The Relationship between the Dark Triad Traits and Subjective and Psychological Well-being among Iranian Students

Introduction: Narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, collectively referred to as the Dark Triad, are sub-clinical personality traits that have been linked to a number of negative outcomes such as antisocial behaviors. This research examined how these Dark Triad personality traits differ in their relationships with well-being. Method: The Persian versions of the 27-item Short Dark Triad, the 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale, the 4-item Subjective Happiness Scale, and the 42-item version of Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-being were administered to a sample of 228 Iranian university students. Using SPSS, Pearson correlation coefficient, and regression analyses were applied to analyze the data. Results: According to the results of this study, narcissism was positively related to both psychological and subjective well-being. On the other hand, psychopathy and Machiavellianism were related to lower levels of well-being. Narcissism was the strongest predictor of personal growth, self-acceptance, and happiness. Psychopathy was the strongest predictor of environmental mastery, positive relations with others, and purpose in life. Finally, Machiavellianism was the only predictor of autonomy. Conclusion: This research, depicting the independent contributions of the Dark Triad personality traits to well-being, suggested that having a sub-clinical narcissistic personality is good for living a fully functioning life.