A life history approach to understanding the Dark Triad

作者：McDonald Melissa M^*; Donnellan M Brent; Navarrete Carlos David

来源：Personality and Individual Differences, 2012, 52(5): 601-605.

DOI：10.1016/j.paid.2011.12.003

• Life history theory
• Personality
• Evolutionary psychology
• Dark Triad
• Psychopathy
• Narcissism
• Machiavellianism

Researchers adopting an evolutionary perspective have conceptualized the Dark Triad as an exploitative interpersonal style reflective of a fast life history strategy. However, not all research has supported this claim. We posit that different elements of the constructs associated with the Dark Triad may reflect different life history strategies. Our results indicate that the measures of the Dark Triad and other indicators of life history strategies form two distinct factors: (1)a fast life strategy factor that includes the impulsive antisociality facet of psychopathy, the entitlement/exploitativeness facet of narcissism, Machiavellianism, unrestricted sociosexuality, and aggression, and (2) a slow life strategy factor that includes the fearless dominance facet of psychopathy and both the leadership/authority and grandiose exhibitionism facets of narcissism. These factors differentially correlate with established measures of life history strategy. These findings add to the literature by clarifying how the Dark Triad fits into a life history framework.

• 出版日期2012-4