How evil are YOU? Test reveals whether you're wicked, have Machiavellian traits or show signs of psychopathy

  • The quiz plots levels of Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy
  • These traits are based on a series of simple personality questions
  • The three traits are known as the 'dark triad' and are seen as negative
  • Results class people as 'occasionally vile' to 'decidedly dastardly' 

From getting revenge to manipulating a friend, all of us have a dark side.

Now there's a quiz that that tells you just how 'evil' you are.

It measures Machiavellian, narcissistic and psychopathic traits to tell you whether you are 'occasionally vile' or 'decidedly dastardly' for example. 

Scroll down for video 

The quiz tells users just how 'evil' they are by asking a series of personality questions. The title page of the quiz is shown above. It measures Machiavellian, narcissistic and psychopathic traits to tell users whether they are 'occasionally vile' or 'decidedly dastardly' for example

The quiz tells users just how 'evil' they are by asking a series of personality questions. The title page of the quiz is shown above. It measures Machiavellian, narcissistic and psychopathic traits to tell users whether they are 'occasionally vile' or 'decidedly dastardly' for example

The quiz was created by BBC Future and inspired by questionnaires developed by psychologists Delroy Paulhus and Daniel Jones. 

It measures the personality traits described as the 'dark triad.'

Machiavellianism is characterised by manipulation and exploitation of others, a cynical disregard for morality, and a focus on self-interest and deception.

Fictional character Frank Underwood, in House of Cards is a good example of a Machiavellian person, for example.

To do the quiz, users measure their own ‘dark side’ by answering questions about their Machiavellianism, narcissistic and psychopathic tendencies, (examples shown) by either agreeing or disagreeing with statements such as: ‘I use clever manipulation to get my way’ and ‘I hate being the centre of attention’

To do the quiz, users measure their own 'dark side' by answering questions about their Machiavellianism, narcissistic and psychopathic tendencies, (examples shown) by either agreeing or disagreeing with statements such as: 'I use clever manipulation to get my way' and 'I hate being the centre of attention'

Machiavellianism is characterised by manipulation and exploitation of others, a cynical disregard for morality, and a focus on self-interest and deception. Fictional character, Frank Underwood (pictured), in House of Cards is a good example of a Machiavellian person

Machiavellianism is characterised by manipulation and exploitation of others, a cynical disregard for morality, and a focus on self-interest and deception. Fictional character, Frank Underwood (pictured), in House of Cards is a good example of a Machiavellian person

WHAT IS THE DARK TRIAD? 

The dark triad is a group of three personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy.

Narcissism is characterised by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy.

Machiavellianism is characterised by manipulation and exploitation of others, a cynical disregard for morality, and a focus on self-interest and deception.

Psychopathy is characterised by enduring antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, selfishness, callousness, and remorselessness.

Use of the term 'dark' implies that people scoring high on these traits have malevolent qualities. 

Narcissism is characterised by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy and could perhaps be exemplified by the character Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada.

Psychopathy is characterised by enduring antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, selfishness, callousness, and remorselessness.

Famous psychopaths in films include Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs and Norman Bates in Psycho.

While extreme versions of these traits are sometimes associated with murderers, experts believe a combination of the 'dark' traits may help people succeed in life and reach a position of wealth and power, for example.

To complete the quiz, users measure their own 'dark side' by answering questions about their Machiavellianism, narcissistic and psychopathic tendencies, by either agreeing or disagreeing with statements such as: 'I use clever manipulation to get my way' and 'I hate being the centre of attention.'

At the end of three pages of questions - which take less than five minutes to complete - users receive a result.

Narcissism is characterised by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy and could perhaps be exemplified by the character Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada (played by Meryl Streep pictured)

Narcissism is characterised by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy and could perhaps be exemplified by the character Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada (played by Meryl Streep pictured)

At the end of three pages of questions users receive a result, which while the creators warn shouldn't be considered a scientific measure of their personality, gives them an insight into their behaviour. The 'dark triad' results are shown on slider bars (pictured)

At the end of three pages of questions users receive a result, which while the creators warn shouldn't be considered a scientific measure of their personality, gives them an insight into their behaviour. The 'dark triad' results are shown on slider bars (pictured)

The creators warn that the test shouldn't be considered a scientific measure of a person's personality, but instead give them an insight into it.

Results include 'infrequently vile' - where someone mostly puts others before themselves - and 'moderately nefarious'.

For those scoring 'moderately nefarious,' the quiz says: 'You walk on the dark side of humanity, but your ruthless streak may just help you get ahead'.

If a user scores highly in all parts of the 'dark triad' they are declared 'decidedly dastardly'.

A recent study by the University at Buffalo School of Management found men tend to be more narcissistic than women, and as a result are more likely to exploit other.

The researchers analysed three decades of data from more than 475,000 people.

Lead author Emily Grijalva said: 'Narcissism is associated with various interpersonal dysfunctions, including an inability to maintain healthy long-term relationships, unethical behaviour and aggression.'

'At the same time, narcissism is shown to boost self-esteem, emotional stability and the tendency to emerge as a leader.'

Psychopathy is characterised by enduring antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, selfishness, callousness, and remorselessness. Famous psychopaths in films include Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (played by Anthony Hopkins pictured) and Norman Bates in Psycho

Psychopathy is characterised by enduring antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, selfishness, callousness, and remorselessness. Famous psychopaths in films include Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (played by Anthony Hopkins pictured) and Norman Bates in Psycho

Results include 'infrequently vile' - where someone mostly puts others before themselves - and 'moderately nefarious' (pictured). Nefarious is another word for wicked or criminal

Results include 'infrequently vile' - where someone mostly puts others before themselves - and 'moderately nefarious' (pictured). Nefarious is another word for wicked or criminal

Psychologists have also recently revealed that those with a preference for bitter tastes were more likely to exhibit signs of Machiavellianism, sadism, and narcissism.

That is, they were more prone to being duplicitous and self-serving, cold-hearted and lacking in empathy, vain and selfish, and more likely to derive pleasure from other people's pain.

The findings of the study provide the 'first empirical evidence that bitter taste preferences are linked to malevolent personality traits,' said the researchers from Innsbruck University in Austria, who studied 1,000 people in two separate experiments.

'The results suggest that how much people like bitter-tasting foods and drinks is stably tied to how dark their personality is.'

A recent study by the University at Buffalo School of Management found men tend to be more narcissistic than women (stock image shown) and as a result are more likely to exploit others

A recent study by the University at Buffalo School of Management found men tend to be more narcissistic than women (stock image shown) and as a result are more likely to exploit others

Psychologists recently found that people with a preference for bitter foods and drinks, such as coffee and tonic water, were more likely to exhibit signs of Machiavellianism, sadism, and narcissism
Psychologists recently found that people with a preference for bitter foods and drinks, such as coffee and tonic water, were more likely to exhibit signs of Machiavellianism, sadism, and narcissism

Psychologists recently found that people with a preference for bitter foods and drinks, such as coffee and tonic water, were more likely to exhibit signs of Machiavellianism, sadism, and narcissism. This means they are more prone to being duplicitous and self-serving, cold-hearted and lacking in empathy, vain and selfish

Earlier this year, it was suggested that having a wider face is also linked with psychopathy.

A study of students and prison inmates found that men with a higher facial width-to-height ratio were more likely to exhibit what's known as 'self-centred impulsivity'.

They also showed signs of 'fearless dominance' as well as a tendency to blame other people for problems.

Self-centred impulsivity is a category of traits including Machiavellian egocentricity and is the tendency to consider only personal needs, with a disregard for the interests of anyone else.

Those high in self-centred impulsivity also tend to neglect the social norms and regulations that the rest of us live by.

Fearless dominance, meanwhile, includes a tendency to embrace risk without any fear, showing limited reaction to awful events that would make the rest of us panic - combined with a tendency to appear charming and influential.

ONE IN A HUNDRED CHILDREN ARE 'PSYCHOPATHIC,' WARN RESEARCHERS 

Around one per cent of children could be inherently psychopathic, with parents unable to turn around their behaviour, according to researchers.

Psychologists at University College London (UCL) carried out two studies that showed traits are largely genetic.

The researchers said such children, which they describe as 'callous-unemotional', form a distinct sub-group of badly behaved youngsters.

They predicted between a quarter and half of children with conduct problems could fall into this category, equating to around one per cent of all children in the UK.

Lead researcher Professor Essi Viding said that although children who had anti-social behavioural tendencies were more likely to be the product of poor parenting, this was not the case for children with psychopathic tendencies.

She said: 'For the group which has callous-unemotional traits, there's a strong genetic vulnerability.

'This does not mean these children are born anti-social or are destined to become anti-social.

'But in the same way that some of us are more susceptible to heart disease, these children are people who are more vulnerable to environmental influences that trigger the anti-social outcome.' 

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.