Structural Equation Modeling of the Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Subjective Well-Being in Women on the Verge of Divorce, with an Emphasis on the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation
International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences,
Vol. 12 No. 4 (2025),
20 December 2025
,
Page 53-61
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v12i4.50798
Abstract
Background and Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the structural model of dark personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy), interpersonal emotion regulation, and psychological well-being in married women experiencing thoughts of separation.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive-correlational study used a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The statistical population consisted of married women in Tehran who had thoughts of separation in 2024, from whom 188 individuals were selected using convenience sampling. Participants completed the Short Dark Triad (SD3), Interpersonal Emotion Regulation (IRI) questionnaire, and the Ryff Psychological Well-Being questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and structural equation modeling with AMOS software.
Results: The results indicated that dimensions of dark personality traits had a significant adverse effect on the ability of interpersonal emotion regulation; in particular, Machiavellianism and narcissism directly weakened interpersonal emotion regulation and reduced psychological well-being. Although psychopathy did not have a direct effect on interpersonal emotion regulation, it exerted the most substantial negative impact on psychological well-being. The mediating role of interpersonal emotion regulation in the relationship between narcissism and psychological well-being was confirmed, whereas such mediation was not observed for Machiavellianism and psychopathy.
Conclusion: Dark personality traits—especially narcissism—lead to reduced psychological well-being in women on the verge of divorce, with interpersonal emotion regulation serving as a key mechanism in this relationship. It is recommended that couples therapy interventions focus on training interpersonal emotion regulation strategies and enhancing components of psychological well-being.
- Dark personality traits; Interpersonal emotion regulation; Psychological well-being; Married women
How to Cite
References
1- Fazeli Rad H, Pirzadeh M, Brooki Milan, Nouri Ghasemabadi R. Investigating the structural relationships between the dark triad of personality and celebrity worship with emphasis on the mediating role of difficulty in emotion regulation. Social Psychol Res. 2024;14(54):15-28.
2- Lamela D, Figueiredo B. Determinants of personal growth and life satisfaction in divorced adults. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2023;30(1):213-24.
3- Marc G, Mitrofan L, Vlad CI. The relationship between critical life events, psycho-emotional health and life satisfaction among youths: coping mechanisms and emotional regulation. Front Psychol. 2024;14:1288774.
4- Penfold RB, Yoo HI, Richards JE, Crossnohere NL, Johnson E, Pabiniak CJ, et al. Acceptability of linking individual credit, financial, and public records data to healthcare records for suicide risk machine learning models. JAMIA Open. 2024;7(4):ooae113.
5- Ajaghizadeh, Ghoreshirad, Fakhr al-Sadat, Yousefi. Structural equation modeling of pathological personality dimensions, emotional schemas, and Cinderella syndrome with an approach to extramarital relationships. J Mod Psychol Res. 2024;19(74):255-66.
6- Jonason PK, Webster GD. The dirty dozen: a concise measure of the dark triad. Psychol Assess. 2010;22(2):420.
7- Yousefi R, Imanzad A. Validation of the Four Dark Traits Model of Personality.
8- Zeigler-Hill VE, Marcus DK. The dark side of personality: Science and practice in social, personality, and clinical psychology. American Psychological Association; 2016.
9- Rogoza R, Cieciuch J. Dark Triad traits and their structure: An empirical approach. Curr Psychol. 2020;39(4):1287-302.
10- Dawood S, Schroder HS, Donnellan MB, Pincus AL. Pathological narcissism and nonsuicidal self-injury. J Pers Disord. 2018;32(1):87-108.
11- Kiadarbandsari Z, Mirza Hosseini H, Zargham Hajebi M. The Effectiveness of Couples’ Relationship Enrichment Training with Emotion-Focused Approach on Fear of Intimacy and Insecure Attachment Styles. Int J Appl Behav Sci. 2022;9(1):20-8. Available from: https://journals.sbmu.ac.ir/ijabs/article/view/35651
12- Paulhus DL, Williams KM. The dark triad of personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. J Res Pers. 2002;36(6):556-63.
13- Pourmohseni Kalori F, Zohri N, Atadokht A, Molae M. The role of dark dimensions of personality, differentiation and gender roles in predicting marital burnout.
14- Sheikhan Z, Ozgoli G, Zahiroddin A, Khodakarami N, Nasiri M. The relationship of marital quality and sexual satisfaction with marital status in Iranian women: a Path model. Int J Appl Behav Sci. 2018;5(1):31–40. https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v5i1.21870
15- Javanmard S, Borjali A, Eskandari H, Farokhi NA. The Structural Model of Social Well-being in workplace based on Bright-side Personality, Dark Triad and Collectivism Culture, Considering the Mediating Role of Social Influence. Int J Appl Behav Sci. 2020;7(4):34–49. https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v7i4.31187
16- Magill E, Siegel Z, Pike KM. The mental health of frontline health care providers during pandemics: a rapid review of the literature. Psychiatr Serv. 2020;71(12):1260-9.
17- Pan Y, Yang Z, Qi S. Family functioning and mental health among secondary vocational students during the Covid-19 epidemic: a moderated mediation model. Pers Individ Differ. 2020;171:110490.
18- Gross JJ. Emotion regulation: Current status and future prospects. Psychol Inquiry. 2015;26(1):1-26.
19- Gratz KL, Roemer L. Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. J Psychopathol Behav Assess. 2004;26(1):41-54.
20- Dixon-Gordon KL, Bernecker SL, Christensen K. Recent innovations in the field of interpersonal emotion regulation. Curr Opin Psychol. 2015;3:36-42.
21- Garnefski N, Kraaij V, Spinhoven P. Manual for the use of the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. Leiderorp: Datec; 2002.
22- Williams WC, Morelli SA, Ong DC, Zaki J. Interpersonal emotion regulation: Implications for affiliation, perceived support, relationships, and well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2018;115(2):224–54.
23- Ahmadi Z. Role of Personality Characteristics and Family Communication Patterns in Predicting Couple Burnout among Employee in Iranian Oil Terminals Co. Int J Appl Behav Sci. 2017;4(3):20-7. Available from: https://journals.sbmu.ac.ir/ijabs/article/view/12799
24- Plouffe RA, Wilson CA, Saklofske DH. The role of dark personality traits in intimate partner violence: A multi-study investigation. Curr Psychol. 2022;41(6):3481-3500.
25- Anjum W, Batool I. Translation and Cross Language Validation of the Revised Adult Attachment Scale among Young Adults in Lahore, Pakistan. Peshawar J Psychol Behav Sci (PJPBS). 2016;2(1):1-16. https://doi.org/10.32879/pjpbs.2016.2.1.1-16
26- Amiri S, Yaghoubi AQ. Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Dark Triad Personality Scale. Clin Couns Psychol Res. 2016;6(1):77-97.
27- Hofmann SG, Carpenter JK, Curtiss J. Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (IERQ): Scale Development and Psychometric Characteristics. Cogn Ther Res. 2016;40(3):341–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-016-9756-2
28- Lotfi, Shiasi, Yasman, Amini, Mansouri K, Hamzehzadeh S, Salehi, Mafakheri, Mihrab. Investigating the psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (IERQ) in students. J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci. 2020;30(185):74-85.
29- Keyes CLM, Magyar-Moe JL. The measurement and utility of adult subjective well-being. In: Lopez SJ, Snyder CR, editors. Positive psychological assessment: A handbook of models and measures. American Psychological Association; 2003. p. 411–25.
30- Hashemian K, Kianoush, Pourshahriari M, Bani Jamali SS, Golestani Bakht. Investigating the relationship between demographic characteristics and subjective well-being and happiness in the population of Tehran. Psychol Stud. 2007;3(3):139-63.
31- Greitemeyer T. The dark side of sports: Personality, values, and athletic aggression. Acta Psychol. 2022;223:103500.
32- Shrout MR. The health consequences of stress in couples: A review and new integrated Dyadic Biobehavioral Stress Model. Brain Behav Immun Health. 2021;16:100328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100328
33- Ferreiros L, Clemente M. Dark personality and intimate partner relationships in young adults. Acta Psychol. 2022;225:103549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103549
34- Josefsson K, Jokela M, Cloninger CR, Hintsanen M, Salo J, Hintsa T, et al. Maturity and change in personality: developmental trends of temperament and character in adulthood. Dev Psychopathol. 2013;25(3):713–27.
35- Jonason PK, Krause L. The emotional deficits associated with the Dark Triad traits: Cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and alexithymia. Pers Individ Differ. 2013;55(5):532-7.
36- Eichengreen A, Broekhof E, Tsou YT, Rieffe C. Longitudinal effects of emotion awareness and regulation on mental health symptoms in adolescents with and without hearing loss. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2023;32(4):705–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01900-9
37- Zhang W, Qiu L, Tang F, Li H. Affective or cognitive interpersonal emotion regulation in couples: an fNIRS hyperscanning study. Cereb Cortex. 2023;33(12):7960–70.
38- Gutiérrez F, Gárriz M, Peri JM, Vall G, Torrubia R. How temperament and character affect our career, relationships, and mental health. Compr Psychiatry. 2016;70:181-9.
- Abstract Viewed: 68 times
- PdF Downloaded: 58 times