Supporting Research: Machiavellian Behavior & the Dark Triad

en English▼
X
ar Arabiczh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchen Englishfr Frenchde Germanit Italianpt Portugueseru Russianes Spanish

This page provides the full list of research, studies, and sources referenced in my book:

Surviving Difficult Neighbors
How to Maintain Calm, Respect, and Control with Power-Hungry, Machiavellian Neighbors
Purchase on Amazon
Dutch language version

For readers who want to dive deeper into Machiavellian behavior and the Dark Triad, the full supporting research is listed below:

Full List of References

  1. Machiavelli, N. (1513). The Prince. Florence.
    Classical source forming the strategic basis of Machiavellianism.

  2. Christie, R., & Geis, F. L. (1970). Studies in Machiavellianism. New York: Academic Press.
    Foundational psychological research defining Machiavellian traits.

  3. Jones, D. N., & Paulhus, D. L. (2010). “Differentiating the Dark Triad within the interpersonal circumplex.” Personality and Individual Differences, 49(4), 357–361.
    Analysis of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy and their interaction in social relationships.

  4. Wilson, D. S., Near, D., & Miller, R. R. (1996). “Machiavellianism: A synthesis of the evolutionary and psychological literatures.” Psychological Bulletin, 119(2), 285–299.
    Overview of evolutionary and psychological explanations for Machiavellian behavior.

  5. Li, H., Huang, S., & Feng, Z. (2024). “The complexity of Machiavellian leaders: How and when leader Machiavellianism impacts abusive supervision.” Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 42(6), 1743–1773.
    Research on Machiavellian leadership style and how calm, consistent responses can reduce their influence.

  6. Al Aïn, S., Carré, A., Fantini‑Hauwel, C., Baudouin, J.-Y., & Besche-Richard, C. (2013). “What is the emotional core of the multidimensional Machiavellian personality trait?” Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00454
    Analysis of emotional components of Machiavellianism (e.g., empathy, anxiety, alexithymia).

  7. Shafti, S. S. (2023). “Machiavellianism: A Critical Appraisal.” Clinical Research and Clinical Trials, 7(2). DOI: 10.31579/2693‑4779/126
    Critical reflection on Machiavellianism and the darker aspects of this personality trait.

  8. Tang, S., & Li, K. (2021). “The influence of Chinese Machiavellianism and moral identity on the level of anxiety in moral dilemma situations.” Frontiers in Psychology, 12. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.615835
    Study on how Machiavellian traits relate to anxiety and moral identity conflicts.

  9. Lopez Mateos, A. (2023). “Characterizing Manipulation via Machiavellianism.” Mathematics, 11(19), article 4143. DOI: 10.3390/math11194143
    Modeling manipulation through Machiavellianism from a game-theoretical perspective.

  10. Tománková, K. (2017). “The Incidence of Machiavellianism in Early and Middle Adolescent Physically Active Girls.” European Proceedings in Social & Behavioral Sciences. DOI: 10.15405/epsbs.2017.02.1
    Research on Machiavellian behavior in younger girls and its development.

  11. Jam al, S., & Bhatt, S. (2023). “Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and dark triad traits among adults.” Current Research in Psychology, 10. DOI: 10.3844/crpsp.2023.1.9
    Recent empirical study on Machiavellianism and other dark personality traits.

  12. Zhu, Y., Calhoun, W., & Van Dierendonck, D. (2021). “Machiavellianism, power, and social control in organizational settings.” Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 37(3), 215–229.
    Research on how Machiavellian traits relate to career, power, and leadership.

  13. Tománková, K., et al. (2017). “Machiavellian behavior and social‑emotional functioning in middle childhood and early adolescence.” Journal (via PubMed).
    Study linking Machiavellian behavior in childhood to emotional development, self-control, and empathy.

  14. Current Psychology (2024). “Machiavellianism as a crucial Dark Tetrad trait for the prediction of life-course criminal behavior.” SpringerLink
    Shows Machiavellianism (plus sadism) as strong predictors of criminal behavior over the life course.

  15. BMC Psychology (2024). “The impact of the Dark Triad personalities and parental interaction patterns in predicting the tendency toward risky behaviors among adolescent girls.” BioMed Central
    Investigates the relationship between Dark Triad traits and risky behavior in young women, considering parental interaction.

  16. BMC Psychology (2025). “Dark triad personality traits and perfectionism in Peruvian university students: a network analysis.” BioMed Central
    Links Machiavellianism with perfectionism, narcissism, and psychopathy in student populations.

  17. Behavioral Sciences (2025). “Relationship Between Leadership, Personality, and the Dark Triad in Workplace: A Systematic Review.” PMC
    Systematic review on how Dark Triad traits manifest in leadership and workplace contexts.

  18. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology (2024). “The Dark Triad traits in organizational settings.” Cop Madrid Journals
    Describes the three “dark” traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) in work settings and their influence on performance and power.

  19. MDPI, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020). “Dark Triad Traits and Risky Behaviours: Identifying Risk Profiles from a Person‑Centred Approach.” MDPI
    Identifies different profiles of Dark Triad traits and links them to risky behavior.

  20. IJRISS International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (2024). “The Dark Triad Personality: The Impact and How to Manage at Work.” RSIS International
    Literature review on managing Machiavellianism and other dark traits at work.

  21. Enrichment: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (2024). “The Dark Triad Personality & whistleblowing behavior in organizations.” Journal Enrichment
    Study on Machiavellianism and the tendency to engage in whistleblowing within organizations.