Like Moths Into the Fire: How Dark Triad Leaders can be Both Threatening and Fascinating

Abstract

Abstract The Dark Triad (DT; narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) has fascinated its audience in movies and theaters for decades. However, they also seem to evoke a sense of threat among people that interact with them. The present research hypothesizes that DT leaders are perceived as both threatening and fascinating. As fascination is approach-oriented while threat is avoidance-oriented, people facing a DT leader should be motivated to avoid and approach these leaders simultaneously, which could lead to a motivational conflict. In three studies (N1 = 255, N2 = 156, N3 = 138), we found that DT leaders evoked states of threat in the form of higher behavioral inhibition and lower behavioral activation. We further found that positive fascination emotions in terms of interest or curiosity were significantly higher in the control condition, while negative fascination emotions in terms of puzzlement or bafflement were substantially higher in the DT condition. The qualitative data gives additional insights into whata can be fascinating about a DT leader. Furthermore, the findings depict how both threat and fascination influence people's tendency for social proximity. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.