喺理論層面上,黑暗三角特質可以用博弈論嘅角度嚟諗:博弈論係一套應用數學上嘅理論,研究決策者之間嘅互動,即係例如「想像家陣有兩位決策者要喺噉噉噉嘅規則下對局,每位決策者手上有噉噉噉嘅選擇,呢個可能結果(例:博弈者 A 揀咗選擇 A 而博弈者 B 揀咗選擇 B)會分別為 A 帶嚟咁多咁多利益...」噉嘅思考;喺博弈論上,博弈成日都會有合作嘅機會,即係啲博弈者有得事先夾好大家一齊揀某啲選擇,等大家齊齊利益最大化,但呢啲博弈好多時又會有機會俾其中一位博弈者搵第啲博弈者老襯,即係例如事先講好要合作但佢臨郁手做決擇之前先至變節(令自己利益最大化),而噉做會令俾佢呃嗰啲博弈者利益受損(例子可以睇吓監犯困境);呢類忽視身邊嘅人嘅利益嘅行為就係反社會行為,而黑暗三角正正就係傾向引起反社會行為嘅性格特質[17],所以一路都有心理學家研究黑暗三角特質會點樣影響一個人喺博弈論情境之下嘅決策,尤其係研究黑暗三角點樣影響喺博弈情境下嘅背叛行為[18]。
Sudha, K. S., & Shahnawaz, M. G. (2020). Narcissism personality trait and performance: task-oriented leadership and authoritarian styles as mediators. Leadership & Organization Development Journal.
Jakobwitz, Sharon; Egan, Vincent (January 2006). "The dark triad and normal personality traits". Personality and Individual Differences. 40 (2): 331-339.
Skeem, Jennifer L.; Polaschek, Devon L. L.; Patrick, Christopher J.; Lilienfeld, Scott O. (15 December 2011). "Psychopathic Personality". Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 12 (3): 95-162.
Jones, Daniel N.; Paulhus, Delroy L. (2010). "Differentiating the dark triad within the interpersonal circumplex". In Horowitz, Leonard M.; Strack, Stephen N. (eds.). Handbook of interpersonal theory and research. New York: Guilford. pp. 249-267.
Klimstra, Theo A.; Jeronimus, Bertus F.; Sijtsema, Jelle J.; Denissen, Jaap J.A. (April 2020). "The unfolding dark side: Age trends in dark personality features". Journal of Research in Personality. 85: 103915.
Kaufman, Scott Barry; Yaden, David Bryce; Hyde, Elizabeth; Tsukayama, Eli (12 March 2019). "The Light vs. Dark Triad of Personality: Contrasting Two Very Different Profiles of Human Nature". Frontiers in Psychology. 10: 467.
O'Boyle Jr, Ernest H.; Forsynth, Donelson R.; Banks, George C.; McDaniel, Michael A. (2012). "A Meta-Analysis of the Dark Triad and Work Behavior: A Social Exchange Perspective". Applied Psychology. 97 (3): 557–579.
Twenge, Jean M. (2011). Campbell, W. Keith; Miller, Joshua D. (eds.). The Handbook of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Theoretical Approaches, Empirical Findings, and Treatments. Hoboken NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Campbell, W. K., Bush, C. P., Brunell, A. B., & Shelton, J. (2005). Understanding the social costs of narcissism: The case of the tragedy of the commons. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31(10), 1358-1368.
Furnham, Adrian; Richards, Steven C.; Paulhus, Delroy L. (March 2013). "The Dark Triad of Personality: A 10 Year Review: Dark Triad of Personality". Social and Personality Psychology Compass. 7 (3): 199–216.
Jonason, P. K., Li, N. P., & Teicher, E. A. (2010). Who is James Bond? The Dark Triad as an agentic social style. Individual differences research, 8(2), 111.