Dark Triad Personality Traits as Predictors of Athletes’ Attitudes Toward Doping

Karanlık Üçlü Kişilik Özelliklerinin Sporcuların Dopinge Yönelik Tutumları Üzerindeki Yordayıcı Etkisi

Hülya Andre¹ Derya Çetin Sarışık²

*Correspondence: Hülya Andre hulya.andre@gmail.com
 ¹Yozgat Bozok University Faculty of Sport Sciences, Orcid: 0000-0002-6021-2991
²Bayburt University Faculty of Sport Sciences, deryacetin@bayburt.edu.tr Orcid: 0000-0003-4659-0803

Doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18879118

https://www.ijoss.org/Archive/v3-i1/ijoss-Volume3-issue1-09.pdf

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Received / Gönderim: 13.10.2025 Accepted / Kabul: 01.02.2026 Published / Yayın: 28.02.2026

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between Dark Triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy) and athletes’ attitudes toward doping, and to evaluate their predictive role through hierarchical regression analysis. The study was conducted with 286 active athletes (198 females, 88 males) aged between 18 and 27 years (M = 21.03, SD = 2.80). Data were collected using the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale (PEAS) and the Short Dark Triad (SD3). Pearson correlation analyses indicated that attitudes toward doping were positively associated with Machiavellianism (r = .330, p < .001) and Psychopathy (r = .392, p < .001), whereas no significant association was found with Narcissism (r = .037, p = .531). In the hierarchical regression analysis, the first model including only the Dark Triad dimensions explained 19.9% of the variance (R² = .199). Within this model, Psychopathy (β = .330, p < .001) and Machiavellianism (β = .228, p < .001) emerged as significant positive predictors, whereas Narcissism was a significant negative predictor (β = −.161, p = .007). The inclusion of gender, age group, and prior ergogenic substance use did not result in a significant increase in explained variance. The findings suggest that attitudes toward doping are more strongly associated with personality traits than with demographic variables.

Keywords Dark Triad, Doping attitudes, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy, Athletes.

Öz

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Karanlık Üçlü kişilik özellikleri (Makyavelizm, Narsisizm ve Psikopati) ile sporcuların dopinge yönelik tutumları arasındaki ilişkileri incelemek ve bu özelliklerin yordayıcı rolünü hiyerarşik regresyon analizi ile değerlendirmektir. Araştırma, 18–27 yaş aralığında (Ort. = 21.03, SS = 2.80) 286 aktif sporcu (198 kadın, 88 erkek) ile yürütülmüştür. Veri toplama aracı olarak Performans Artırma Tutum Ölçeği (PEAS) ve Kısa Karanlık Üçlü Ölçeği (SD3) kullanılmıştır. Pearson korelasyon analizi sonuçlarına göre, dopinge yönelik tutumlar Makyavelizm (r = .330, p <.001) ve Psikopati (r = .392, p <.001) ile pozitif yönde ilişkili bulunurken, Narsisizm ile anlamlı bir ilişki saptanmamıştır (r = .037, p = .531). Hiyerarşik regresyon analizinde, yalnızca Karanlık Üçlü boyutlarının yer aldığı ilk model varyansın %19,9’unu açıklamıştır (R² = .199). Bu modelde Psikopati (β = .330, p <.001) ve Makyavelizm (β = .228, p <.001) pozitif yönde anlamlı yordayıcılar olarak belirlenirken, Narsisizm negatif yönde anlamlı bir yordayıcıdır (β = −.161, p = .007). Cinsiyet, yaş grubu ve daha önce ergojenik madde kullanımı değişkenlerinin eklenmesi açıklanan varyansta anlamlı bir artış sağlamamıştır. Bulgular, dopinge yönelik tutumların demografik değişkenlerden ziyade kişilik özellikleriyle daha güçlü ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler Karanlık Üçlü, Dopinge Yönelik Tutumlar, Makyavelizm, Psikopati, Sporcular

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