Short Dark Triad – SD3
A brief self-report instrument designed to measure the three sub-clinical personality traits of the Dark Triad: Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Short Dark Triad – SD3 was developed by Daniel N. Jones & Delroy L. Paulhus (2014). It is designed to measure Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, Narcissism, Psychopathy). The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 27 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Machiavellianism, Narcissism, Psychopathy.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Machiavellianism | 1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22,25 | 9 |
| Narcissism | 2,5,8,11,14,17,20,23,26 | 9 |
| Psychopathy | 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27 | 9 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Machiavellianism: alpha = .78, Narcissism: alpha = .77, Psychopathy: alpha = .80.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.