Network Analysis of the Short Dark Triad: A Cross-Cultural Study in 10 Countries

Previous research has suggested that manipulation and callousness are central to dark traits, but it has not identified which specific manifestations are expressed across various countries. In the present study, we analyzed a general network structure and the most relevant items (centrality indices) of interconnection of dark triad traits in 10 countries. For this purpose, we used a scale widely used in different contexts such as the Short dark triad (SD3). The total sample consisted of 8093 participants (59.7% women, M(age) = 32.68 years). Regarding the graphical representation with the spinglass algorithm in the general network, we observed a structure distributed in clusters of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and subclinical narcissism traits. Firstly, the items related to short-term verbal manipulation from the domain of psychopathy, along with clever manipulation and strategic revenge?seeking items from the Machiavellianism cluster, and narcissistic motivations to establish connections with important people, exhibited higher centrality indexes (expected and bridge-expected influence). Secondly, the most predicted items were characterized by planned revenge and using information against others from the Machiavellianism cluster, short-term psychopathic verbal manipulation, and the narcissistic belief of being special based on external validation. Finally, we utilized the clique-percolation algorithm to identify shared central characteristics among multiple dark triad traits. Through this analysis, the item of short-term verbal manipulation was found to simultaneously belong to the psychopathy and narcissism clusters. Additionally, the clever manipulation item exhibited an overlap with Machiavellianism and psychopathy traits. This cross-cultural study mainly reveals the central role of manipulation and also a set of strategic and self-serving approaches toward others within a system of dark traits of the SD3 scale. The importance of exploring these traits in less considered contexts is emphasized in order to verify whether these findings remain consistent