The fundamental social motives that characterize dark personality traits

A useful way of understanding personality traits is to examine the motivational nature of a trait because motives drive behaviors and influence attitudes. In two cross-sectional, self-report studies (N = 942), we examined the relationships between fundamental social motives and dark personality traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, sadism, spitefulness, and Machiavellianism) and examined the role of childhood socio-ecological conditions (Study 2 only). For example, we found that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were negatively associated with motivations that involved developing and maintaining good relationships with others. Sex differences in the darker aspects of personality were a function of, at least in part, fundamental social motives such as the desire for status. Fundamental social motives mediated the associations that childhood socio-ecological conditions had with the darker aspects of personality. Our results showed how motivational tendencies in men and women may provide insights into alternative life history strategies reflected in dark personality traits.