Profiles of the Dark Triad in Economic vs. Ordinary Offenders: A Comparative Study of Power, Morality, and Social Dominance

This study examines Dark Triad personality profiles in economic versus common criminals, assessing their links to power sensation, moral disengagement, and social dominance. It involves 682 inmates in a Spanish prison, divided into 350 economic and 332 common criminals. Participants answered questionnaires on Dark Triad traits (machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy), power types (hard, soft), moral disengagement, and social dominance orientation. Findings reveal common criminals scored higher in machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and moral disengagement but lower in soft power compared to economic criminals. Regression analysis identified psychopathy, moral disengagement, and soft power as predictors of criminal type. Economic criminals showed lower psychopathy and moral disengagement but higher soft power scores. The results indicate distinct psychological profiles for each group, suggesting tailored rehabilitation approaches: ethical reinforcement for economic criminals and empathy development for common criminals. This study contributes to understanding criminal behavior, emphasizing the need for differentiated criminal justice and rehabilitation strategies based on specific personality traits.