Abstract
Subclinical sadism, defined broadly as a tendency to engage in or think about engaging in cruel, degrading, or aggressive actions for pleasure or subjugation, has become a focal point of study in the field of personality psychology throughout the past decade. This chapter comprehensively summarizes research reflecting sadism as a personality construct, including its historical characterizations, contemporary conceptualization as part of the Dark Tetrad of personality, measurement, nomological network, and controversies. First, we describe the history of sadism and its evolution from the forensic and clinical literature to the personality psychology literature. Next, we describe sadism in the context of the Dark Tetrad of personality, followed by a psychometric review of the common measures of subclinical (everyday) sadism. Next, we describe relationships between sadism and relevant constructs, including personality models. Lastly, we outline current controversies related to the inclusion of sadism in forming the Dark Tetrad of personality.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Research Handbook on the Dark Triad |
| Editors | Kostas A Papageorgiou |
| Place of Publication | Cheltenham |
| Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. |
| Chapter | 8 |
| Pages | 72-87 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781035322763 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781035322756 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 13 Nov 2025 |
Keywords
- Controversies
- Dark Tetrad
- Measurement
- Nomological network
- Sadism
- Trait models
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology
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