 Hey, Psych2Goers! Welcome back to another Psych2Go video! Have you ever heard of the dark triad of personalities? Well, what is the dark triad and how was it discovered? So the dark triad is three overlapping yet distinct personalities subclinical narcissism, subclinical psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. By subclinical, we mean that someone might show the traits of a narcissist or psychopath, but they're not severe enough to be diagnosed as a disorder. In 2002, Delroy L. Pallas and Kevin M. Williams at the University of British Columbia did a study on whether these three personalities were identical, by comparing the three personality traits of the dark triad with three other psychological aspects. They found that the correlation patterns were very different and concluded that psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism were indeed distinct. So, what's the difference? Narcissists tend to have a large sense of self as they feel entitled and superior to those around them. Machiavellianism, on the other hand, tends to be more manipulative and selfish, and psychopaths are more insensitive as they lack empathy for others and act without thinking. They are all associated with varying degrees of deception, questionable morals, and self-interest, but what they do have in common is disagreeableness. It's also thought that there is a relatively high genetic component to all three personality traits. Interestingly, psychopathy and Machiavellianism are more closely related to each other than narcissism, possibly because narcissism is the only one that can grow from a feeling of insecurity. What about sociopaths? It's easy to confuse psychopaths and sociopaths, so you might be wondering, why aren't sociopaths included in this list? Both are listed as anti-social personality disorders in severe forms, and both share a lack of moral judgment and lack of empathy. There are, however, a few things that distinguish the two. Psychopaths are likely to be pathological liars, and they rarely feel guilt since they do whatever they have to to benefit themselves. They're known to be fearless and often good at mimicking behaviors to hide their psychopathic traits. Sociopaths, on the other hand, tend to have a conscience, even if it's weak. Although they are self-centered, they do care for others more than psychopaths. They're also less skilled at hiding their behavior and act in ways that make self-indulgence and lack of empathy more obvious. Although it's unclear as to why sociopaths are not included in the list, it could be due to how environmental factors are more influential to the cause of sociopathy than genetics. How do someone with one or more of these traits act? According to a 10-year review study, members of the dark triad have similar behaviors in a variety of social settings. In the workplace, for example, they're likely to fit the trope of an entitled boss or leader who is able to charm their way to the top, but not make genuine connections with the people around them. In education, cheating and plagiarism are predictable. This is more associated with psychopathy and Machiavellianism. Other than their displays of social entitlement, their behaviors differ more when it comes to interacting with others. Psychopaths tend to give negative first impressions as they want to appear to be intimidating. They also have an uncanny ability to mimic the behavior of those around them to blend in. People with Machiavellianism, along with psychopaths, tend to come off quite cynical and morally suspicious. Narcissists, interestingly, have a skewed sense of self and tend to view themselves as far better leaders and far more empathetic than they actually come off as. Where do we go from here? As you've seen, recent research has made it possible to distinguish between the dark triad of personality. But what does it mean moving forward? Researchers have started to look into the function of the dark triad in the business world. How these personality traits relate to the ability to maximize profits. Psychiatrists have also looked at how the dark triad are more vulnerable to addiction disorders. There are even studies that look into the relationship between the dark triad and effective disorders such as depression. We hope we were able to help you understand and distinguish the different personalities of the dark triad. If you're interested in learning more on each of these personalities in other videos, let us know in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with those who might benefit from it. The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you in the next video.