 14 years. The sample was split almost evenly between men and women.

Participants completed the newly developed scale measuring their reasons for deception. They also answered questionnaires assessing their attachment security and their levels of the four dark personality traits. Finally, the respondents rated their overall relationship satisfaction and estimated how frequently they tended to deceive their partners in general.

The researchers analyzed the data using a statistical technique called Latent Profile Analysis. This method looks for hidden patterns in how people respond across multiple questions, grouping individuals who share similar behavioral tendencies.

“Three profiles emerged,” Cole explained. “Transparent Partners (38%) rarely rely on deception, are securely attached, and report the most satisfying relationships.” For these individuals, honesty appears to be the default strategy for managing intimacy. They exhibited high relationship satisfaction, secure attachment styles, and extremely low levels of all four dark personality traits.

“Strategic Soothers (48%) lie mainly to keep the peace: avoiding conflict, sparing feelings, concealing mistakes, and protecting privacy,” Cole said. These individuals indicated that they primarily deceive their partners to maintain relationship harmony. They scored exceptionally low on motives intended to cause harm or seek attention.

Strategic Soothers exhibited average levels of insecure attachment but scored very low on the dark personality traits. They also reported moderate relationship satisfaction, falling slightly below the scores of the Transparent Partners. The authors suggest that this group uses deception as a coping mechanism to manage their relationship anxieties and prevent arguments, functioning as a protective shield rather than a tool for exploitation.

“Antagonistic Strategists (14%) endorse the full range of motives, including causing harm, seeking attention, and avoiding sex, and report the lowest relationship satisfaction and the most frequent deception,” Cole added. They were uniquely willing to deceive their partners to seek attention, avoid sexual intimacy, and deliberately cause emotional distress.

Psychologically, this group displayed high levels of attachment insecurity paired with elevated scores in narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism. For these individuals, deception seems to function as a tool for relational control and self-interest.

“What surprised us most was how cleanly the profiles separated,” Cole noted. “We expected much blurrier boundaries, but the statistical indicators showed unusually clear separation between the three groups.”

“The differences were large by any standard,” Cole said. “On self-reported tendency to deceive, the gap between Antagonistic Strategists and Transparent Partners was more than two standard deviations (d = 2.18). In behavioral research, that’s enormous.” He emphasized that the satisfaction differences were also substantial, not just statistical fine print. “These were meaningfully different groups rather than subtle statistical distinctions.”

The researchers noted also an unexpected psychological pattern between the two groups of frequent liars. “The other surprise was that Strategic Soothers and Antagonistic Strategists showed nearly identical levels of attachment insecurity,” Cole said. “What distinguished them wasn’t insecurity itself: it was antagonistic personality traits such as narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. Attachment insecurity alone doesn’t explain harmful deception.”

The findings provide a new lens for understanding romantic relationships. “One thing this research reminds us of is that deception isn’t one-size-fits-all,” Cole said. “Two people may tell the exact same lie for completely different reasons, and those motives tell us a great deal about the health of the relationship.”

Cole highlighted two main takeaways for the general public. “First, the largest group in our sample, nearly half, uses deception to maintain the relationship rather than exploit it,” he said. “Lying to keep the peace may be closer to the norm than the exception in romantic relationships.”

Secondly, the reasoning behind the behavior carries more weight than the act itself. “Second, why someone lies matters more than whether they lie,” Cole explained. “The same act of deception can reflect relationship maintenance in one person and manipulation in another, and those patterns are associated with very different relationship outcomes.”

These findings provide real-world applications for relationship counselors and therapists. If a client fits the profile of a Strategic Soother, a therapist might help them build the confidence needed to face disagreements honestly. The therapist could focus on reducing the client’s fear of conflict, showing them that honesty does not automatically lead to a breakup.

Working with Antagonistic Strategists requires a completely different professional approach. In these cases, standard couples therapy might present actual risks, as the deceptive partner might use therapy insights to further manipulate their significant other. Recognizing these patterns allows professionals to prioritize safety and boundary setting over traditional communication exercises.

Even though Strategic Soothers lie to protect their bonds, their behavior is not a foolproof solution. “One other point is worth emphasizing: Strategic Soothers shouldn’t be interpreted as evidence that ‘deception works,'” Cole warned. “Although they generally lied for relationship-maintenance reasons, they were still less satisfied than Transparent Partners. Their deception may help keep the peace, but it doesn’t eliminate the relationship costs associated with attachment insecurity.”

The authors also caution against labeling individuals too rigidly. “These are patterns, not fixed types; people can change, and a single lie doesn’t reveal someone’s profile,” Cole said. “The data are also cross-sectional, so we can describe associations between personality, attachment, and deception, but not causation.”

The participants were predominantly White and relatively affluent, which suggests the findings might not apply perfectly to more diverse populations. Another limitation is that the researchers only measured the psychological motives for lying, rather than the specific topics of the lies. A lie about financial debt might impact a relationship differently than a lie about enjoying a home-cooked meal.

Moving forward, the scientists plan to continue exploring these complex dynamics. “We’re working to replicate these profiles and expand the picture by examining characteristics such as trust, empathy, guilt, jealousy, and forgiveness,” Cole said. “We also want to collect dyadic data to better understand what happens when two Strategic Soothers are paired together versus a Strategic Soother and an Antagonistic Strategist.”

This next step involves tracking couples over extended periods of time and observing both partners simultaneously. “Ultimately, we hope this work will help us better understand how patterns of deception shape relationship functioning over time,” Cole concluded.

The study, “Deceptive Hearts: Insecure Attachment and Motives Underlying Deception in Romantic Relationships,” was authored by Tim Cole and Kellie Stonebrook.

The study, “Strategic Soothers, Transparent Partners, and Antagonistic Strategists: A Latent Profile Analysis of Romantic Deception,” was authored by Tim Cole and Kellie Stonebrook.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-reveals-three-distinct-types-of-liars-in-romantic-relationships/

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DATE: July 4, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: New psychology research reveals three distinct types of liars in romantic relationships

URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-reveals-three-distinct-types-of-liars-in-romantic-relationships/

New research published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships and Personal Relationships suggests that people who mislead their romantic partners tend to fall into three specific behavioral categories. By examining the psychological reasons behind romantic deception, scientists provide evidence that lying in intimate relationships serves a variety of purposes. These purposes range from attempts to preserve relationship harmony to calculated strategies for emotional manipulation.

Tim Cole, an associate professor in the College of Communication at DePaul University and author of Broken Trust: Overcoming an Intimate Betrayal, conducted the research alongside Kellie Stonebrook. “This is one of my favorite studies, and it was honored with a Top Paper Award at the International Communication Association conference in Cape Town this year,” Cole said.

Deception in romantic relationships is a common occurrence, despite the high premium most couples place on honesty. People often mislead their partners for various reasons, making it difficult to understand the true impact of a lie. Cole and Stonebrook designed a pair of studies to identify the distinct motives behind these everyday falsehoods. They suspected that specific psychological frameworks might help explain why individuals choose to be dishonest with their significant others.

Attachment theory provides one such framework by describing how people manage intimacy and emotional dependence. Securely attached individuals generally feel comfortable with closeness and trust their romantic partners. Insecure attachment takes two primary forms, known as anxious attachment and avoidant attachment. Anxiously attached individuals crave deep connection but constantly fear abandonment, while avoidantly attached individuals prefer emotional distance and tend to pull away when relationships become too intimate.

To capture a wider range of psychological behaviors, the authors also examined antagonistic personality characteristics known as the Dark Tetrad. This grouping includes Machiavellianism, which involves a highly manipulative approach to social interactions. It also includes narcissism, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, and psychopathy, which is marked by a lack of empathy and remorse. The final trait is everyday sadism, which describes people who experience intrinsic pleasure from causing others emotional or physical pain.

In their first project, Cole and Stonebrook developed a measurement tool called the Motives for Romantic Deception Scale. They initially recruited 926 participants living in the United States to evaluate a long list of reasons for lying to a partner. Through statistical testing, they narrowed the list down to seven distinct motives. The first few motives included malicious intent, attention seeking, conflict avoidance, and emotional appeasement.

Malicious intent means wanting to see a partner suffer, while attention seeking involves lying to make oneself seem more interesting. Conflict avoidance is used to steer clear of arguments, and emotional appeasement involves lying to protect a partner’s feelings. The remaining three motives were mistake concealment, privacy protection, and sexual avoidance. These involve covering up an embarrassing act, withholding facts to maintain personal autonomy, and making up excuses to avoid physical intimacy, respectively.

The researchers validated this new scale with an additional sample of 740 individuals. Following this step, they recruited 549 adults in romantic relationships to explore how these seven motives connected to attachment insecurities. Avoidant attachment was associated with motives involving emotional distance, such as protecting privacy and avoiding physical intimacy. Anxious attachment was linked to motives reflecting a need for reassurance, like seeking attention and hiding mistakes to prevent rejection.

“In the first study, we identified seven common motives for romantic deception—avoiding conflict, protecting privacy, concealing mistakes, sparing a partner’s feelings, gaining attention, avoiding sex, and intentionally causing harm—and linked them to attachment insecurity,” Cole told PsyPost. “The second study asked a different question: Do people cluster into distinct patterns based on why they deceive their partners?”

For their second study, they recruited a new sample of 567 adults who were either married or in a committed romantic relationship. The average participant was 42 years old, and the average relationship length was slightly over 14 years. The sample was split almost evenly between men and women.

Participants completed the newly developed scale measuring their reasons for deception. They also answered questionnaires assessing their attachment security and their levels of the four dark personality traits. Finally, the respondents rated their overall relationship satisfaction and estimated how frequently they tended to deceive their partners in general.

The researchers analyzed the data using a statistical technique called Latent Profile Analysis. This method looks for hidden patterns in how people respond across multiple questions, grouping individuals who share similar behavioral tendencies.

“Three profiles emerged,” Cole explained. “Transparent Partners (38%) rarely rely on deception, are securely attached, and report the most satisfying relationships.” For these individuals, honesty appears to be the default strategy for managing intimacy. They exhibited high relationship satisfaction, secure attachment styles, and extremely low levels of all four dark personality traits.

“Strategic Soothers (48%) lie mainly to keep the peace: avoiding conflict, sparing feelings, concealing mistakes, and protecting privacy,” Cole said. These individuals indicated that they primarily deceive their partners to maintain relationship harmony. They scored exceptionally low on motives intended to cause harm or seek attention.

Strategic Soothers exhibited average levels of insecure attachment but scored very low on the dark personality traits. They also reported moderate relationship satisfaction, falling slightly below the scores of the Transparent Partners. The authors suggest that this group uses deception as a coping mechanism to manage their relationship anxieties and prevent arguments, functioning as a protective shield rather than a tool for exploitation.

“Antagonistic Strategists (14%) endorse the full range of motives, including causing harm, seeking attention, and avoiding sex, and report the lowest relationship satisfaction and the most frequent deception,” Cole added. They were uniquely willing to deceive their partners to seek attention, avoid sexual intimacy, and deliberately cause emotional distress.

Psychologically, this group displayed high levels of attachment insecurity paired with elevated scores in narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism. For these individuals, deception seems to function as a tool for relational control and self-interest.

“What surprised us most was how cleanly the profiles separated,” Cole noted. “We expected much blurrier boundaries, but the statistical indicators showed unusually clear separation between the three groups.”

“The differences were large by any standard,” Cole said. “On self-reported tendency to deceive, the gap between Antagonistic Strategists and Transparent Partners was more than two standard deviations (d = 2.18). In behavioral research, that’s enormous.” He emphasized that the satisfaction differences were also substantial, not just statistical fine print. “These were meaningfully different groups rather than subtle statistical distinctions.”

The researchers noted also an unexpected psychological pattern between the two groups of frequent liars. “The other surprise was that Strategic Soothers and Antagonistic Strategists showed nearly identical levels of attachment insecurity,” Cole said. “What distinguished them wasn’t insecurity itself: it was antagonistic personality traits such as narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. Attachment insecurity alone doesn’t explain harmful deception.”

The findings provide a new lens for understanding romantic relationships. “One thing this research reminds us of is that deception isn’t one-size-fits-all,” Cole said. “Two people may tell the exact same lie for completely different reasons, and those motives tell us a great deal about the health of the relationship.”

Cole highlighted two main takeaways for the general public. “First, the largest group in our sample, nearly half, uses deception to maintain the relationship rather than exploit it,” he said. “Lying to keep the peace may be closer to the norm than the exception in romantic relationships.”

Secondly, the reasoning behind the behavior carries more weight than the act itself. “Second, why someone lies matters more than whether they lie,” Cole explained. “The same act of deception can reflect relationship maintenance in one person and manipulation in another, and those patterns are associated with very different relationship outcomes.”

These findings provide real-world applications for relationship counselors and therapists. If a client fits the profile of a Strategic Soother, a therapist might help them build the confidence needed to face disagreements honestly. The therapist could focus on reducing the client’s fear of conflict, showing them that honesty does not automatically lead to a breakup.

Working with Antagonistic Strategists requires a completely different professional approach. In these cases, standard couples therapy might present actual risks, as the deceptive partner might use therapy insights to further manipulate their significant other. Recognizing these patterns allows professionals to prioritize safety and boundary setting over traditional communication exercises.

Even though Strategic Soothers lie to protect their bonds, their behavior is not a foolproof solution. “One other point is worth emphasizing: Strategic Soothers shouldn’t be interpreted as evidence that ‘deception works,'” Cole warned. “Although they generally lied for relationship-maintenance reasons, they were still less satisfied than Transparent Partners. Their deception may help keep the peace, but it doesn’t eliminate the relationship costs associated with attachment insecurity.”

The authors also caution against labeling individuals too rigidly. “These are patterns, not fixed types; people can change, and a single lie doesn’t reveal someone’s profile,” Cole said. “The data are also cross-sectional, so we can describe associations between personality, attachment, and deception, but not causation.”

The participants were predominantly White and relatively affluent, which suggests the findings might not apply perfectly to more diverse populations. Another limitation is that the researchers only measured the psychological motives for lying, rather than the specific topics of the lies. A lie about financial debt might impact a relationship differently than a lie about enjoying a home-cooked meal.

Moving forward, the scientists plan to continue exploring these complex dynamics. “We’re working to replicate these profiles and expand the picture by examining characteristics such as trust, empathy, guilt, jealousy, and forgiveness,” Cole said. “We also want to collect dyadic data to better understand what happens when two Strategic Soothers are paired together versus a Strategic Soother and an Antagonistic Strategist.”

This next step involves tracking couples over extended periods of time and observing both partners simultaneously. “Ultimately, we hope this work will help us better understand how patterns of deception shape relationship functioning over time,” Cole concluded.

The study, “Deceptive Hearts: Insecure Attachment and Motives Underlying Deception in Romantic Relationships,” was authored by Tim Cole and Kellie Stonebrook.

The study, “Strategic Soothers, Transparent Partners, and Antagonistic Strategists: A Latent Profile Analysis of Romantic Deception,” was authored by Tim Cole and Kellie Stonebrook.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-reveals-three-distinct-types-of-liars-in-romantic-relationships/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #RomanticDeception #RelationshipResearch #AttachmentTheory #DarkTetrad #StrategicSoothers #AntagonisticStrategists #TransparentPartners #MotiveForDeception #DatingPsychology #RelationshipHealth

A dark triad or tetrarad exhibits 3 to 4 sets of signs that categorize them as such. You may interact with people in your life who fit these categories. If you do, it might be best not to. #darktriad #darktetrad

this is important enough won’t yadda yadda: this is #sociopath Stephen Miller upping the ante for the #DemocraticParty #machiavellians : he wants the party designated a domestic #terrorist group.

knowing what i know of the Democratic Party machiavellians like Biden, Pelosi, Schumer, they truly believe letting the GOP go full fascist will make them win elections.

yes, they’re that deluded.

and all of us outside this #DarkTetrad psychosociological #dystopia lose this game of chicken.

this is important enough won’t yadda yadda: this is #sociopath Stephen Miller upping the ante for the #DemocraticParty #machiavellians : he wants the party designated a domestic #terrorist group.

knowing what i know of the Democratic Party machiavellians like Biden, Pelosi, Schumer, they truly believe letting the GOP go full fascist will make them win elections.

yes, they’re that deluded.

and all of us outside this #DarkTetrad psychosociological #dystopia lose this game of chicken.

@stalbaum @randahl
#DemocracyInAStranglehold
(2/n)

...happened in the country of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, are long overdue.
The #US must come to a standstill, the other beaches of government will not be able to reign in their #DarkTetrad brother, the #Excecutive branch.

"if #Trump wants his play at history of being the next #GeorgeBush II, someone said something once about history repeating itself,..."

In my view, #History never repeats itself. It is Chaotic in a systems-theory meaning:

@stalbaum @randahl
#DemocracyInAStranglehold
(2/n)

...happened in the country of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, are long overdue.
The #US must come to a standstill, the other beaches of government will not be able to reign in their #DarkTetrad brother, the #Excecutive branch.

"if #Trump wants his play at history of being the next #GeorgeBush II, someone said something once about history repeating itself,..."

In my view, #History never repeats itself. It is Chaotic in a systems-theory meaning:

@randahl

#MidleEastWar #Israel #Iran #USA #USpol

This is an interesting perspective, /s: however with the leaders of the 4 biggest nations, all of which are ruthless narcicists, at least one of which is even a #DarkTetrad, and a #Sociopath, who is the figure head of a decades long political coup, who has all but obliterated the democratic system of checks and balances and, possibly soon, even the separation of powers, and who controls the mightiest army in history,...does it still matter? /s

@randahl

#MidleEastWar #Israel #Iran #USA #USpol

This is an interesting perspective, /s: however with the leaders of the 4 biggest nations, all of which are ruthless narcicists, at least one of which is even a #DarkTetrad, and a #Sociopath, who is the figure head of a decades long political coup, who has all but obliterated the democratic system of checks and balances and, possibly soon, even the separation of powers, and who controls the mightiest army in history,...does it still matter? /s

Guess whose social media app broadcast live the #homicide of a political hopeful, woman, a mayoral candidate in #mexico ?

Clearly a paid hit, orchestrated by the #DarkTetrad CEO of Facebook himself, presumably to prop up his failing company;

never underestimate someone who has all 4 of the Dark Tetrad characteristics.

And a very bad shopping addiction.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mexican-mayoral-candidate-gunned-down-204329065.html

@_9CL7T9k8cjnD_ @HistoPol
And, according to some, Dark Tetrad + spitefulness = Dark Pentad
#DarkTetrad #DarkPentad

@_9CL7T9k8cjnD_ @HistoPol
And, according to some, Dark Tetrad + spitefulness = Dark Pentad
#DarkTetrad #DarkPentad

Seeing some recent posts about Dark Triad personality traits. In addition to Dark Triad (#narcissism, #machiavellianism, #psychopathy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad), Dark Tetrad adds #sadism; Dark Pentad includes #spitefulness
#DarkTriad #DarkTetrad #DarkPentad #trump #ElonMusk #MAGA

@_9CL7T9k8cjnD_

No, not quite. - If you check into the #Atlantic article, a #DarkTriad becomes a #DarkTetrad if a person also is a #Sadist, too.

In other words, a #DarkTriad will be a subset of a #DarkTetrad, but not all #DarkTriads (quite a few, actually) will be #DarkTetrads, too. ,)

@_9CL7T9k8cjnD_

No, not quite. - If you check into the #Atlantic article, a #DarkTriad becomes a #DarkTetrad if a person also is a #Sadist, too.

In other words, a #DarkTriad will be a subset of a #DarkTetrad, but not all #DarkTriads (quite a few, actually) will be #DarkTetrads, too. ,)

Donald Trump viewed as higher in Dark Tetrad traits than Joe Biden, study finds https://www.psypost.org/donald-trump-viewed-as-higher-in-dark-tetrad-traits-than-joe-biden-study-finds/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #DonaldTrump #JoeBiden #DarkTetrad #Psychology #Election2020

New psychology research reveals differences in fertility outcomes linked toDark Tetrad traits in criminal populations https://www.psypost.org/fertility-outcomes-differ-among-dark-tetrad-traits-in-criminal-populations/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Psychology #Research #Fertility #CriminalBehavior #DarkTetrad

@argv_minus_one

I don't think that Netanyahu takes his orders from Putler. He's "merely" protecting himself from litigation (being a #DarkTetrad does come in handy in this situation, too.)

Assasinating the democratically *elected* leader of an allied nation would be another league beyond Nixon, I'd say.

Like I said earlier, not giving the Netanyahu Regime all they want (intel from #NATO E-3A AWACS? airplane parts? bombs? etc.) will not swing the election, IMHO. This, in my view,

@w7voa

@argv_minus_one

I don't think that Netanyahu takes his orders from Putler. He's "merely" protecting himself from litigation (being a #DarkTetrad does come in handy in this situation, too.)

Assasinating the democratically *elected* leader of an allied nation would be another league beyond Nixon, I'd say.

Like I said earlier, not giving the Netanyahu Regime all they want (intel from #NATO E-3A AWACS? airplane parts? bombs? etc.) will not swing the election, IMHO. This, in my view,

@w7voa

Economist Steve Hanke: Research Finds Crypto Owners Are Psychopaths - Economist Steve Hanke cited a University of Toronto study that links cryptocurrenc... - https://news.bitcoin.com/economist-steve-hanke-research-finds-crypto-owners-are-psychopaths/ #universityoftoronto #cryptocurrency #digitalassets #personality #psychopaths #psychopathy #darktetrad #narcissism #stevehanke #economist #featured #analysis #findings #research #crypto #traits #study

Economist Steve Hanke: Research Finds Crypto Owners Are Psychopaths - Economist Steve Hanke cited a University of Toronto study that links cryptocurrenc... - https://news.bitcoin.com/economist-steve-hanke-research-finds-crypto-owners-are-psychopaths/ #universityoftoronto #cryptocurrency #digitalassets #personality #psychopaths #psychopathy #darktetrad #narcissism #stevehanke #economist #featured #analysis #findings #research #crypto #traits #study

@si_irini

"Er muss erstmal erkennen was er falsch gemacht hat und dann in einem dunklen Büro viele Jahre mit Opfern von Gewalt verbringen, nachdem er die Auswirkungen und das Mitgefühl bekommt für die Grausamkeit die er gemacht hat."

Du hast hier m.E. ein zu positives Menschenbild. M.E. gehört diese Art Täter aus psychologischer Sicht zu den
#DarkTriad|s bzw. sogar den #DarkTetrad|s1) und die sind "beyond repair" aus meiner Sicht.

1)
Sh Artikellink hier:
https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/112767351744675253

@si_irini

"Er muss erstmal erkennen was er falsch gemacht hat und dann in einem dunklen Büro viele Jahre mit Opfern von Gewalt verbringen, nachdem er die Auswirkungen und das Mitgefühl bekommt für die Grausamkeit die er gemacht hat."

Du hast hier m.E. ein zu positives Menschenbild. M.E. gehört diese Art Täter aus psychologischer Sicht zu den
#DarkTriad|s bzw. sogar den #DarkTetrad|s1) und die sind "beyond repair" aus meiner Sicht.

1)
Sh Artikellink hier:
https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/112767351744675253

@Snowshadow

#Trump's #SecretaryOfRetribution

Me, too.
Did you see Ivan's bio (2nd link?) --He's also extremely competent.

IMO, both TFG and Ivan are Dark Tetrads 1) They relish making others suffer who oppose them.

If #TFG regains power by re-entering the White House in 2025, he will carry out his repeated threats. With Ivan's professional background and preparations, this will be done highly effectively.

1)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/dark-triads-toxic-personalities/675683/

No PW:
https://archive.md/NjmrS

#DarkTetrad #DarkTriad

@Snowshadow

#Trump's #SecretaryOfRetribution

Me, too.
Did you see Ivan's bio (2nd link?) --He's also extremely competent.

IMO, both TFG and Ivan are Dark Tetrads 1) They relish making others suffer who oppose them.

If #TFG regains power by re-entering the White House in 2025, he will carry out his repeated threats. With Ivan's professional background and preparations, this will be done highly effectively.

1)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/dark-triads-toxic-personalities/675683/

No PW:
https://archive.md/NjmrS

#DarkTetrad #DarkTriad

crypto-currency ownership associated with conspiracy theories, political extremism, and "Dark Tetrad" of personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism) #DarkTetrad #ConspiracyTheories #extremism https://phys.org/news/2024-07-cryptocurrency-investors-dark-tetrad-personality.html

crypto-currency ownership associated with conspiracy theories, political extremism, and "Dark Tetrad" of personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism) #DarkTetrad #ConspiracyTheories #extremism https://phys.org/news/2024-07-cryptocurrency-investors-dark-tetrad-personality.html

"The most powerful people, and notably the most monstrous, are not conspicuously intelligent, at least not in the sense measured by IQ...

Success in gaining power seems to depend instead on extreme Dark Tetrad traits (psychopathy, narcissism, machiavellianism, and sadism). That’s moral idiocy, not any sort of intelligence. Maybe we should be more concerned with AI developing superhuman dark tetrad traits than superintelligence."

#DavidChapman

https://betterwithout.ai/what-intelligent-people-do

#DarkTetrad #ClusterB

"The most powerful people, and notably the most monstrous, are not conspicuously intelligent, at least not in the sense measured by IQ...

Success in gaining power seems to depend instead on extreme Dark Tetrad traits (psychopathy, narcissism, machiavellianism, and sadism). That’s moral idiocy, not any sort of intelligence. Maybe we should be more concerned with AI developing superhuman dark tetrad traits than superintelligence."

#DavidChapman

https://betterwithout.ai/what-intelligent-people-do

#DarkTetrad #ClusterB

all machiavellians need to be shot into the mouth of an active volcano.

each and every one of them.

they are worse than narcissists, sociopaths and sadists... COMBINED.

#DarkTetrad #politics

all machiavellians need to be shot into the mouth of an active volcano.

each and every one of them.

they are worse than narcissists, sociopaths and sadists... COMBINED.

#DarkTetrad #politics