Dark Triad and Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction
The social-emotional functions associated with the Dark Triad have been widely examined. However, further research is needed to explore the nuanced relationship between the Dark Triad and interpersonal relationships, particularly in diverse cultural contexts. This study aimed to investigate the rela...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| author | Yaoguo Geng Ziyang Cheng Liping Shi Tingting Zhan Zhixia Hu Wenjing Jin |
| author_facet | Yaoguo Geng Ziyang Cheng Liping Shi Tingting Zhan Zhixia Hu Wenjing Jin |
| author_sort | Yaoguo Geng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The social-emotional functions associated with the Dark Triad have been widely examined. However, further research is needed to explore the nuanced relationship between the Dark Triad and interpersonal relationships, particularly in diverse cultural contexts. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Dark Triad and interpersonal relationship satisfaction and interpersonal forgiveness by testing 577 students with the Dirty Dozen (DD), Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction Questionnaire (IRSQ), and the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Scale-12-Item Form (TRIM-12). Results showed that (a) overall, the Dark Triad correlated negatively with lower interpersonal relationship satisfaction and interpersonal forgiveness. (b) Narcissism differs in the pattern of correlations from Machiavellianism and psychopathy. Machiavellianism and psychopathy were positively correlated with revenge, avoidance, and interpersonal dissatisfaction and negatively correlated with interpersonal satisfaction. In contrast, narcissism was positively correlated with revenge, avoidance, interpersonal dissatisfaction, and interpersonal satisfaction. (c) The mediating models showed that individuals with higher Dark Triad scores exhibited lower interpersonal relationship satisfaction and higher levels of revenge. Individuals with higher Machiavellianism and psychopathy showed greater interpersonal relationship dissatisfaction and more pronounced avoidance. These findings highlight the nuanced role of the Dark Triad in shaping interpersonal outcomes and suggest that targeted interventions focusing on relationship satisfaction and interpersonal forgiveness could mitigate the negative social behaviors associated with these traits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6c9ce957d33a4571b92f4b9d8e31e26c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-6c9ce957d33a4571b92f4b9d8e31e26c2025-08-20T02:44:40ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-02-0115223710.3390/bs15020237Dark Triad and Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship SatisfactionYaoguo Geng0Ziyang Cheng1Liping Shi2Tingting Zhan3Zhixia Hu4Wenjing Jin5School of Marxism, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaSchool of Marxism, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaSchool of Marxism, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaSchool of Marxism, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaSchool of Marxism, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaThe social-emotional functions associated with the Dark Triad have been widely examined. However, further research is needed to explore the nuanced relationship between the Dark Triad and interpersonal relationships, particularly in diverse cultural contexts. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Dark Triad and interpersonal relationship satisfaction and interpersonal forgiveness by testing 577 students with the Dirty Dozen (DD), Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction Questionnaire (IRSQ), and the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Scale-12-Item Form (TRIM-12). Results showed that (a) overall, the Dark Triad correlated negatively with lower interpersonal relationship satisfaction and interpersonal forgiveness. (b) Narcissism differs in the pattern of correlations from Machiavellianism and psychopathy. Machiavellianism and psychopathy were positively correlated with revenge, avoidance, and interpersonal dissatisfaction and negatively correlated with interpersonal satisfaction. In contrast, narcissism was positively correlated with revenge, avoidance, interpersonal dissatisfaction, and interpersonal satisfaction. (c) The mediating models showed that individuals with higher Dark Triad scores exhibited lower interpersonal relationship satisfaction and higher levels of revenge. Individuals with higher Machiavellianism and psychopathy showed greater interpersonal relationship dissatisfaction and more pronounced avoidance. These findings highlight the nuanced role of the Dark Triad in shaping interpersonal outcomes and suggest that targeted interventions focusing on relationship satisfaction and interpersonal forgiveness could mitigate the negative social behaviors associated with these traits.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/2/237Dark Triadinterpersonal forgivenessinterpersonal relationship |
| spellingShingle | Yaoguo Geng Ziyang Cheng Liping Shi Tingting Zhan Zhixia Hu Wenjing Jin Dark Triad and Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction Behavioral Sciences Dark Triad interpersonal forgiveness interpersonal relationship |
| title | Dark Triad and Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction |
| title_full | Dark Triad and Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction |
| title_fullStr | Dark Triad and Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dark Triad and Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction |
| title_short | Dark Triad and Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction |
| title_sort | dark triad and interpersonal forgiveness the mediating role of interpersonal relationship satisfaction |
| topic | Dark Triad interpersonal forgiveness interpersonal relationship |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/2/237 |
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