Measures of Dark Personalities

Delroy L. Paulhus, University of British Columbia
Daniel N. Jones, University of Texas at El Paso

Document Type Book Chapter

Abstract

We review measures of socially aversive personalities. Instead of psychopathology, we restrict our review to measures of the normal range found in broad community samples. Our focus is on Machiavellianism, narcissism and subclinical psychopathy, together labeled the ‘Dark Triad’ by Paulhus and Williams (2002), but we also review measures of sadistic personality. The Dark Triad is a constellation of three conceptually distinct but empirically overlapping personality variables. The three triad members -- often show differential correlates but share a common callousness. Standard measures of each Dark Triad member are reviewed along with newer combination measures. We also include recent brief measures of the Dark Triad members.