The light side of darkness? - The dark triad of personality as positive and negative predictors of L2 language learning

Aug 26, 2026

Explores how the Dark Triad traits—psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism—relate to second-language (L2) learning outcomes, including motivation, engagement, achievement, and willingness to communicate. Drawing on data from 431 L2 learners and multiple structural equation models, the study tests both the links and the directionality of significant effects. Results indicate that psychopathy and narcissism function as both positive and negative predictors, while Machiavellianism shows an unexpected solely positive effect, highlighting mixed and complex educational implications.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background on Dark Triad and personality traits

Rationale for examining positive and negative predictions in education

Abstract

Purpose and research questions

Participants and methods

Key findings and implications

Keywords

Studies in Second Language Acquisition (2025), 47, 205–229 doi:10.1017/S027226312500004X RESEARCH ARTICLE The light side of darkness? The dark triad of personality as positive and negative predictors of L2 language learning Faramarz Ebn-Abbasi 1 , Nazila Fattahi 1 , Jean-Marc Dewaele2 and Elouise Botes3,4 1Department of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 2Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom; 3University of Luxembourg, Institute for Cognitive Science and Assessment, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg and 4Luxembourg Center for Educational Testing, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg Corresponding author: Elouise Botes; Email: [elouise.botes@uni.lu](elouise.botes@uni.lu) (Received 18 July 2024; Revised 11 December 2024; Accepted 12 December 2024) Abstract The duality of human nature, consisting of positive and negative personality traits, has intrigued scholars in different fields. Despite an overwhelming dominance of research on positive characteristics, particularly in the field of education, negative traits, such as those constituting the Dark Triad (DT; i.e., Psychopathy, Narcissism, and Machiavellianism) have been confirmed tobe associated with both positive and detrimental outcomes. This paper aims to investigate the potential influence of these aversive traits on second language (L2) learning outcomes—L2 learning motivation, engagement, achievement, and willingness to communicate. L2 learners from a single country (n= 431) participated in this study. Multiple structural equation models (SEMs) were run to analyze the links and the directionality of significant effects. Overall, among the undesirable DT traits, Psychopathy and Narcissism were both positive and negative predictors of the L2 outcomes, while Machiavellianism unexpectedly emerged solely asa positive predictor. The intricacy ofthe results underscores the vague nature of the effects, pinpointing the need for more caution while examining negative personality traits in education and the L2 contexts. Based on the results of this study, implications and directions for future research on DT and language learning are suggested. Keywords: Dark Triad; L2 achievement; L2 engagement; L2 learning motivation; L2 willingness to communicate Introduction The duality ofhuman beings as havingboth “good” and “bad” character traits within one person has been subject to many religious, philosophical, and psychological debates (Fumerton, 2013; Swinburne, 2014) .“Bad” character traits may include the Dark Triad © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence ([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. [https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226312500004X](https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226312500004X Published)[ Published](https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226312500004X Published) online by Cambridge University Press 206 Faramarz Ebn-Abbasi et al. (DT), a group of three aversive but nonpathological traits that share certain malicious features, namely Psychopathy, Narcissism, and Machiavellianism (Paulus & Williams, 2002) . Besides the aversive, malevolent impact of DT traits and their association with negative psychosocial outcomes (see Muris et al., 2017), previous studies have shown that similar to positive traits such as grit (Duckworth et al, 2007), negative traits such as primary psychopathy (Akhtar et al., 2013) and subclinical narcissism (Soyer et al., 1999) can also positively affect individuals’ achievement in different fields and situations. The idea ofa negative trait positively predicting a desired, positive outcome may seem convoluted, but educational and organizational psychology rese

FAQs

What is the main aim of this study on Dark Triad and L2 learning?

To investigate how aversive Dark Triad traits influence L2 learning outcomes such as motivation, engagement, achievement, and willingness to communicate, including the direction of effects.

What data and methods are used to test these relationships?

The study uses responses from 431 L2 learners and runs multiple structural equation models to analyze links and directionality of significant effects.

Which Dark Triad traits predict L2 outcomes positively or negatively?

Psychopathy and narcissism are both positive and negative predictors of L2 outcomes, while Machiavellianism unexpectedly emerges as a solely positive predictor.

Aug 26, 2026

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