Dark personality traits and psychological need frustration explain future levels of student satisfaction, engagement, and performance

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), we integrate personality traits and basic psychological need frustration to explore relationships between students' ‘dark’ the core student outcomes of satisfaction, engagement, performance. Using time-separated, multi-source data (N = 330), examined whether perceived mediated effects dark triad (i.e., Psychopathy, Machiavellianism, Narcissism) common variance among triad) upon outcomes. Correlations structural equation models showed that is related reduced satisfaction engagement (though not grades), partially traits. The also had a significant indirect effect on grades via engagement. was positively associated with heightened sense lower suggesting antagonistic features lead students see university environments as obstructive. However, constituent differential associations: Psychopathy correlated frustration, whereas Narcissism negatively. results demonstrate theoretical explanatory utility integrating SDT-based constructs for understanding how individuals experience their environments.