Dark Tetrad, Emotional Intelligence, and Maladaptive Outcomes

[Audio] Welcome to this presentation on "The Dark Tetrad and Trait Emotional Intelligence: A Critical Review of Fino et al. (2023)." This presentation is for PY5628: Individual Differences, presented by student ID 2500460 on August 28, 2025. Today, I'll be reviewing a recent paper that explores the relationship between Dark Tetrad personality traits and emotional intelligence, and how these relate to maladaptive personality outcomes..

[Audio] The Dark Tetrad consists of four personality traits: Machiavellianism, characterized by manipulation and cynical worldview; Narcissism, marked by grandiosity and need for admiration; Psychopathy, associated with impulsivity and low empathy; and Sadism, which involves pleasure in causing others' suffering. Emotional Intelligence, specifically Trait Emotional Intelligence, refers to emotion-related self-perceptions and dispositions, encompassing four facets: self-emotion appraisal, other-emotion appraisal, use of emotion, and regulation of emotion. Previous meta-analyses show negative correlations between Dark Tetrad traits and Emotional Intelligence, with Machiavellianism and psychopathy showing the strongest negative associations, while narcissism shows weak or positive associations with EI. High Dark Tetrad traits combined with low Emotional Intelligence have been linked to maladaptive outcomes..

[Audio] The study by Fino et al. (2023) had three main research aims: first, to explore latent profiles from Dark Tetrad traits and trait emotional intelligence using a person-centered approach; second, to test the invariance of the solution across Romanian and UK samples; and third, to examine how emerging profiles relate to PID-5 maladaptive personality trait domains. The authors formulated four hypotheses: H1 predicted that a 3-profile solution would best represent the data; H2 proposed that the solution would demonstrate measurement invariance across samples; H3 anticipated significant differences between profiles in maladaptive domains, with higher Dark Tetrad traits associated with greater maladaptive outcomes; and H4 suggested that the hypothesis of a 'dark' side of Emotional Intelligence would not be supported.

[Audio] The study included two non-clinical community samples: Romania with 311 participants and the UK with 222 participants. Researchers used three main measures: the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) with 28 items measuring the four dark traits; Wong and Law's Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) with 16 items measuring EI facets; and the PID-5 with 25 items measuring maladaptive trait domains. The procedure involved a person-centered approach to explore latent profiles, testing invariance across samples, and using linear modeling to examine relationships with maladaptive traits. Data analysis involved four steps: Latent Profile Analysis to identify optimal profiles, measurement invariance testing, linear modeling to examine relationships with PID-5 domains, and profile characterization based on scores..

[Audio] The Latent Profile Analysis revealed that a 3-profile solution best represented the data. The first profile was the High EI Profile, characterized by average Dark Tetrad traits but high emotional intelligence across all facets. The second profile was the Low EI Profile, which also had average Dark Tetrad traits but showed low emotional intelligence across all facets. The third profile was the High Dark Profile, which featured high Dark Tetrad traits with average emotional intelligence. Importantly, the solution demonstrated measurement invariance across the Romanian and UK samples, confirming the cross-cultural validity of the profiles..

[Audio] The study found significant differences between profiles in various maladaptive personality trait domains. For antagonism, the High Dark profile showed significantly higher levels. In terms of detachment, the Low EI profile showed significantly higher levels. For disinhibition, the High Dark profile again showed significantly higher levels. Regarding negative affect, the Low EI profile showed significantly higher levels. Finally, for psychoticism, the High Dark profile showed significantly higher levels. These results indicate that different combinations of Dark Tetrad traits and emotional intelligence are associated with distinct patterns of maladaptive personality traits..

[Audio] The key findings can be summarized as follows: the High Dark profile was associated with the highest levels of maladaptive traits, particularly in antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism. The Low EI profile showed elevated negative affect and detachment. In contrast, the High EI profile demonstrated the lowest levels across all maladaptive domains. These findings support the maladaptive nature of Dark Tetrad traits and suggest that emotional intelligence may serve as a protective factor against maladaptive outcomes. The study did not find support for the hypothesis of a 'dark' side of Emotional Intelligence, as profiles were distinguished primarily by quantitative differences in Dark Tetrad traits rather than qualitative differences in emotional intelligence manifestation..

[Audio] The study has several notable strengths. First, the person-centered approach complements traditional variable-centered research by identifying distinct profiles. Second, the cross-cultural validation enhances generalizability. Third, the integration of multiple trait models provides a comprehensive understanding. Fourth, the use of validated measures ensures reliability. However, the study also has weaknesses. The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. The reliance on self-report measures makes findings susceptible to bias. The limited generalizability beyond community samples means results may not apply to clinical populations. There may be potential methodological artifacts in the latent profile analysis. Finally, the lack of behavioral outcomes limits understanding of how these profiles manifest in actual behavior..

[Audio] Based on the findings, several future research directions emerge. Theoretically, researchers could explore context-dependent adaptiveness of dark traits and integrate evolutionary perspectives. Methodologically, future studies could implement longitudinal designs to track profile stability and use multi-method assessment. In applied research, scholars could design EI-based interventions for maladaptive profiles and develop screening tools for early identification. Cross-cultural research could extend to non-Western cultures and examine cultural moderators. Developmental pathways could be investigated by exploring emergence of dark trait profiles and protective factors in childhood. Finally, integrative approaches could combine research with neuroscientific methods and explore gene-environment interactions..

[Audio] The primary reference for this presentation is the original paper by Fino et al. (2023) published in Personality and Individual Differences. Other key references include Paulhus & Williams (2002) who introduced the Dark Triad concept; Jones & Paulhus (2014) who expanded it to include sadism; Wong & Law (2002) who developed the Emotional Intelligence Scale; Miao et al. (2019) who conducted a meta-analysis on the relationship between dark traits and emotional intelligence; Krueger et al. (2012) who developed the PID-5 maladaptive personality trait model; Petrides & Furnham (2006) who contributed to trait emotional intelligence research; and Vize et al. (2020) who explored the dark core of personality..