Keep calm and don't worry: Different Dark Triad traits predict distinct coping preferences

• The study examined associations between the Dark Triad and coping preferences.
• Individuals completed the short Dark Triad and two different coping scales.
• Machiavellianism and psychopathy had negative associations with task-oriented coping.
• Narcissism was positively associated with task-oriented coping.

Studies on reactions to psychological stress suggest a strong association between personality traits and coping style. Despite of the many studies on this topic, there is a lack research that has examined whether the different social aversive personality traits are associated with different coping preferences. A personality framework dedicated specifically to the socially aversive traits is the Dark Triad Personality referring to Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism. Therefore, the current study was aimed at examining the association between Dark Triad personalities and coping strategies. Two hundred individuals (82 men) completed the short Dark Triad questionnaire and two different self-report coping scales (CISS, WCQ). Correlation and multiple regression analyses showed that the way how narcissists cope with psychological distress appear to be clearly distinct from the coping preferences associated with Machiavellianism and psychopathy. More specifically, Machiavellianism and psychopathy were negatively associated with task-oriented coping and positively with the emotional-oriented coping process suggesting a more emotional reaction to stress. In contrast, narcissism was found to be associated with task oriented and emotionally controlled coping.