This podcast aimed to investigate (a) the relationships between the three dimensions of dark triad personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy), moral disengagement, and cyberbullying perpetration, and (b) whether moral disengagement mediates the relationship between these traits and cyberbullying perpetration. and online moral disengagement were directly associated with cyberbullying perpetration. Furthermore, Machiavellianism and psychopathy showed indirect effects on cyberbullying perpetration through moral disengagement.
New research investigated how narcissists, Machiavellians, and psychopaths presented themselves online. The findings suggested that psychopaths and Machiavellians present an adaptable but inauthentic self online. Narcissists present an authentic self online but do not believe online environments are beneficial for self-expression.
A narcissist often creates a problem—like slowing down a process or picking a fight—just so they can "solve" it with a show of force. The Example: Long TSA lines (the failure of the system) are met with ICE (the intimidating "solution"). In Your Life: They might "accidentally" lose your car keys right before a big interview, then "generously" offer to drive you there—but only if you agree to their terms. It’s about making you dependent on their "fix" for a problem they helped create.
What is common to these personalities is a tendency to overvalue oneself and devalue others. In addition, these personalities are usually associated with maladaptive or socially aversive behavior—for example, meddling in other people’s lives, using manipulation to prevent one’s partner from leaving, engaging in one-night stands, cyberstalking, and unethical work behavior. Nevertheless, these manipulative behaviors can be adaptive in certain contexts. For instance, two aspects of psychopathy—dominance and coldheartedness—are common among police recruits. Similarly, narcissists are more likely than others to get promoted and appointed to leadership positions.
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