Lay perspectives on using “dark” and alternative labels to describe the Dark Tetrad.

= 753) evaluated dark alongside some popular alternative terms for characterizing the D4 traits. Although participants generally did not perceive dark as less accurate than alternatives (e.g., antagonistic, socially aversive), they did perceive dark as less scientific-sounding and less appropriate for professional use (clinical and research use). Furthermore, perceptions of dark varied across some moral and sociopolitical variables, suggesting that perceptions of the term are variable across people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).