Academic entitlement and socially aversive personalities: Does the Dark Triad predict academic entitlement?

• We examine the Dark Triad personalities as predictors of academic entitlement.
• Males score higher on the Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.
• Males score higher on externalized responsibility.
• Psychopathy predicts externalized responsibility.
• Narcissism predicts entitled expectations.

Academic entitlement is a well-established problem; however its causes are not well understood. This study (n = 169) investigated the role of the Dark Triad as a predictor of academic entitlement. The Dark Triad, comprised of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, was measured with Jonason and Webster’s (2010) concise measure, and academic entitlement was assessed with Chowning and Campbell’s (2009) academic entitlement construct (comprised of externalized responsibility and entitled expectations). Gender and psychopathy predicted externalized responsibility and narcissism predicted entitled expectations. Findings are discussed regarding the contribution of psychopathy and narcissism to academic entitlement. Also discussed is the potential learned aspect of entitlement, due to narcissism being a cause of both entitled behavior and resultant uncivil behavior that occurs when entitled behaviors fail to achieve the desired outcome.