What the SLT measures
For decades, psychology was obsessed with the "Dark Triad"—mapping the traits of manipulators, narcissists, and psychopaths. In 2019, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman introduced the "Light Triad" to measure the everyday saints. The Light Triad doesn't just measure the absence of darkness; it measures the active presence of a loving, forgiving, and deeply humanistic orientation toward the world. High scorers are driven by intrinsic goodness rather than exploitation.
The dimensions it assesses
- Kantianism: Treating people as ends unto themselves, not as means to an end. (The direct opposite of Machiavellian manipulation).
- Humanism: Valuing the dignity, worth, and inherent goodness of each individual human being.
- Faith in Humanity: Believing that humans are fundamentally good, trustworthy, and kind at their core (as opposed to the cynical view that people are inherently selfish).
Already have a SLT score from somewhere else? Look it up without retaking the questionnaire.
What your score means
Calculate the average score (1.0 to 5.0) for each of the three traits. Calculate the overall Light Triad Score by averaging all 12 items.
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 – 2.9 | The user views the world as a zero-sum, dangerous place. They assume others are selfish and act accordingly. Highly defensive posture. | |
| 3.0 – 3.9 | The average human baseline. The user believes people are decent but remains cautious. Will not manipulate others, but is not overly forgiving of betrayals. | |
| 4.0 – 5.0 | Exceptional levels of grace, forgiveness, and unconditional positive regard. Highly trusted by peers. Risk: Extreme scores here can lead to naivety and exploitation by Dark Triad individuals. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- The Vulnerability of Faith in Humanity: High scorers in Faith in Humanity are the emotional glue of society, but they are highly susceptible to scammers, abusive partners, and corporate exploitation. The report must coach them to implement "Trust but Verify" protocols to protect their inherent goodness from predators.
- Kantianism in Leadership: Leaders high in Kantianism refuse to view employees as "human capital" (cogs in a machine). They build incredibly loyal, psychologically safe teams because employees know they won't be thrown under the bus for a quarterly profit metric.
- Healing the Cynic: For users scoring < 3.0, the goal is not to force them to trust everyone, but to engage in "Pro-social micro-dosing"—actively searching for and writing down one act of kindness they witness each day to retrain their brain's negativity bias.
Common questions about the SLT
- What does the SLT measure?
- Measurement of the "Light Triad": the three prosocial, benevolent personality traits that contrast the malevolent Dark Triad (Psychopathy, Narcissism, Machiavellianism).
- Can the SLT diagnose me?
- No. Light Triad Traits (SLT) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. It describes tendencies rather than diagnosing anything, and no result here is a condition or something to fix.
- How long does the SLT take?
- 12 questions, which most people finish in 2 – 3 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this SLT test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the SLT?
- Traits and preferences move slowly, so retaking this every few months is more informative than retaking it often. Larger shifts usually follow a genuine change in circumstances.
- How accurate is the SLT?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Rights held by Kaufman et al.. Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Kaufman, S. B., Yaden, D. B., Hyde, E., & Tsukayama, E. (2019). The light vs. dark triad of personality: Contrasting two very different profiles of human nature. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 467.
Licensing
free-permitted. Released openly by the authors for research use.