In the Shadows of Personality: Unpacking the Traits of the Dark Tetrad

Dear Colleagues,

Personality not only shapes how we understand ourselves but also plays a central role in how we navigate and influence the social world around us. Among the most intriguing and controversial dimensions of personality are the Dark Tetrad traits—psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and sadism. These traits, often viewed as socially aversive, can nevertheless function adaptively in certain contexts, providing a competitive edge in business and relationships. Social media has recently generated more public interest in the traits of the Dark Tetrad, especially narcissism and its detrimental outcomes for partners and families. More than ever, therefore, research in this area is crucial to distinguishing fact from fiction and promoting a better understanding of how these traits manifest and operate within social settings. 

This Special Issue invites contributions that either explore both the Dark Tetrad or Dark Triad in general, or focus on their individual constituent traits. These include, but are not limited to, theoretical models, developmental trajectories, biological and neurobiological foundations, cultural and contextual influences, behavioural outcomes, and personality pathology. We welcome both theoretical and applied papers, and we strongly encourage submissions from scholars at all stages of their careers. We look forward to showcasing a diverse and thought-provoking collection of articles that advance our understanding of these compelling and consequential personality traits.

Dr. Alyson E. Blanchard
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.