The Dark Triad of Personality in the Context of Health Behaviors: Ally or Enemy?

Małgorzata Dębska, Paweł Dębski, Jacek Polechoński, Michał Rozpara and Rajmund Tomik
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Małgorzata Dębska: Institute of Sport Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Mikołowska 72A, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Paweł Dębski: Chair and Clinical Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poniatowskiego 15, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
Jacek Polechoński: Institute of Sport Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Mikołowska 72A, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Michał Rozpara: Institute of Sport Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Mikołowska 72A, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Rajmund Tomik: Institute of Sport Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Mikołowska 72A, 40-065 Katowice, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-9

Abstract: The main aim of this manuscript was to present a preliminary verification of the relations between the Dark Triad of personality traits and health-oriented behaviors in university students. The study involved 143 healthy students (94 female and 49 male) from the Silesian Voivodeship (Poland). The diagnosis of the elements of the Dark Triad of personality was carried out using a psychological examination based on the following tests: TriPM-41, Mach IV, NPI. The intensity of the health behaviors was examined using the Health Behavior Inventory developed by Z. Juczy?ski. The Health Behavior Inventory is positively correlated with narcissism and its self-sufficiency component and negatively with psychopathic disinhibition. For the Health Behavior Inventory’s subscales, a positive relationship was observed between Positive Mental Attitude and narcissism, most of its components, and psychopathic boldness. The analysis of correlations with the division of the subjects into the Dark Triad traits ?Me and >Me revealed that a significant positive correlation between the general intensity of the health behaviors and the intensity of narcissism mainly concerns university students with a lower level of this trait and its components. Therefore, it can be presumed that narcissism, although considered as a socially aversive trait, is associated with pro-health behaviors.

Keywords: Health Behavior Inventory; healthy lifestyle; socially aversive personality traits; narcissism; Machiavellianism; psychopathy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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