The Relationship Between Dark Triad Scores and Drinking Behaviors, Drug Use, Sexual Activity, and Co-Curricular Involvement in College Students

The Dark Triad of Personality measures an individual’s levels of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Past research has shown that there is a link between certain personality traits and the behaviors one engages in. Unfortunately, previous research has provided little information on the relationship between the Dark Triad specifically and an individual’s behavior. The present study explores the directional relationship between the Dark Triad and four typical college student behaviors: drug use, alcohol consumption, sexual activity, and involvement in co-curricular activities on campus. Various questionnaires measuring participants’ Dark Triad scores, drug use, alcohol consumption, sexual activity, and co-curricular involvement were compiled into a single survey distributed on Amazon’s Medical Turk (Mturk). The relationships were evaluated using multiple regression analyses. Results found significant relationships between certain components of the Dark Triad and the four behaviors measured. The directionality of the results varied based on the dimension of the Dark Triad in relation to the specific behavior analyzed