Essay Sample on The Dark Triad: Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Machiavellianism

Introduction

The Dark Triad theory refers to a set of personality traits such as narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. The notable aspects of narcissism include pride, arrogance, and lack of empathy among others while the elements of psychopathy are impulsivity and a depiction of antisocial behavior. Manipulation, lack of emotion, and self-interest are associated with Machiavellianism. It is instructive to note that the foundation of the Dark Triad inclines on manipulation, grandiosity and antisocial behavior (Furnham, Richards, & Paulhus, 2013). Studies have established that psychopathy encompasses deficient emotional intelligence that raises the desire to exploit others (Furnham et al., 2013). While narcissism and psychopathy are associated with impulsivity and lack of empathy, Machiavellianism is considered to be characterized by a careful approach to life in general. Understandably, narcissism is regarded as the "brightest" of the three dark traits in the Dark Triad because it leans more on friendship and often prioritizes improving social contacts (McDougall, 2015). On the other hand, Machiavellianism is made up of friends who are jealous and unnecessarily competitive against each other. Moreover, psychopathy creates detachment to the social life, and the psychopathic people appear to be reclusive and therefore could not influence or are influenced by the friends.

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Evidence Supporting the Dark Triad Theory

Behavior Genetics

Research evidence has pointed to the fact that the juveniles have already portrayed distinctive behaviors in the theory of the Dark Triad (Furnham et al., 2013). It has been further established that the components of the Dark Triad that is, narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism have essential genetic elements. Besides, Machiavellianism has been identified to be having an environmental component and is considered to be the one among the three that can be transformed by the experience. Study about the Machiavellian men and women have revealed that both have attached little value to intimacy and loyalty but consider the status and possession from the partners as ideal (Furnham et al., 2013). Therefore, this is evidence that the Machiavellian individuals often have manipulative behavior and are more often than not ready to acquire resources from other people to enhance their social status. It has been evidenced that individuals who experience the Dark Triad depict an aggressive behavior and have an unstable feeling.

Evolutionary Evidence

The life history strategy has been used in highlighting the individual difference in the Dark Triad. There has been an argument that people who have Dark Triad traits depict a strategy of fast life history (Furnham et al., 2013). Individuals often display selfishness and reclusiveness, notably because of their self-control deficits. Machiavellianism and narcissism often reduce detrimental societal aspects. Furthermore, the theory has been supported by the evidence that psychopaths often exhibit an aggressive response to physical threat, and the Machiavellians always show cautiousness about their behavior (Furnham et al., 2013). However, there have been emerging studies that indicate the divergence of the Dark Triad individuals. Also, there have been white-collar criminals who enjoy great financial and interpersonal success and who are not dragged back by psychopathy.

Real Application of the Dark Triad Theory

Workplace Application

The Dark Triad theory is often applied at the workplace where it is utilized to acquire leadership positions and influence at the workplace. Besides, the Dark Triad theory causes individuals to possess toxic leadership styles and often derail the performance of the organization in the long-run (Furnham et al., 2013). For instance, narcissists workers are more inclined towards the achievement of their interest and are always less likely to show empathy towards their colleagues at work. It is instructive to note that the Dark Triad traits have helped many people in attaining the desired leadership positions, but they often do not get along with other workers in an organization (Furnham et al., 2013). Moreover, highly narcissistic individuals often employ the use of strategies that improve their welfare.

Internet Behavior

The world of internet witnessed the excellent application of the Dark Triad theory, where it has influenced different behaviors in social media. The behavior of an individual in the social media platform is used to determine whether an individual is narcissistic, Machiavellian, or psychopathic (Furnham et al., 2013). Narcissism is often identified by great grandiosity and attempts to gain admiration in social media postings such as Facebook and Twitter. Moreover, psychopathic individuals are always less trolled or stalked on social media platforms because they always adopt a lonely trait and are generally antisocial (Furnham et al., 2013). It has been established that the dark personal behavior is always attributable to the trolls in the social media platform, and they often exhibit signs of sadism and antisocial behavior.

Intergroup Threat Theory

The world is polarized by numerous separations such as political philosophy, nationality, religion, social class, sex, ethnicity, and race among other divisions (Stephan, 2014). Social integrations modify people's lives and identity. Membership criteria and boundaries characterize, such as social integrations. However, it is not of logic for the borders to involve any pressure between the groups, practically the relation between integrations are extremely more likely to be antagonistic than balancing. The social identity philosophers suggest that the psychological gain that is deliberated on every member of a particular group, especially the ones which are linked to the identification of intergroup, are among the reasons for intergroup hatred (Stephan, 2014). Such advantages may include issues like belonging, acceptance, social assistance, a system of norms and beliefs that direct people on their conduct. Integrations also enhance people's lives through boosting self-esteem, ensuring the certainty of the social world, and raising a sense of distinctiveness from other groups. Due to the high demand for such groups, they are usually treasured human life the same way life has treasured the people and society (Stephan, 2014). Therefore, people are afraid of their ruins. Ultimately, people tend to favor groups and shows dislikes to other groups.

Supporting Evidence

A philosopher by the name Barbara Ward stipulates in his article that since the beginning of human life, people have fundamentally been tribal (Stephan, 2014). The tribal is what provides the social groups, and such groups grant people specific traditions, myths, common language, religion, and access to the essential substance. The consequence of the united system of meaning gives people their tribes and even the tribes beyond their intergroup. Since people take their specific tribes of more importance, they view other groups and other tribes as a threat to them. More imperatively, the groups that have the authority to destroy intergroup are the threat to the existence of integrations. The psychological notion of people is that they can be inclined to see a threat where it does not exist (Stephan, 2014). And a predisposition with many bias people shows the motive of averting adverse errors. To see threats when they do not occur becomes less adverse than when people fail to see it while the threat occurs. Therefore, with people's default, they might be predisposed to see threats from out-groups.

In research by Chow and Crawford in 2004, a survey of a small number of workers in the United Kingdom firm was carried. In the study, the number of males was more than the female, and the minority comprises an estimate of 20 percent of the workforce (Stephan, 2014). A sample of 150 workers was surveyed, and a 70 percent rate of response was received from the sample. And a proportion of ethnicity and genders responding was equal to the whole population in the firm. The study found that there were no white workers reported their opinion and declined, while the black worker reported several rejections at the decision making meetings (Stephan, 2014). Again the research found an extreme number of female's opinions being rejected; therefore, the female and the minority group in the workforce sometimes could prefer remaining silent and keeping their opinions.

Real World Phenomenon

In the real-life phenomenon, Intergroup Threat Theory is demonstrated by the conflicts around the world (Stephan, 2014). For instance, the war between the Arabs and the Israelis precisely explains the varying types of theory. The groups are always ready and prepared for the warfare that they anticipate all the time. The groups are struggling for issues like fighting over land; power, economics and the blood, and each group threaten the existence of the other (Stephan, 2014). Both groups differ in culture, religion as well as speaking different languages. But the Arabs view such threats as a scheme for assassinations where the citizens are always the victims (Stephan, 2014). The individual symbolic threats happen when people think that members of the other group do not respect them. The conceptualization of threat is closure to one of the social identity theorists, which stipulates that the action of an external group usually make the internal group think they are threatened.

References

Furnham, A., Richards, S. C., & Paulhus, D. L. (2013). The Dark Triad of personality: A 10 year review. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(3), 199-216.

McDougall, W. (2015). An introduction to social psychology. Psychology Press.

Stephan, W. G. (2014). Intergroup anxiety: Theory, research, and practice. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18(3), 239-255.