The term "Chad" has evolved into a complex and often controversial figure in internet culture. Initially emerging from incel forums and online slang, it represents a sexually active, "genetically superior" man, often depicted as an "alpha male." This archetype is frequently portrayed as the opposite of "omega" or "beta" males, embodying physical attractiveness and stoicism. Relatedly, the meme "Gigachad" utilizes black-and-white images of a muscular male model, further solidifying the image of exaggerated masculinity.
But beyond the internet meme, what are the underlying characteristics associated with the "Big Chad Guys" archetype, and how do they relate to established psychological theories?
Narcissists Who Are Also Psychopaths: The Dark Triad
The Dark Triad: A Foundation for Understanding
The "Big Chad Guys" archetype is often associated with traits found within the Dark Triad. The dark triad is a psychological theory of personality, first published by Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. All three dark triad traits are conceptually distinct although empirical evidence shows them to be overlapping.
In 1998, John McHoskey, William Worzel, and Christopher Szyarto provoked a controversy by claiming that narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy are more or less interchangeable in normal samples. Delroy L. Paulhus and McHoskey debated these perspectives at a subsequent American Psychological Association conference, inspiring a body of research that continues to grow in the published literature.
These traits, while distinct, often overlap and are measured using tools like the Dirty Dozen and the Short Dark Triad (SD3). These measures are typically questionnaire-style, relying on self-reporting or observer-reporting.
Read also: Setting Up BigChadGuys Plus
Key Traits of the Dark Triad
- Machiavellianism: Characterized by manipulation, a lack of morality, and a focus on self-interest. It captures a suspicious versus trusting view of human nature which is also captured by the Trust sub-scale on the agreeableness trait. Those who score high are classified as High Machs, while those who score low are classified as Low Machs.
- Narcissism: Defined by grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. Extraversion captures similar aspects of assertiveness, dominance, and self-importance as narcissism. Narcissism also is positively related to the achievement striving and competence aspects of Conscientiousness.
- Psychopathy: Marked by antisocial behavior, impulsivity, and a lack of remorse. Robert Hare revolutionized the study of psychopathy with his Psychopathy Checklist (PCL), and its revision (PCL-R). Psychopathy correlated with faster speeds of persistence and exploitation.
The Question of Sadism
Several researchers have suggested that sadism should be considered a fourth dark trait. While sadism is highly correlated with the dark triad, sadism predicts anti-social behavior beyond the dark triad. Harmful behavior against living creatures, brutal and destructive amoral dispositions, and criminal recidivism are additionally more prominently predicted by sadism than psychopathic traits. Studies on how sadists gain pleasure from cruelty to subjects were applied towards testing people who possessed dark triad traits.
The Dark Triad in Action: Impact on Various Aspects of Life
The Dark Triad traits can manifest in various areas of life, often with negative consequences.
Workplace Dynamics
Oliver James identifies each of the three dark triadic personality traits as typically being prevalent in the workplace. Furnham (2010) has identified that the dark triad is related to the acquisition of leadership positions and interpersonal influence. In a meta-analysis of dark triad and workplace outcomes, Jonason and colleagues (2012) found that each of the dark triad traits were related to manipulation in the workplace, but each via unique mechanisms. Specifically, Machiavellianism was related with the use of excessive charm in manipulation, narcissism was related with the use of physical appearance, and psychopathy was related with physical threats. Jonason and colleagues also found that the dark triad traits fully mediated the relationship between gender and workplace manipulation. High levels of the Dark Triad negatively affects subordinates' career success and well-being. A 2017 UK study found that companies with leaders who show "psychopathic characteristics" destroy shareholder value, tending to have poor future returns on equity.
Online Behavior
Recent studies have found that people who are identified as internet trolls tend to have dark personality traits and show signs of sadism, antisocial behavior, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. The 2014 survey indicated that trolling is a manifestation of everyday sadism. There is a clear distinction in the methods of a cyber attack between each part of the dark triad. Individuals with higher levels of psychopathy are more likely to engage in cyber bullying, with some correlation to both narcissism and Machiavellianism. Dark triad characteristics correlate with support for various extremist ideologies.
Romantic Relationships
Psychologists have studied how dark triad traits affected individuals in their romantic relationships. In most cases these traits cause people to have shorter-term relationships. The people who tend to score higher in these traits will gravitate towards relationship types such as "one-night stands" (primarily sexual relationships that occur one time only), "hook-ups", "booty-calls" (i.e., relationships where there is solicitation from a non-long-term partner for the explicit or implicit intent of engaging in sexual activity), and even "friends with benefits" relationships. People who score highly in dark triad traits tend to be less likely to have long-lasting relationships, and report lower relationship satisfaction.
Read also: Deep Dive: BigChadGuys Plus and The Holy Grail
The Roots of the Dark Triad: Nature vs. Nurture
Environmental factors contribute to the development of dark triad traits, although they have less influence than genetics. During childhood and adolescence, environmental factors that are not shared with siblings (such as friends or extracurricular activities) contribute to all three dark triad traits. Evolutionary theory may also explain the development of dark triad traits. Evolutionary behavior predicts not only the development of dark triad personalities, but also the flourishing of such personalities. The main evolutionary argument behind the dark triad traits emphasizes mating strategies. This argument is based on life history theory, which proposes that individuals differ in reproductive strategies; an emphasis on mating is termed a "fast life" strategy, while an emphasis on parenting is termed a "slow reproductive" strategy.
Group Differences: Gender and Race
The most pronounced group difference is in gender: numerous studies have shown that men tend to score higher than women on narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, although the magnitude of the difference varies across traits, the measurement instruments, and the age of the participants. One explanation was that the traditional gender roles in society contribute to these differences. There is far less information available on race differences in dark triad traits, and the data that is available is not representative of the population at-large. Researchers again failed to find any meaningful group differences in psychopathy.
| Trait | Gender Differences | Racial Differences |
|---|---|---|
| Narcissism | Men tend to score higher than women | Caucasians reported higher levels than Asians |
| Machiavellianism | Men tend to score higher than women | Caucasians tended to score slightly higher than non-Caucasians |
| Psychopathy | Men tend to score higher than women | No significant race differences found |
The Light Triad: An Alternative Perspective
Influenced by the dark triad, Scott Barry Kaufman and colleagues proposed a light triad of personality traits: humanism, Kantianism, and faith in humanity. High scorers on humanism are more likely to value others' dignity and self worth. High scorers on Kantianism are more likely to see others as people, not as a means to an end. High scorers for faith in humanity are more likely to believe others are fundamentally good. When comparing individuals who take both dark triad and light triad tests, the average person was more likely to exhibit light triad traits.
Read also: The Life of Chad Everett Harris
Popular articles:
tags: #Chad
