The Effects of Dark Tetrad and HEXACO Traits on Laboratory-Induced Malice Behaviors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of Dark Tetrad and HEXACO traits on two types of malice behavior – antisocial punishment (punishment of cooperative individuals) and revenge. A sample of 141 participants played a modified Joy-of-Destruction game. Divided into pairs, participants first earned a number of points and then destroyed each other’s endowments. To better distinguish between antisocial punishment and revenge, participants’ starting positions were varied (better, worse, equal) along with feedback about destroyed endowments across blocks. The results revealed the context-specific effect of psychopathy on revenge. In the worse starting position, psychopathy showed a positive relation with revenge, while in the equal or better position, this relation turned negative. The results further showed that Honesty-Humility and Openness had significant and negative effects on revenge. Moreover, it was only in the worse starting position that Honesty-Humility showed a positive relation with the tendency to destroy the opponent’s endowments, which could be seen as a tendency towards seeking fairness and establishing balance. Surprisingly, Dark Tetrad and HEXACO traits showed no effects on antisocial punishment.