Lay perspectives on using "dark" and alternative labels to describe the Dark Tetrad

The word dark is commonly used in psychological science, most typically to collectively describe the personality traits of narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism (i.e., the Dark Tetrad [D4]). However, some researchers have argued that the field should adopt alternative terms because dark is stigmatizing, sensationalistic, and imprecise. One empirical issue that has arisen as part of this broader debate is how laypeople perceive the term (in relation to alternatives) when it is applied to the D4. To address this matter, laypeople (total N = 753) evaluated dark alongside some popular alternative terms for characterizing the D4 traits. Although participants generally did not perceive dark as less accurate than alternatives (e.g., antagonistic, socially aversive), they did perceive dark as less scientific-sounding and less appropriate for professional use (clinical and research use). Furthermore, perceptions of dark varied across some moral and sociopolitical variables, suggesting that perceptions of the term are variable across people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).