And according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen, Ulm University, and University of Koblenz-Landau, there are nine "dark traits" that may all be related, stemming from a common root. So, if a person is high in one of the traits, he or she is more likely to have one or more of the others. 'For example, in a given person, the D-factor can mostly manifest itself as narcissism, psychopathy or one of the other dark traits, or a combination of these,” said study author Ingo Zettler in a statement. The new study also expands upon previous work, showing that the "dark triad" traits—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy—often go hand-in-hand. More research will be needed to understand how the traits all relate, and how they develop early on in life.

Source: Forbes September 27, 2018 18:11 UTC