The Dark Triad, emotional expressivity and appropriateness of emotional response: Fear and sadness when one should be happy?

In the present study, we looked at the relationships between the Dark Triad (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) and (i) emotional expressivity, and (ii) appropriateness of emotional response to emotion-evoking video clips. In an on-line study (N = 164), participants filled in questionnaires on the Dark Triad and emotional expressivity, and rated their identification with facial expressions of emotions as a response to sadness, happiness, and fear-evoking video clips. Machiavellianism and psychopathy related to lower, and narcissism to higher self-reported emotional expressivity. Emotional expressivity had a positive association with appropriate identification with facial expressions. Narcissism related to feeling happiness after a fearful video clip, and psychopathy to identification with sad and fearful faces after viewing a happy video clip. We discuss the results with a reference to the relationship between the Dark Triad and evolutionary cheater strategy.