Item Details

title

The Dark Triad and Deception: Uncovering Psychological Mechanisms in an Honesty-Related Expectancy-Value Framework

author

Crawley, Hannah Kathryn

abstract

This study’s purpose was to investigate psychological mechanisms that drive dishonesty and elucidate individual differences in dishonesty by integrating the Dark Triad (DT) into an honesty-relevant Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) framework. Drawing from the Situation Construal Model, the study conceptualizes lying behavior as a function of value and expectancies, influenced by both the person and situation. Participants (N = 510, Mage = 32.11, 52.2% cisgender female) read two scenarios that evoked the temptation to lie and reported their values, expectancies, and behavioral responses, along with completing personality measures of the DT and Honesty-Humility (H/H). Individuals were more likely to lie when they valued the act of lying, valued successfully deceiving others, and believed lying would facilitate their most valued consequences (e.g., expected benefit of lying, EBL). The EBL-lying relationship was positively moderated by the belief in one’s ability to successfully lie. Individuals high in DT traits tended to value attempting deception, successfully deceiving others, and antisocial consequences. The DT-lying relationship was mediated by value-based mechanisms. There was partial support for the hypothesis that the DT-lying relationship differed by scenario. Findings offer insight into the psychological mechanisms that drive dishonesty, the DT-deception relationship, and the DT-H/H association.

subject

Dark Triad

Dishonesty

Expectancy-Value Theory

Honesty-Humility

contributor

Furr, R. Michael (advisor)

Jayawickreme (Chair), Eranda (committee member)

Masicampo, E.J. (committee member)

Spain, Jana S. (committee member)

date

2025-06-24T08:36:44Z (accessioned)

2025 (issued)

degree

Psychology (discipline)

embargo

2030-06-01 (terms)

2030-06-01 (liftdate)

identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/111068 (uri)

language

en (iso)

publisher

Wake Forest University

type

Thesis