SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2026
Dark Triad traits and workplace bullying: a systematic review and meta-analysis of personality, power, and psychosocial safety.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Workplace bullying is a widespread and serious public health concern, affecting a substantial proportion of workers globally. While its consequences for mental and physical health are well established, consistent personality-based predictors of perpetration remain unclear. The Dark Triad personality traits, including Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, are conceptually linked to interpersonal aggression but prior evidence is fragmented. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines (Open Science Framework, DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/FWQ73). PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched to 2 September 2025. Eligible studies reported associations between Dark Triad traits and workplace bullying perpetration among working-age participants. Random-effects models using Fisher's z-transformed correlations generated pooled effect sizes. Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, and certainty of evidence graded with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations. Findings: Of 89 records screened, 16 met inclusion criteria, and nine contributed to meta-analysis. All traits were positively associated with bullying perpetration. Psychopathy showed the strongest pooled correlation ( Interpretation: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy are robust predictors of workplace bullying perpetration, with psychopathy most strongly implicated. Preventive strategies should integrate personality-informed leadership development with organizational safeguards. Workplace bullying should be prioritized as an occupational hazard and public health issue. Systematic review registration: https://osf.io/tvfkc/overview.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.