Relationship Between Ethical Attitudes and the Dark Triad: Differences Among College Majors

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between the Dark Triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy), ethical attitudes, college major, and social desirability. Researchers investigated if business and psychology majors differed on the Dark Triad and ethical attitudes. In addition, social desirability was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between the Dark Triad and ethical attitudes. In total, 383 upper division business and psychology students from a large public university were surveyed online. Results showed a significant negative correlation between the Dark Triad and ethical attitudes. Business majors have significantly higher levels of psychopathy and lower levels of ethical attitudes compared to psychology majors, and social desirability moderates the relationship between psychopathy and ethical attitudes. Given the deleterious nature of the Dark Triad, and the negative impact of unethical behavior in the workplace, the findings underscore the need for future research that further examines differences between majors on these variables.

Keywords:

• Dark triad
• business ethics
• personality
• business education

Author Notes

Brandon M. Himes is an industrial-organizational psychologist and consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. His work focuses on offering evidence-based solutions to organizations and government agencies specializing in social impact. He is passionate about how to best create positive organizational change with the goal of supporting and empowering those in the helping profession to better meet the needs of the individuals and communities they serve.

Julie B. Olson-Buchanan is an industrial-organizational psychologist and the Dean of the Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno. Her research focuses on topics related to conflict/mistreatment in organizations, technology-based selection, and work-life balance. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Washington Post.

Damian Elson is a Senior Clinical Data Management Specialist at Vanderbilt University. His academic focus is on statistical modeling to analyze large-scale, longitudinal data in mental and physical health research.

Data availability statement

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.