Assessing Dark Triad Dimensions From the Perspective of Moral Disengagement and DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorder Traits

The present study aimed to test the relationships of Dark Triad constructs with propensity toward moral disengagement and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) Alternative Model of Personality Disorder (AMPD) maladaptive personality traits. A total of 279 community-dwelling adult participants (41.6% male; M-age = 32.27 years) were administered the Two-Dimensional Mach-IV Scale, Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory-Short Form, Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, Personality Inventory for DSM-5, and Moral Disengagement Scale. Multiple regression results showed differential associations between Dark Triad construct traits and propensity toward moral disengagement. Correlation analyses showed that all Dark Triad trait dimensions could be substantially described in terms of AMPD maladaptive trait profile. When the effect of Moral Disengagement Scale scores was taken into account in relative importance weights analysis (R-adjusted(2) = .66), DSM-5 AMPD maladaptive trait profile explained 27% of the variance in the "Dark Triad" latent factor over and above the effect of moral disengagement. As a whole, our findings supported the idea that the Dark Triad personality constructs are likely to share a common core of antagonistic maladaptive personality traits.