It used to take a series of lengthy assessments to test for each aspect of the dark triad individually, but many experts now rely on the short version, developed by Delroy Paulhus and colleagues in 2011, which can identify the dark triad with a brief 27-question test. Here’s how to do it at home.
How to Take the Dark Triad Test
Ask your child to answer the following questions with: strongly disagree (1), disagree (2), neither agree nor disagree (3), agree (4), or strongly agree (5). For questions with an asterisk, reverse the scoring (strongly disagree = 5). Then, tally up the scores for each subsection. The average score is about 3 for each question in the first two sections and about 2.5 for the final section. Machiavellian Test (Manipulative Attitude) Subscale Narcissism Subscale Psychopathy (Lack of Empathy) Subscale
My Kid is Above Average on the Dark Triad Test. Should I Lock Them in a Tower, Or…?
Don’t panic. These tests are meant to be taken under controlled conditions and interpreted by experts. If you’re nervous about the results, consider reaching out to your doctor. But odds are your kid is not malevolent and that their flirtations with the dark triad are no big deal. Furthermore, there are some very real problems with taking much from the test itself. In a new study, scientists argue much work linking results to things like income or quality of life outcomes is superficial, statistically weak, and presents an overly simplistic view of human nature. If your kid’s scores are off the charts, it would make sense to seek the professional opinion of a therapist. Treatment would depend largely on which areas of the dark triad your child most identifies with. Talk therapy is the key way to treat Machiavellianism and narcissistic personality disorder (anxiety and depression medications can help, too). Psychopathy is more difficult to treat — some experts believe doing so is impossible. But progress has been made with the Decompression Model, which involves using positive reinforcement to reshape behavior.
