Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA.
J Pers. 2023 Aug;91(4):901-916. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12714. Epub 2022 Mar 31.
Previous research suggests that people want to change their big five traits-and moreover, they may be able to do so. This paper extends these findings in three ways. First, I examined the extent to which people want to change their levels of the dark triad-Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Second, I tested whether desires to change the dark triad predicted actual changes in the corresponding traits across approximately four months. Finally, participants received an intervention designed to change their big five personality traits. Consequently, I tested whether this intervention could also facilitate changes in the dark triad.
The present study was a 16-wave, weekly, intensive longitudinal design (N = 467).
Results revealed that participants generally did not want to change their levels of the dark triad. Nevertheless, individual variance in desires to change the dark triad did predict actual changes in the dark triad across four months. Moreover, interventions targeting agreeableness spurred changes in all three dark triad traits.
This research suggests that taking small steps to become more agreeable may also reduce individuals' levels of the dark triad. These findings may have implications for future research, as well as therapeutic treatments.
先前的研究表明，人们希望改变自己的五大性格特征——而且，他们可能有能力做到这一点。本文从三个方面扩展了这些发现。首先，我考察了人们想要改变其马基雅维利主义、自恋和精神病态程度的程度。其次，我测试了改变黑暗三性格的愿望是否可以预测相应特征在大约四个月内的实际变化。最后，参与者接受了旨在改变其大五人格特质的干预。因此，我测试了这种干预是否也可以促进黑暗三性格的改变。
本研究采用了 16 波、每周、密集的纵向设计（N=467）。
结果表明，参与者通常不希望改变他们的黑暗三性格水平。然而，对黑暗三性格的改变愿望的个体差异确实可以预测四个月内黑暗三性格的实际变化。此外，针对宜人性的干预措施刺激了所有三个黑暗三性格特征的变化。
这项研究表明，采取小步骤变得更加宜人性也可能降低个体的黑暗三性格水平。这些发现可能对未来的研究以及治疗方法有影响。
