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Studies of divorce's effects on children have been oriented toward the parents' characteristics, ignoring their extended families. In the current study we collected data from 414 participants, both divorced parents and the children's extended families in Peru (155) and Spain (259). Participants completed a questionnaire on attitudes toward the parents, and the Short Dark Tetrad questionnaire. Multivariate tests were conducted on participants' responses, showing that negative attitudes toward parents are not very strong but that attitudes toward fathers are more negative than attitudes toward mothers. Custodial parents are perceived less negatively, and parents who share custody are perceived the least negatively. Extended family members hold more negative attitudes against parents than the parents themselves. Mothers have significantly more negative attitudes toward fathers than the fathers towards mothers. Dark traits are a significant predictor of negative attitudes toward the mother but not toward the father. The perception of unhappiness in the child was predicted by negative attitudes toward the parents. Non-parents tend to evaluate both parents more negatively compared to parents' mutual perceptions. There was an effect on dark traits, negative attitudes against parents, and perception of unhappiness in the child. Peruvians scored significantly higher in all variables.

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BACKGROUND: Drug addiction is a significant public health concern, and aggression is common among people with drug addiction. Despite mounting evidence showing that the Dark Triad is a risk factor for aggression, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship are less known. This study tested the mediation effect of self-control in the association between the Dark Triad and aggression and whether this mediation was moderated by physical exercise. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two compulsory drug rehabilitation centers in Nanning, China. A convenience sample of 564 drug abstainers completed a questionnaire to assess their Dark Triad, self-control, aggression, and physical exercise levels. Mediation and moderation analyses were carried out in SPSS macro-PROCESS. RESULTS: Self-control partially mediated the positive association between the Dark Triad and aggression. Physical exercise moderated the indirect effect of the Dark Triad on aggression via self-control, with the effect decreasing with the increase in physical exercise levels. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers fresh insights into the underlying mediating and moderating mechanisms between the Dark Triad and aggression. The findings provide important practical implications for future intervention and prevention programs to address aggression among drug abstainers, which may be realized through strengthening self-control and physical exercise.

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BACKGROUND: There are different theories and models of personality. In the antisocial area, the model used is the Dark Triad, a model of personality composed of the traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism. The links between the Dark Triad and other general models have been widely studied; however, there is little research connecting it with the traditional, but still used, model of personality described by Eysenck (psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism). Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the connections between the Dark Triad of personality and Eysenck's personality model. Additionally, we interpret the connections between the sincerity scale of Eysenck's model and the Dark Triad. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: Our final sample was composed of 2385 participants who completed different personality questionnaires measuring the Dark Triad and Eysenck's model. Bivariate analyses and structural equation modelling were performed. RESULTS: Narcissism and Machiavellianism have positive connections with neuroticism and extraversion, whereas psychopathy is positively associated with psychoticism and negatively associated with extraversion. All the Dark Triad traits, mainly Machiavellianism, show the strongest connections with sincerity. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the deceptive and manipulative nature of the Dark Triad, these results would imply that these traits could be mismeasured in some contexts. However, in research conditions those people who score higher on the Dark Tetrad traits do not hide behaviours that tend to be socially undesirable, implying some degree of honesty in their answers. Further efforts to develop more objective measures, such as implicit, indirect, task-based, or forced-choice measures, should be considered.

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By investigating the impact of dark personality traits on adolescent health, this study explores the interplay among economic disadvantage, spectator sports involvement, and cyber victimization. We analyzed data from 1844 students aged 13-17 in a school district in the USA, and our findings reveal positive associations between economic disadvantage and both Machiavellianism and psychopathy, influencing negative emotions-driven eating. Spectator sports engagement exhibits links with Machiavellianism and narcissism, suggesting potential drawbacks to competitive behaviors. Cyber victimization shows associations with psychopathy and negative emotions-driven eating. The results illuminate the dynamic associations between emotional eating and health outcomes, including BMI and perceived quality of life. These findings deepen our understanding of how dark personality is shaped and subsequently influences adolescents' well-being, offering insights for targeted interventions.

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Introduction: With the introduction of the new psychiatric diagnostic manuals, personality functioning has gained new prominence. Several studies have reported consistent findings that individual showing high levels of antisocial features are associated with alterations in interpersonal functioning domains such as empathy and mentalisation. The focus of the current study (N = 198) is to examine antisocial cognitions, as measured by the Scrambled Sentences Task (SST), and to what extent this approach can help to better understand the relationship between antisocial traits and personality functioning/empathy. Method: We implemented a hypothesis-driven approach using logistic regression and a data-driven approach using machine learning to examine distinct but related measures of personality functioning as predictors of antisocial cognitions. Results: Antisocial cognitions were associated with low interpersonal functioning as expected, but only when not adjusting for antisocial traits, which accounted for almost all the association. The data-driven analysis revealed that individual items assessing empathic concern in personality functioning scales (as opposed to the whole scores) explained low antisocial cognitions even when adjusting for antisocial traits. Discussion: Antisocial cognitions appear to be associated to two distinct traits, the antisocial and a specific type of personality functioning. This finding is discussed in terms of the possible distinction between two motivational forces: to harm others/prioritize one's advantage, and to help suffering others.

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Humour and antisocial behaviour on the internet are under-researched. Online spaces have opened a gateway for new ways to express unrestrained humour (e.g., dark humour) and ways to behave antisocially (e.g., online trolling). The tendencies and motivations of those engaging with such humour and behaviour are yet to be clearly established and understood. The present study aimed to fill this gap by exploring the interplay between dark humour, online trolling, and dark personality traits. Participants (N = 160) completed an online survey consisting of trait scales to assess the Dark Tetrad, dark humour, and online trolling, as well as two online trolling tasks (enjoyment and ability) and two dark humour meme tasks (enjoyment and ability). The results confirmed relationships between the Dark Tetrad and the dark humour trait, and several Dark Tetrad traits were related to the enjoyment of and ability to produce dark humour. Furthermore, dark humour and online trolling were closely related. The findings also revealed that online trolls did not enjoy being trolled but did enjoy trolling, and this ability to troll is underpinned by sadism. These findings illustrate the potential dark psychological motivations for using dark humour, demonstrate that online trolling is infused with darker forms of humour, and provide deeper insights into online trolls.

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BACKGROUND: Although people are familiar with loud automobiles, equipped with modified mufflers to increase the volume, it is unclear who is most attracted to these vehicles. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: A sample of 529 (52% men) undergraduate business students were surveyed and were asked if they viewed their car as an extension of themselves, how much they thought loud cars were "cool", and if they would make their car louder with muffler modifications. Cronbach's α of the three car items was .76; therefore an aggregate was generated. Also a self-report measure of the dark tetrad was completed. RESULTS: Using linear regression, the car aggregate was predicted by being a man and having higher scores on psychopathy and sadism, with the model accounting for approximately 29% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: As car modifications are illegal in some countries, these findings may be of interest to those heading campaigns to halt these activities.

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Purpose: Effective Altruism (EA) has become one of the most prominent socio-philosophical movements of recent years. EA is also facing intense scrutiny due to the business practices of some of its most prominent adherents. On the other hand, the dark triad traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy have been getting increasing attention in entrepreneurship research. There is growing evidence that these traits can motivate entrepreneurial intention. We therefore sought to investigate if there was a connection between the entrepreneurship discourse in EA and traits corresponding to dark triad behavior. Design/methodology/approach: Using a discursive analytic method, we investigated the discursive threads on entrepreneurship in EA over a 10-year period. Findings: While we believe EA brings a much-needed perspective to the overall debate on doing good, we found ample evidence that it might have promoted the sort of dark triad behavior which some evidence suggests can lead to financial success, but can equally lead to the type of morally bankrupt, unethical and even illegal practices of some entrepreneurs. We also discovered a somewhat temporal dimension in EA's discourse on entrepreneurship, beginning with discourse encouraging some risk taking and entrepreneurship, before moving on to discourses on the benefits of having a smart and illicit character, and ending with a focus on aggressive risk taking. Originality: The findings contribute to the still nascent debate on dark personality traits in entrepreneurship, and enriches the theoretical advancement of the field. However, our research differs from prior studies which were almost exclusively focused on the firm. Instead, we examine this phenomenon within a highly influential belief system/philosophical movement.

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This study investigates the relationship between dark personality traits, aggressive behavior in violent video games, and severe traffic violations among 200 driving offenders from Tehran, Iran, participating in a rehabilitation program. Participants engaged in a computerized shooting decision task, where their tendency to shoot unarmed targets (innocent victims), compared to armed targets (criminals), was used as an indicator of aggressive behavior toward innocent victims. Additionally, they completed self-report measures of narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism to evaluate the impact of Dark Tetrad personality traits on their behavior. Bivariate analyses revealed associations between Dark Tetrad personality traits and aggressive behavior in the video game with serious traffic offenses. Multivariate analyses identified Machiavellianism, sadism, and aggressive behavior in video games as significant predictors of severe traffic offenses. The results suggest that dark personality traits and aggressive behavior in video games may aid in better identifying road traffic offenders with the most severe violations. Potential implications for preventing repeated traffic offenses by tailoring rehabilitation programs are discussed.

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This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dark personality traits and insomnia by considering the mediated effects of perceived stress and ethical judgments. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 464 university athlete students from individual and team sports. Dark Triad Scale (DTS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Moral Content Judgment in Sport Questionnaire (MCJSQ) were used. Significant correlation coefficients were observed between the dark personality traits and other variables. Regression analysis showed that psychopathy (about 19%) and ethical judgments (about 16%) could predict insomnia. It was shown that among dark personality traits, psychopathy along with ethical judgments could predict insomnia.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and its link to the emergence of everyday sadism is a matter of public concern worldwide. However, previous studies are nearly silent regarding the causal relationship between the two variables. We address this gap by theorizing that exposure to information about coronavirus can increase sadistic behavior by inducing state boredom. We conducted three complementary controlled experiments, which comprised multiple participants populations (N = 784, student and community samples) and measurement techniques of sadism, to test our theoretical perspective. Based on self-report measures, Study 1 found that Chinese university students who were exposed to a reminder of COVID-19 exhibited a higher level of everyday sadism than participants in the control condition. Study 2 replicated this finding in a more generalized population. Additionally, results revealed that state boredom mediated this effect. Moving beyond subjective self-report data in Studies 1 and 2, Study 3 assessed a different behavioral operationalization of sadistic tendencies, namely, shredding worms. As expected, priming COVID-19 salience has an immediate, statistically significant influence on sadistic behavior in impactful real-world contexts. Overall, these findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic not only has grave effects on economy and society, but has implications for the malevolent side of human nature.

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Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is a non-normative relationship that can generally be defined as relationships in which the involved individuals have openly agreed that they can have other sexual and/or affective partners. Despite growing interest in CNM, little research has been conducted regarding characteristics of the involved individuals, as well as comparing CNM individuals and monogamous individuals' characteristics. Expanding this research is important, as CNM constitutes a sizeable minority group, and CNM individuals and relationships are subject to stigma and dehumanization. The present study compared CNM and monogamous individuals in terms of personality (including "dark" personality) and mating orientations (sociosexuality and long-term mating) in young Spanish university students. Main results indicated that CNM individuals did not differ much in personality nor were they prone to higher "dark" personality traits when compared to monogamous individuals. Regarding mating orientations, CNM individuals were prone to higher sociosexuality levels and lower levels of long-term mating. Interestingly, results showed positive correlations between sociosexuality and "dark" personality in monogamous individuals, but not in CNM individuals. In conclusion, young Spanish university CNM individuals seem to be more pro-sex than monogamous people and less committed to the romantic love narrative of long-term mating, but these individuals were not more untrustworthy, self-centered, ruthless, or malevolent. Results were also discussed regarding their implications in the stigma and dehumanization of CNM people.

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Resumen Introducción: La Organización Mundial de la Salud indica que es necesario eliminar los valores, las actitudes y los estereotipos basados en el género que afectan la salud y el bienestar de las niñas y mujeres en el mundo. Desde la psicología de la personalidad, algunos trabajos científicos han demostrado que rasgos como la triada oscura de la personalidad (maquiavelismo, psicopatía y narcisismo) y la desconexión moral aumentan la susceptibilidad al sesgo de género, la amenaza y la agresión interpersonal. Como contribución al diseño de un perfil personológico propenso a aceptar y justificar las actitudes sexistas, el objetivo principal de este trabajo fue estudiar el rol mediador de la desconexión moral entre la triada oscura de la personalidad y el sexismo ambivalente en adolescentes. Método: La muestra estuvo compuesta por 803 adolescentes (M = 15.33, DT = 0.99; 50.3% chicos) tras utilizar un muestreo por conveniencia para realizar un análisis de la varianza y la comparación de varios modelos mediacionales a partir de la técnica de bootstrapping. Resultados: Los rasgos de la triada oscura de la personalidad se relacionan directa y significativamente con el sexismo hostil y benevolente de los/as adolescentes, y la desconexión moral tiene un efecto mediador importante en esta relación. Conclusiones: Finalmente, se discute cómo trabajar la desconexión moral para la transformación de estas creencias y actitudes de género que perpetúan la discriminación hacia las adolescentes en programas de prevención.

Abstract Introduction: The World Health Organization indicates that gender-based values, attitudes and stereotypes that affect the health and well-being of girls and women around the world need to be eliminated. From personality psychology, scientific studies have shown that traits such as the dark personality triad (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) and moral disengagement increase susceptibility to gender bias, threat, and interpersonal aggression. As a contribution to the design of a personological profile prone to accept and justify sexist attitudes, the main aim of this paper was to study the mediating role of moral disengagement between the dark personality triad and ambivalent sexism in a sample of adolescents. Methods: The sample consisted of 803 adolescents (M = 15.33, SD = 0.99; 50.3% boys) using convenience sampling to assess ambivalent sexism, dark personality triad and moral disengagement. An analysis of variance and comparison of various mediational models was carried out using the bootstrapping technique. Results: The dark personality triad traits are directly and significantly related to adolescents' hostile and benevolent sexism, and that moral disengagement has a relevant mediating effect on this relationship. Conclusions: Finally, the implications of these findings for the transformation of these gendered beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate discrimination against girls and women are discussed in relation with prevention programs.

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This study examined the mediating role of core Executive Functions (EF: working memory and inhibitory control) and moderating role of Perceived Academic Intent to Entrepreneurship (PAIE) in relationship between Dark Personality Traits (SDT) and Entrepreneurial Intentions (EI) of university students. A sample of 539 university students enrolled in various undergraduate and postgraduate programs completed the Short Dark Triad-3 (SD3), Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI), and measures for assessing Entrepreneurial Intent and Perceived Academic Intent to Entrepreneurship. The results showed that of SDT, only Machiavellianism was significantly associated with EI. Both of the core executive functions and PAIE were also positively correlated with EI. Moreover, findings showed that EF positively mediated the relationship between Machiavellian disposition and entrepreneurial intention, while perceived academic intent to entrepreneurship moderated the relationship between executive functions and EI. A significant moderated mediation index was also reported. Findings offer useful insight to the interplay among above mentioned variables and guide educational and organizational psychologists to employ core cognitive strategies for promoting entrepreneurial thoughts and channelizing the productive energies of students with malevolent tendencies through academic coaching.

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This study tested the direct effects of Dark Tetrad traits on organizational and interpersonal counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). We also examined the moderating effects of the three dimensions of organizational justice - distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice - on the Dark Tetrad-CWBs relationships. Based on the data from 613 employees across different occupations, the results revealed that only psychopathy and sadism had significant effects on CWBs targeted at the organization. The results also supported the direct effect of sadism on interpersonal CWBs. The findings confirmed the moderating role of interactional justice but differentially, depending on the dark trait and the target of workplace deviance. Whereas low and medium levels of interactional justice moderated the relationship between Machiavellianism and CWBs directed to the organization, it did not play any role in narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. Regarding CWBs aimed at other people, interactional justice emerged as a significant moderator in Machiavellianism and sadism. But, whereas sadistic employees performed more harmful behaviors toward other individuals whatever their level of interactional justice, if people high in Machiavellianism (Machs) perceived a high fair interpersonal treatment, they did not show deviant behaviors directed at other employees. The paper concludes with some suggestions and recommendations about the relevance of organizational justice in the influence of dark personality traits on CWBs.

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Purpose: Maladaptive personality traits and some psychological functioning indicators have been linked to academic misbehaviour; yet their role is still poorly explored in medical students. This study aims to assess associations of academic misconduct with dark personality traits and psychological well-being. Methods: Five hundred and ninety-one medical students attending the first, third and fifth-year at one Portuguese medical school replied to the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen, Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scales and an original Academic Misconduct Questionnaire, using a cross-sectional design. Multiple linear regression was performed to assess associations. Results: Fifth-year medical students who scored higher in Machiavellianism and psychological well-being and perceived greater peer fraud and lower penalty for cheating reported more academic misconduct. The explanatory power of the model was 16.6%. Machiavellianism showed the strongest associations with cheating, while sex and age were not significant predictors. Conclusion: This study offers relevant insights into how maladaptive personalities influence academic misconduct in medical students, and how this relationship is moulded by psychological and contextual factors. These findings can help guide institutional actions to foster academic integrity in future physicians.

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Purpose: Childhood environments have an impact on an individuals' behavior and cognition. We explored the relationship and possible mechanisms between childhood environmental unpredictability (CEU) and prosocial behavior (PSB) in adults. Participants and Methods: We recruited Chinese college students (N = 1035) and adopted a questionnaire survey and structural equation modeling. Results: The results showed that CEU negatively predicted PSB in adults. Life-history strategy and dark personality chains mediated this relationship. Higher CEU facilitated faster development of life-history strategies in individuals, and dark personalities, via fast life-history strategies, further influenced PSB in adults. The mediating pathways of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism were significant, while psychopathy was not. Women were more prosocial than men, and there was no sex difference in the influence mechanism of CEU on PSB. Conclusion: This study has practical significance as it emphasizes the importance of shaping a stable childhood environment and that individuals' prosociality can be improved by intervening in the mediation.

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O estudo objetivou adaptar a Assessment of Sadistic Personality (ASP) para o Brasil, averiguando as qualidades psicometricas do instrumento. Foram realizados dois estudos com participantes de diferentes estados brasileiros. No estudo 1 (n = 242) foi realizada a adaptação da ASP e executada uma análise fatorial exploratória, que sugeriu uma estrutura unifatorial. No Estudo 2, (n = 225) a análise fatorial confirmatória apontou indicadores adequados e confiabilidade satisfatória, além de reunidas evidências de validade convergente da ASP com a tríade sombria e o cyberstalking. Em suma, a ASP apresentou evidências de validade e precisão, podendo ser uma ferramenta útil para pesquisadores que buscam conhecer os correlatos da personalidade sádica. (AU)

The study aimed to adapt the Assessment of Sadistic Personality (ASP) scale for Brazil, investigating the psychometric qualities of the instrument. Two studies with participants from different Brazilian states were conducted. In study 1 (n = 242), the ASP was adapted and exploratory factor analysis was performed, which suggested a unifactorial structure. In Study 2 (n = 225), confirmatory factor analysis indicated adequate indicators and satisfactory reliability, in addition to gathering evidence of convergent validity for the ASP with the Dark Triad and cyberstalking. The ASP presented evidence of validity and reliability, constituting a useful tool for researchers who seek to identify the correlates of the sadistic personality. (AU)

El estudio objetivó adaptar el Assessment of Sadistic Personality (ASP) para la población brasileña, averiguando las cualidades psicométricas del instrumento. Se han realizado dos estudios con participantes de diferentes estados brasileños. En el estudio 1 (n = 242) el ASP fue adaptado y se ejecutó un análisis factorial exploratorio, que indicó una estructura unifactorial. Con relación al estudio 2 (n = 225) el análisis factorial confirmatorio apuntó indicadores adecuados y confiabilidad satisfactoria, además de reunir evidencias de validez convergente del ASP con la tríada oscura y el cyberstalking. En resumen, el ASP presentó evidencias de validez y precisión, y puede ser una herramienta útil para los investigadores que buscan conocer los correlatos de la personalidad sádica. (AU)

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People with dark personality traits tend to be unsympathetic, manipulative, and violent, and this can affect their intimate partner relationships. The objective of this research is to analyze how the presence of the dark personality traits affects young people's intimate couple relationships. Sociodemographic variables, sexual practices, and tendencies towards the partner, moral disengagement (PMD), and the dark personality traits were assessed in 308 participants, all of them aged between 18 and 25, of whom 78.3% were women and 21.2% were men. Men obtained higher scores than women both in moral disengagement and dark personality traits, as did people who were unfaithful or who consumed pornographic content, which conditions the quality of couple relationships. Consistent with this, men with higher levels of dark personality traits and higher use of a moral disengagement mechanism also presented a greater tendency towards infidelity, especially repeated infidelity. Infidelity is highly related to the presence of dark personality traits, unrestricted socio-sexuality, and having more sexual partners. These results aid in the design of interventions to prevent sexual harassment and abuse in young people and their intimate partner relationships.

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