Can Psychopathy Be Adaptive at Work? Development and Application of a Work Focused Self-and Other-Report Measure of the Triarchic Psychopathy Model

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jun 2;17(11):3938. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17113938.

Abstract

Psychopathy may have both adaptive and maladaptive effects at work but research into workplace psychopathy is constrained by the lack of short, work-relevant measures that can be used for both self- and other-report. We adapt the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) for this purpose and distinguish the (mal)adaptive effects of psychopathy at work in two time-lagged survey samples. Sample 1 consisted of managers reporting their psychopathic traits and work outcomes (well-being, engagement, burnout and job performance). Sample 2 reported on their managers' psychopathic traits and leadership styles (servant and abusive supervision) and their own work outcomes. The TriPM (Work) is a reliable, valid, 21-item measure of triarchic psychopathy at work with self- and other-report forms. Using this measure, we demonstrate that the triarchic model's boldness trait is related to servant leadership and predicts improved well-being and performance while meanness and disinhibition are related to abusive supervision and predict increased burnout.

Keywords: JD-R; leadership; psychopathy; triarchic model; wellbeing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antisocial Personality Disorder*
  • Humans
  • Problem Behavior*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Workplace