Dark side personality and safety-related traits

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between eleven dark-side personality traits and six established safety competencies in a large sample. Over twenty-five thousand Americans completed a questionnaire on Safety-Related behaviour in the work-place which measured six different, but related, safety competencies. They also completed a Dark Side personality measure (Hogan Development Survey). Factor analysis revealed the six safety competencies consisted of two factors which, along with the total score, were the criterion variables. Step-wise regressions indicated that Dark Side traits Excitable (Borderline), Mischievous (Psychopath) and Colourful (Histrionic) were related negatively to the safety-related traits. In addition, the higher order Dark Side factor “Moving Against Others” (Cluster B) was associated with high risk, low safety competencies. There were interesting and important differences showing very different correlates of the three criterion variables. Problems of method invariance, as well the role of individual differences in safety-related traits and competencies, were discussed.