Links between dark personality constructs and time perspective: A meta-analysis

Charlotte Kinrade

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2025.113637

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Links between dark personality constructs and time perspective: A meta-analysis

2026-01-06

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Charlotte Kinrade *

Konrad S. Jankowski

DOI：10.1016/j.paid.2025.113637

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Abstract

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Dark personality constructs (psychopathy, sadism, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) are associated with antisocial behavior and fast life history strategies executed, amongst others, through specific temporal organization of behaviors like impulsivity or discounting of delayed gratifications. Time perspective offers a framework for understanding how individuals with dark personality tendencies situate the self and social experiences in time, potentially maintaining maladaptive behavioral patterns. The present meta-analysis synthesized data from studies examining relations between dark personality constructs and Zimbardo time perspective dimensions: future-orientation, present-fatalistic, present-hedonistic, past-positive, and past-negative. Across 11 studies, psychopathy and sadism were associated with both present orientations, as well as less positive and more negative past perspective, but demonstrated differential relations to future-orientation (negative and none, respectively). Machiavellianism demonstrated present-focused orientations, more past-negative, and was unrelated to past-positive and future-orientation. Narcissism was linked to more present-fatalistic, present-hedonistic, and past-negative orientations, but was unrelated to past-positive and future-orientation. Moderator analyses revealed that associations between narcissism and present-hedonistic were stronger in older individuals, whereas effects of psychopathy on present-fatalistic, present-hedonistic and past-negative were weaker in females. These findings clarify inconsistencies in the literature and suggest that dark traits are linked to distinct temporal biases that support self-serving behaviors, emblematic of fast life history.