You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Dr. Joshua Davimes (Principal Investigator) and co-investigators: Ms. Vanessa Visser, Dr. Victoria Williams, and Prof. Mitchell A. Cox from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University). The study has been reviewed and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical).

The aim of this study is to explore personality traits in medical students, with a focus on the Dark Factor of Personality (D), empathy levels, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), specifically to understand how these traits present in medical students as part of an academic study. There are no direct benefits to participants for taking part in this study.

What will participation involve?

You are invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire that will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. The questionnaire includes:

  • Demographic questions (e.g., age, year of study, gender, background)
  • 70-item D-Score questionnaire, which measures ten socially aversive personality traits
  • Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (16 items, optional)
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) questionnaire (10 items, optional)

Your responses will be saved anonymously and used solely for academic research. You may opt to complete only the required sections (1 and 2), or you may choose to continue with the optional sections (3 and 4). Upon completion of the survey, you will be shown a summary of your D-score (for your personal interest only). You are under no obligation to save or share this score.

Who can take part?

All registered first-year to sixth-year MBBCh students at Wits University who are 18 years or older are eligible to participate (for your personal interest only. Please note that this is not a psychological diagnosis and should not be considered a formal assessment).

Voluntary participation and withdrawal

Your participation is entirely voluntary. You may exit the survey at any time. Once submitted, your survey responses cannot be withdrawn, as they contain no identifying information.

Risks and support

Sensitive questions will include statements relating to the ten “dark” personality traits: egoism, Machiavellianism, moral disengagement, narcissism, greed, psychological entitlement, psychopathy, sadism, self-centeredness, and spitefulness.

The D70 “dark traits score” is not a diagnosis, and its significance is not yet clear from prior research. It is used in this study as an exploratory research measure of behavioural tendencies, not as a formal psychological or psychiatric assessment.

Please note that no treatment or therapy will be provided as part of this study. Receiving your score may be distressing, particularly if you perceive yourself negatively in relation to the traits measured. It may affect perceptions of self-worth, self-image, and confidence, and could have negative implications for career or social relationships if you choose to disclose your results to others.

For this reason, participants are advised to treat their results with caution and not to share them outside of the study context.

The optional section on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) will include explicit and potentially distressing questions on childhood trauma, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, household substance abuse, household mental illness, and domestic violence. These questions are intrusive and sensitive. They are described here in detail to ensure true informed consent, so that participants are fully aware of the sensitive content before completing the survey.

By South African law (Sexual Offences Act), sexual abuse of minors and sexual assault of female university students are reportable offences. Female university students are considered a vulnerable population. Because this survey is anonymous, the research team cannot report disclosures made in the questionnaire. However, if you choose to disclose your identity and request assistance, the Principal Investigator (Dr. Joshua Davimes, joshua.davimes@wits.ac.za) will facilitate referral and mandatory reporting through the Wits Gender Equity Office (Tel: +27 (0)11 717 9790). This outlines exactly who will make the report, to which office, and how it will be managed.

Wits Office of Student Success (OSS)

If you experience emotional distress, including thoughts of self-harm or suicide, during or after participation, you may contact the following registered counselling services for support:

Manager Student Support:
Eileen Maleka
Email: Eileen.Maleka@wits.ac.za
Phone: 011 717 2703
Location: Phillip V Tobias Health Sciences Building, 1st Floor, 29 Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown

Counselling Psychologists (OSS):

Name: Ziphozakhe Kili
Email: ziphozakhe.kili@wits.ac.za
Phone: 011 717 2729

Name: Aadil Naidoo
Email: aadil.naidoo@wits.ac.za
Phone: 011 717 4503

Confidentiality and data protection

No identifying information is collected in the questionnaire. Data will be stored on secure Wits servers and will be accessible only to the research team. All findings will be presented in aggregate form to ensure individual anonymity.

In accordance with the provisions of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (as amended), I hereby consent:

  • To my personal information (hereinafter “data”) being collected, processed, shared and stored in accordance with the research protocol/proposal as approved by the Wits HREC (Medical);
  • To my anonymised data being shared, processed, and transferred by third parties and between third parties, and where relevant beyond the jurisdictional borders of South Africa;
  • To all findings and results flowing from my anonymised data being broadly shared and published at the conclusion of the research.

Contact details

If you have questions about this study, please contact:
Dr. Joshua Davimes (Principal Investigator): joshua.davimes@wits.ac.za

Contact Details of the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC):
This study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
If you have any concerns, please contact:

Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical):
Professor P. Ruff
Email: Paul.Ruff@wits.ac.za
Tel: +27 (0)11 717 2301

On behalf of the research team, thank you for your time and consideration. Your participation is greatly appreciated.

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