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A latent core of dark traits explains individual differences in peacekeepers’ unethical attitudes and conduct

Lindén, Magnus LU ; Björklund, Fredrik LU orcid ; Bäckström, Martin LU ; Messervey, Deanna and Whetham, David (2019) In Military Psychology 31(6). p.499-509
Abstract
The influence of military members’ malevolent personality traits on their ethical attitudes and behaviors has been the subject of research for decades. We investigated the relationship between malevolent individual difference factors (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, the dominance facet of social dominance orientation, and right-wing authoritarianism) and aspects of military ethics before and during a peacekeeping mission to Mali. Based on pre-service responses from 175 Swedish soldiers, a factor analysis revealed a latent variable to which all individual difference factors contributed. This latent “core of darkness” was related to being more positive toward unethical behaviors both in a warzone and in the Swedish military... (More)
The influence of military members’ malevolent personality traits on their ethical attitudes and behaviors has been the subject of research for decades. We investigated the relationship between malevolent individual difference factors (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, the dominance facet of social dominance orientation, and right-wing authoritarianism) and aspects of military ethics before and during a peacekeeping mission to Mali. Based on pre-service responses from 175 Swedish soldiers, a factor analysis revealed a latent variable to which all individual difference factors contributed. This latent “core of darkness” was related to being more positive toward unethical behaviors both in a warzone and in the Swedish military organization. Extending these findings using a sub-sample of the soldiers (n = 63), we also found that the latent darkness variable prospectively predicted a higher frequency of self-reported insulting and cursing of non-combatants while in Mali. Our results suggest that malevolent individual difference factors have a common core and that moral transgressions during peacekeeping can be predicted and perhaps minimized by identifying soldiers who score high on this common core. However, more research is needed to understand the unique relations of some malevolent factors and different types of morally questionable warzone behavior. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Military Psychology
volume
31
issue
6
pages
499 - 509
publisher
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
external identifiers
  • scopus:85074946913
ISSN
0899-5605
DOI
10.1080/08995605.2019.1671095
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
eb8c565b-be0c-41c1-a2a0-a444cb87d740
date added to LUP
2019-09-19 09:59:16
date last changed
2022-04-02 21:50:47
@article{eb8c565b-be0c-41c1-a2a0-a444cb87d740,
  abstract     = {{The influence of military members’ malevolent personality traits on their ethical attitudes and behaviors has been the subject of research for decades. We investigated the relationship between malevolent individual difference factors (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, the dominance facet of social dominance orientation, and right-wing authoritarianism) and aspects of military ethics before and during a peacekeeping mission to Mali. Based on pre-service responses from 175 Swedish soldiers, a factor analysis revealed a latent variable to which all individual difference factors contributed. This latent “core of darkness” was related to being more positive toward unethical behaviors both in a warzone and in the Swedish military organization. Extending these findings using a sub-sample of the soldiers (n = 63), we also found that the latent darkness variable prospectively predicted a higher frequency of self-reported insulting and cursing of non-combatants while in Mali. Our results suggest that malevolent individual difference factors have a common core and that moral transgressions during peacekeeping can be predicted and perhaps minimized by identifying soldiers who score high on this common core. However, more research is needed to understand the unique relations of some malevolent factors and different types of morally questionable warzone behavior.}},
  author       = {{Lindén, Magnus and Björklund, Fredrik and Bäckström, Martin and Messervey, Deanna and Whetham, David}},
  issn         = {{0899-5605}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{499--509}},
  publisher    = {{Lawrence Erlbaum Associates}},
  series       = {{Military Psychology}},
  title        = {{A latent core of dark traits explains individual differences in peacekeepers’ unethical attitudes and conduct}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2019.1671095}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/08995605.2019.1671095}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}