Utilitarian ethics: the impact of the dark tetrad traits and the mechanisms of moral disengagement

Abstract

The Dark Tetrad refers to the combination of four non-clinical traits: machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. These traits are associated with a lack of empathy, a tendency to disregard ethical issues, and a flexible approach to moral principles. The moral disengagement of responsibility involves defense mechanisms that facilitate the process of making callous and unethical judgments. The ongoing research aims to enhance our comprehension of how negative personality traits contribute to morally reprehensible behavior by investigating the role of dark tetrad features in combination with mechanisms of moral disengagement. The study aimed to investigate the connections between Dark Tetrad traits and the mechanisms of moral disengagement, as well as their collective impact on utilitarian decision-making. The hypothesis suggested that machiavellianism and psychopathy would exhibit the most significant correlations with moral disengagement mechanisms. Additionally, it was anticipated that when combined with sadism and moral disengagement mechanisms, these traits would result in the highest predictive capacity in a regression model for utilitarian decisions. The survey involved a sample of 500 participants, specifically students aged 18 to 26, 73.2% women. The study was conducted online. The study utilized the Short Dark Tetrad Questionnaire, a shortened version of the MD-8 Moral Disengagement Scale, and moral dilemmas from the Moral Sense Test. It aimed to explore the relationships between machiavellianism, psychopathy, and non-clinical sadism, as well as the mechanisms of moral disengagement and the inclination to reach utilitarian conclusions in moral dilemmas. The study revealed that machiavellianism, sadism, and the tendency to attribute blame are important factors that contribute to the widespread acceptance of utilitarian decision-making. The acceptability of making a utilitarian judgment using different combinations of moral principles (such as action, intent to cause harm, and contact with the victim) demonstrated the impact of narcissism. When making a utilitarian decision in a dilemma where direct harm is caused to the victim, a prediction model can be created using a combination of sadism, attribution of blame, and younger age. Individuals who display a strong presence of the Dark Tetrad traits, namely machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism, are inclined to make utilitarian decisions. Additionally, they use various methods to disengage themselves from moral responsibility. One such method involves shifting the blame onto the victim and attributing guilt to them.