Edinburgh Napier University

  The Dark Triad (DT) – Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy – is associated with grandiosity, insensitivity, and exploitation. Some people are found to be more sensitive to verbal and non-verbal language, making them skilled at judging others’ personalities. According to research, victims of violent
crimes may have been targeted because they exhibit signs of vulnerability, therefore it is postulated that DT individuals possess heightened ability to pick up on cues that reflect their targets’ current states. This study examined the cues that DT individuals identify in their targets, how such cues affect their perceptions toward the targets, and the extent to which these perceptions correspond to stable attributes within the targets. Participants (N = 60) who completed DT measures watched videos of dyadic interactions and completed the Personality Traits and Vulnerability Evaluation Questionnaire.
Results indicated that DT individuals demonstrated a negative other bias in which they generally perceived all targets as being vulnerable.