Pixabay Images https://pixabay.com/photos/gothic-dark-fantasy-evil-god-3017747/ by darksouls1 

Three researchers from Germany and Denmark have come up with a theory of personality called the dark factor–that the elements of negative “dark” personality will correlate together and create a “dark core”, if you will. If you have strong dark personality traits, you will likely display many of them.

The researchers knew from past studies in human intelligence that people who are intelligent will score as intelligent across multiple intelligence tests, as there is a “core ability” to their intelligence that will be revealed across many tests. Hence, they suspected that there is a core to a dark personality. The darker the personality, the more traits they will ultimately have and research seems to be showing this to be true. You can read more about the study here from the researchers themselves.

In the study, they look at nine personality traits that they believe make up the dark factor:

1. Egoism. The excessive concern with one’s own pleasure or advantage at the expense of community well-being.
2. Machiavellianism. Manipulativeness, callous affect and strategic-calculating orientation.
3. Moral Disengagement. A generalized cognitive orientation to the world that differentiates individuals’ thinking in a way that powerfully affects unethical behavior.
4. Narcissism. An all-consuming motive for ego reinforcement.
5. Psychological Entitlement. A stable and pervasive sense that one deserves more and is entitled to more than others.
6. Psychopathy. Deficits in affect, callousness, self-control and impulsivity.
7. Sadism. Intentionally inflicting physical, sexual or psychological pain or suffering on others in order to assert power and dominance or for pleasure and enjoyment.
8. Self-Interest. The pursuit of gains in socially valued domains, including material goods, social status, recognition, academic or occupational achievement and happiness.
9. Spitefulness. A preference that would harm another but that would also entail harm to oneself. This harm could be social, financial, physical or an inconvenience.

You can test your D-Factor on their website. They have three versions of the test–the longest one, they say, is the most accurate. By taking the test, you are participating in their research–so you know!

All people have the ability to be both good and bad. You know the old images of the devil and angel on a person’s shoulders? Don’t be shocked if you take the test and find that you have some dark “traits”. Most humans have some. Few of us are saints. It’s all about the degree and where you fall on the spectrum compared to others.

Once you take the test, you can save your score. You can copy the link given, if you don’t have time to review the results at that time or if you want to share it with people. You can also see where you rank compared to the other people who have taken the test to date.

Were you surprised by your results?

If you find this study interesting, there are a lot of articles out there on this topic.