Story perspectives

Dark Factor Linked to Psychopathy, Narcissism, Toxic Societies

7/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

German-Danish psychologists identified the Dark Factor of Personality (D) as the core driver of psychopathy and narcissism.
Ingo Zettler (University of Copenhagen) reported that four studies of 2,500 participants linked D to higher likelihood of nine traits using self-affirming statements.
A 2021 longitudinal study of 1,200 adults found D most stable over four years while a 2025 PNAS paper linked higher D scores to toxic societies, including several U.S. states.

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Story summary

German-Danish psychologists identified the Dark Factor of Personality (D) as the core driver of psychopathy and narcissism.
Ingo Zettler (University of Copenhagen) reported that four studies of 2,500 participants linked D to higher likelihood of nine traits using self-affirming statements.
A 2021 longitudinal study of 1,200 adults found D most stable over four years while a 2025 PNAS paper linked higher D scores to toxic societies, including several U.S. states.