STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE DARK TRIAD UNDER CHRONIC THREAT: NARCISSISM AUTONOMY AND THE DARK CORE EFFECT

The classical three-factor model of the Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, subclinical narcissism, subclinical psychopathy) is traditionally conceptualized as a relatively stable system of partially independent personality traits. However, prolonged and extreme environmental conditions associated with chronic existential threat may trigger a statistically significant reorganization of the Dark Triad factor structure. The present study examines the latent structure of the Short Dark Triad scale (SD3) in a sample of young adults (N = 326, Mage = 25.4, SD = 6.2) residing continuously in Ukraine during the prolonged phase of the armed conflict (data collection: late 2025 – early 2026).To assess factorial invariance and compare nested models, Anchored Model Analysis (AMA) with robust MLR estimation was employed. Model fit indices for both the free and anchored bifactor models were evaluated, along with the latent variances of specific factors.The free bifactor model demonstrated adequate fit (CFI = 0.871; RMSEA = 0.050 [90% CI 0.042–0.057]). Comparison with the anchored model revealed critical structural degradation when parameters were constrained to peacetime values (Δχ² = 125.03, p < .001, ΔCFI = 0.073). Machiavellianism and psychopathy exhibited full convergence onto the general factor (Dark Core), with near-complete loss of autonomous variance. Narcissism, by contrast, retained high and statistically significant autonomous variability (Var = 0.900, p < .001), remaining structurally independent of the general factor.Under conditions of chronic threat, Machiavellianism and psychopathy undergo structural consolidation within a single general latent factor (Dark Core) associated with threat-adaptive functioning, whereas narcissism preserves autonomous status, presumably fulfilling an ego-protective function. The findings underscore the need to revisit the classical Dark Triad framework in populations subjected to extreme environmental stress.