Dark shadow of the self: How the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in women
The current study examines the relationship between parental and intimate adult (best friend and partner) attachments with dark personality traits and empathy deficits in women. Participants (N = 262 females, M age = 26.65) completed self-report measures of the Dark Triad (DT) traits, cognitive and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Forensic Science International: Mind and Law |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666353821000023 |
| _version_ | 1819176808810020864 |
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| author | Claire A.J. Bloxsom Jennifer Firth Fränze Kibowski Vincent Egan Alexander L. Sumich Nadja Heym |
| author_facet | Claire A.J. Bloxsom Jennifer Firth Fränze Kibowski Vincent Egan Alexander L. Sumich Nadja Heym |
| author_sort | Claire A.J. Bloxsom |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The current study examines the relationship between parental and intimate adult (best friend and partner) attachments with dark personality traits and empathy deficits in women. Participants (N = 262 females, M age = 26.65) completed self-report measures of the Dark Triad (DT) traits, cognitive and affective empathy, and attachment experiences in close relationships. Path model analysis showed that parental avoidant attachment predicted the dark dyad traits (Machiavellianism, psychopathy) while only parental anxious attachment predicted psychopathy. Psychopathy was the only dark trait directly and indirectly (via affective empathy) associated with intimate adult life attachment insecurity, whereas narcissism was associated with secure attachment through reduced anxious attachment towards best friends. Reduced affective empathy mediated the relationship between psychopathy and increased avoidant attachment, and also directly predicted lower anxious (best friend and partner) attachment. These findings are considered in the context of a possible route from parental to intimate adult life attachment difficulties in women with dark – in particular, psychopathic traits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:16:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b6a87d34d21847069751d6558cae535b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-3538 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:16:39Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forensic Science International: Mind and Law |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6a87d34d21847069751d6558cae535b2022-12-21T18:12:20ZengElsevierForensic Science International: Mind and Law2666-35382021-11-012100045Dark shadow of the self: How the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in womenClaire A.J. Bloxsom0Jennifer Firth1Fränze Kibowski2Vincent Egan3Alexander L. Sumich4Nadja Heym5Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University Nottingham, United Kingdom; Corresponding author.Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University Nottingham, United KingdomDivision of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University Nottingham, United KingdomForensic and Family Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United KingdomDivision of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University Nottingham, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New ZealandDivision of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University Nottingham, United KingdomThe current study examines the relationship between parental and intimate adult (best friend and partner) attachments with dark personality traits and empathy deficits in women. Participants (N = 262 females, M age = 26.65) completed self-report measures of the Dark Triad (DT) traits, cognitive and affective empathy, and attachment experiences in close relationships. Path model analysis showed that parental avoidant attachment predicted the dark dyad traits (Machiavellianism, psychopathy) while only parental anxious attachment predicted psychopathy. Psychopathy was the only dark trait directly and indirectly (via affective empathy) associated with intimate adult life attachment insecurity, whereas narcissism was associated with secure attachment through reduced anxious attachment towards best friends. Reduced affective empathy mediated the relationship between psychopathy and increased avoidant attachment, and also directly predicted lower anxious (best friend and partner) attachment. These findings are considered in the context of a possible route from parental to intimate adult life attachment difficulties in women with dark – in particular, psychopathic traits.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666353821000023Dark triadPsychopathyMachiavellianismNarcissismCognitive and affective empathyAttachment styles |
| spellingShingle | Claire A.J. Bloxsom Jennifer Firth Fränze Kibowski Vincent Egan Alexander L. Sumich Nadja Heym Dark shadow of the self: How the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in women Forensic Science International: Mind and Law Dark triad Psychopathy Machiavellianism Narcissism Cognitive and affective empathy Attachment styles |
| title | Dark shadow of the self: How the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in women |
| title_full | Dark shadow of the self: How the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in women |
| title_fullStr | Dark shadow of the self: How the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dark shadow of the self: How the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in women |
| title_short | Dark shadow of the self: How the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in women |
| title_sort | dark shadow of the self how the dark triad and empathy impact parental and intimate adult attachment relationships in women |
| topic | Dark triad Psychopathy Machiavellianism Narcissism Cognitive and affective empathy Attachment styles |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666353821000023 |
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