The dark side of popularity

2024.10.22.

Researchers at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of ELTE conducted a new study to investigate whether there is a connection between the "Dark Triad"—narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism—and social acceptance during adolescence. Their findings suggest that narcissistic adolescents are perceived as more likable and popular by their peers. But how can a seemingly unfavorable trait contribute to likeability?

Throughout evolution, social relationships have served as valuable resources for humans: they provided support in the face of threats and ensured the continuation of our bloodline through reproduction. Although the challenges we face today are different, there is still a stage in life when the need for group belonging is just as strong—adolescence. During our teenage years, we strive the most for acceptance by our peers. Being accepted by those around us positively impacts mental health, increases self-esteem, and boosts happiness levels. Therefore, it is essential to understand what influences social acceptance, as—although it no longer plays a significant role in survival—it remains crucial for proper psychological development.

In their research, Zsolt Péter Szabó, Natália Zsuzsanna Orosz, Réka Gulyás, and András Láng examined the potential relationship between social acceptance and the traits of the so-called Dark Triad during adolescence. This term encompasses three socially undesirable traits: subclinical narcissism, subclinical psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. All three are characterized by malevolent, exploitative behavior, insensitivity, lack of honesty, low willingness to cooperate, and aggression. However, the authors emphasize significant differences between these traits. While narcissism involves grandiosity, superiority, and dominance, psychopathy is associated with ignoring social norms, impulsivity, hostility, low empathy, and risk-taking. Machiavellianism, on the other hand, often involves exploiting others and flexibly adapting to circumstances to achieve one’s goals.

The researchers studied 184 high school students across nine school classes. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire about the Dark Triad traits, followed by a sociometric assessment where classmates evaluated the likability and popularity of the adolescents. While these two terms may seem synonymous, they represent different aspects of social acceptance. Likability refers to how much someone is liked and accepted,

whereas popularity involves dominance, prestige, and influence.

Popularity is a multifaceted phenomenon. While it requires favorable qualities such as intelligence and friendliness, it is also associated with less favorable traits like arrogance, manipulation, and aggression—suggesting that popular individuals might have a darker, antisocial side.

According to the study’s results, adolescents who scored higher on narcissism were perceived as more likable and popular by their peers. They were also seen as possessing good leadership skills and being likely to succeed after high school. Previous research has shown that

narcissistic traits often contribute to success and the attainment of leadership positions.

The authors suggest that the "born leader" attitude of narcissistic individuals may stem not only from a grandiose self-image but also from a realistic self-assessment. Alternatively, it could function as a self-fulfilling prophecy. During adolescence, the self-confidence, exhibitionism, and leadership abilities of narcissistic individuals can be so appealing to their peers that they offset their negative traits.

In contrast, when examining the other two elements of the Dark Triad, the researchers found that both psychopathy and Machiavellianism had minimal predictive power regarding social acceptance. Adolescents exhibiting these traits were less likely to be perceived as likable or popular by their peers, but the correlation was not significant. While the impulsivity and deviant behavior associated with psychopathy may appeal to teenagers, these individuals are generally judged negatively due to their unfriendly nature. Machiavellianism, depending on the situation, can lead to selflessness and kindness if that yields the greatest advantage. However, exploiting friends and dishonesty leave a negative impression.

The authors speculate that in the case of psychopathy and Machiavellianism, positive and negative traits may balance each other out, which prevents these characteristics from having a significant impact on social acceptance—unlike narcissism.