Summary: Researchers report those with dark triad personality traits tend to dream more about aggression and sex.

Source: Neuroscience News.

What you dream about may reveal a lot about your personality, researchers from the University of Liverpool and University of Turku report.

A new study published on September 30 in Imagination, Cognition and Personality found ‘Dark Triad’ personality traits have links to the content of ones’ dreams.

The cohort of 265 participants undertook an online survey that assessed their dream content and personality traits. Results showed there is a link between aggressive and sexual dreams, and those scoring high on ‘dark triad’ personality traits.

From regressive analysis, researchers discovered those with Machiavellian traits have an increased frequency in aggressive dreams, including dreams of murder and physical assault. Narcissists tend to have dreams with a more sexual content, researchers report. Those scoring high on psychopathy have increased rates of both aggressive and sexual dreams.

The researchers say their findings support a number of past studies that suggest ‘dark triad’ traits are a manifestation of ‘fast life strategy’, an outlook on life that incorporates higher aggression, an increased interest in sexual behavior and impulsivity.

While having occasional dreams of a sexual or aggressive nature is normal, increased occurrences of provocative dreams could signify personality disorders under the umbrella of the dark triad.

About this neuroscience research article

Source: Victoria Driscoll – Neuroscience News

Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.

Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.

Original Research: Abstract for “Dark Dreams Are Made of This: Aggressive and Sexual Dream Content and the Dark Triad of Personality” by Minna Lyons, Shelley Khan, Nils Sandman, and Katja Valli in Imagination, Cognition and Personality. Published September 30 2018.

doi:10.1177/0276236618803316

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Abstract

Dark Dreams Are Made of This: Aggressive and Sexual Dream Content and the Dark Triad of Personality

The Dark Triad (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) of personality has been associated with behaviors that facilitate a fast life history strategy, such as aggressiveness and increased interest in sex. In the present on-line study (N = 265), we investigated the possibility that these personality traits have an association with dream content, namely, increased frequency of sexual and aggressive dreams. In regression analyses, we found that the frequency of aggressive dreams was predicted by Machiavellianism and psychopathy. The frequency of sexual dreams was predicted by psychopathy and narcissism. The results support a number of previous studies, suggesting that especially psychopathy is a manifestation of a fast life history strategy. Further, individuals high in this trait may simulate evolutionarily relevant actions in their dreams.

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