The Dark Triad in a German Representative Sample. Factor Structure, Measurement Invariance, and Reference Values of the Naughty Nine

Abstract

The so-called "Naughty Nine"is a psychometrically optimized German version of the "Dirty Dozen", a scale designed to assess the Dark Triad. This article examines different psychometric features of the Naughty Nine using a representative German sample. We compared several factor structures discussed in the literature and investigated measurement invariance across sex and age, using confirmatory factor analyses and locally weighted structural equation models. Further, we provide reference values for the Naughty Nine to rank individual raw values relative to a German reference population. The results show that bifactor models with Machiavellianism as the reference construct that defines the content of the general factor (the "Dark Core") best represent the Naughty Nine. We found limitations of metric invariance across sex, which can mainly be attributed to indicators of psychopathy. Partial metric invariance was supported. Across age, we found evidence for metric invariance but also found limitations of scalar and strict invariance. Finally, we discuss the implications of investigating the Dark Triad using the Naughty Nine or the Dirty Dozen.