Utility under the Dark Tetrad
Purpose – Literature on psychology highlights four traits that shape an amoral and antisocial personality: Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy and sadism. Together, these personality traits form the Dark Tetrad. In this study, the standard intertemporal utility maximization model is reassessed...
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| Language: | English |
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Emerald Publishing
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Economics Finance and Administrative Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JEFAS-07-2022-0164/full/pdf |
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| author | Orlando Gomes |
| author_facet | Orlando Gomes |
| author_sort | Orlando Gomes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose – Literature on psychology highlights four traits that shape an amoral and antisocial personality: Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy and sadism. Together, these personality traits form the Dark Tetrad. In this study, the standard intertemporal utility maximization model is reassessed from the point of view of a representative economic agent endowed with the Dark Tetrad personality traits. Design/methodology/approach – The approach followed in this paper consists of identifying how each of the Dark Tetrad traits might be logically associated with the dynamic utility problem, as well as exploring, in the context of the model, the implications, for consumption and utility, of admitting the presence of such traits in individuals’ personalities. Findings – It is found that, typically, dark personalities penalize consumption growth, even when such traits are interpreted directly and positively contributing to the utility of the agent. It is also found that in economies with two or more interacting agents, the dark traits might have a mutually destructive nature. Originality/value – Economics is going through a smooth revolution in the direction of becoming an eminently behavioral science. Most of the traditional economic models, based on the idea of the hyper-rational agent, are being replaced or complemented by a different view of the homo-economicus, in which, among other things, personality matters. This paper offers a novel contribution in this direction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df947936eec84157a1a41d9d48024a3d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2077-1886 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Economics Finance and Administrative Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-df947936eec84157a1a41d9d48024a3d2025-08-20T02:56:02ZengEmerald PublishingJournal of Economics Finance and Administrative Science2077-18862025-05-013059224010.1108/JEFAS-07-2022-0164Utility under the Dark TetradOrlando Gomes0Department of Economics, Instituto Politecnico de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administracao de Lisboa, Lisboa, PortugalPurpose – Literature on psychology highlights four traits that shape an amoral and antisocial personality: Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy and sadism. Together, these personality traits form the Dark Tetrad. In this study, the standard intertemporal utility maximization model is reassessed from the point of view of a representative economic agent endowed with the Dark Tetrad personality traits. Design/methodology/approach – The approach followed in this paper consists of identifying how each of the Dark Tetrad traits might be logically associated with the dynamic utility problem, as well as exploring, in the context of the model, the implications, for consumption and utility, of admitting the presence of such traits in individuals’ personalities. Findings – It is found that, typically, dark personalities penalize consumption growth, even when such traits are interpreted directly and positively contributing to the utility of the agent. It is also found that in economies with two or more interacting agents, the dark traits might have a mutually destructive nature. Originality/value – Economics is going through a smooth revolution in the direction of becoming an eminently behavioral science. Most of the traditional economic models, based on the idea of the hyper-rational agent, are being replaced or complemented by a different view of the homo-economicus, in which, among other things, personality matters. This paper offers a novel contribution in this direction.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JEFAS-07-2022-0164/full/pdfDark tetradMachiavellianismNarcissismPsychopathySadismUtility |
| spellingShingle | Orlando Gomes Utility under the Dark Tetrad Journal of Economics Finance and Administrative Science Dark tetrad Machiavellianism Narcissism Psychopathy Sadism Utility |
| title | Utility under the Dark Tetrad |
| title_full | Utility under the Dark Tetrad |
| title_fullStr | Utility under the Dark Tetrad |
| title_full_unstemmed | Utility under the Dark Tetrad |
| title_short | Utility under the Dark Tetrad |
| title_sort | utility under the dark tetrad |
| topic | Dark tetrad Machiavellianism Narcissism Psychopathy Sadism Utility |
| url | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JEFAS-07-2022-0164/full/pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT orlandogomes utilityunderthedarktetrad |