Do the dark triad traits predict disparities between people’s own and partner’s norm-violations assessment in close relationships? : dark triad traits and perception gaps in relationship norm violations

Abstract

Þessi rannsókn miðar að því að kanna hvort að þeir sem mælast með hærra stig af persónueinkennum Hinnar Myrku Þrenningu (e. Dark Triad; sjálfhverfa, makíavellismi og siðblinda) sýni meiri mismun í mati varðandi eigin mörk siðferðisbrota og mörk maka á ýmsum sviðum, þar með talið kynferðislegt, tilfinningalegt, vináttu og friðhelgi einkalífs. Rannsóknin kannar hvort þessi tengsl haldist marktæk eftir að hafa stjórnað fyrir pörunarstefnu (þ.e. langtíma á móti skammtíma) skynjuðu makagildi, aldri og lengd sambands. Fyrri rannsóknir benda til þess að einkenni Hinnar Myrku Þrenningu séu tengd ýmsum félags- og sálfræðilegum þáttum, þar á meðal samúð og pörunarstefnu. Eftir að hafa tekið inn persónuupplýsingar í lokaúrtakið voru 243 íslenskir þátttakendur. Niðurstöður leiddu í ljós marktækan meðalmun á mati á eigin siðferðismati og maka, yfir hugsanlegra siðferðisbrota í rómantískum samböndum. Þátttakendur töldu sína eigin kynferðislegar ógnir ásættanlegri en hegðun maka sinna og á sama hátt fannst þeim brot á friðhelgi einkalífs maka síns vera ásættanlegri en brot á eigin friðhelgi einkalífs. Þátttakendur höfðu tilhneigingu til að meta eigin tilfinningalega ógnun ásættanlegri en hegðun maka þeirra, en hins vegar sýndu vináttumörk ekki marktækan mun. Að auki hafði makíavellismi jákvæða fylgni við viðurkenningu á sjálfsskynjuðum siðferðisbrotum, þá sérstaklega við kynferðislegri ógn, vináttumörkum og broti á friðhelgi einkalífs. Þar að auki tengdist Makíavellismi auknu bili á milli sjálfsmats og mati á maka á brotum á friðhelgi einkalífs. Hins vegar sýndu einstaklingar hærra stig af siðblindu meiri viðurkenningu á siðferðisbrotum, sérstaklega í samhengi við kynferðislegri ógn, sem ögraði upphaflegu tilgátunni um vanþóknun á siðferðisbrotum maka. Að sama skapi, þó sjálfhverfa hafi ekki beina fylgni við sjálfsmat á siðferðisbrotum var sjálfhverfa tengd auknu bili á milli sjálfsmats og mat á maka þegar kom að vináttumörkum. The current study aims to investigate if people with higher levels of Dark triad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) exhibit greater disparities in evaluations concerning self and partner’s boundaries across various domains, including sexual, emotional, friendship, and privacy. The study explores whether these associations remain significant after controlling for mating orientation (i.e., long-term vs. short-term), perceived mate value, age, and relationship duration. Past studies indicate that the Dark Triad traits are linked to various social-psychological factors including empathy and mating strategies. After factoring in personality data, the final sample included 243 participants who were literate in Icelandic. Our findings revealed significant mean differences between self and partner evaluations across multiple norm-violation behaviors in romantic relationships. Participants perceived their own sexual threat behaviors as more acceptable than those of their partners, and similarly, they found their partner’s privacy violations to be more acceptable than their own. Participants tended to rate their own emotional threat behaviors as more acceptable than those of their partners; however, friendship violation behaviors did not show a significant difference. Additionally, Machiavellianism was positively correlated with the acceptance of self-perceived norm violations, particularly in sexual threats, friendship violations, and privacy violations. Machiavellianism was associated with an increased gap between self and partner evaluations of privacy violations. Individuals with higher levels of psychopathy exhibited greater acceptance of norm violations, mainly in sexual threat contexts, challenging the initial hypothesis of disapproval towards partner norm violations. While narcissism did not directly correlate with self-evaluation of norm-violation behaviors, it was associated with an increased gap between self and partner evaluations of friendship violations.

The current study aims to investigate if people with higher levels of Dark triad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) exhibit greater disparities in evaluations concerning self and partner’s boundaries across various domains, including sexual, emotional, friendship, and privacy. The study explores whether these associations remain significant after controlling for mating orientation (i.e., long-term vs. short-term), perceived mate value, age, and relationship duration. Past studies indicate that the Dark Triad traits are linked to various social-psychological factors including empathy and mating strategies. After factoring in personality data, the final sample included 243 participants who were literate in Icelandic. Our findings revealed significant mean differences between self and partner evaluations across multiple norm-violation behaviors in romantic relationships. Participants perceived their own sexual threat behaviors as more acceptable than those of their partners, and similarly, they found their partner’s privacy violations to be more acceptable than their own. Participants tended to rate their own emotional threat behaviors as more acceptable than those of their partners; however, friendship violation behaviors did not show a significant difference. Additionally, Machiavellianism was positively correlated with the acceptance of self-perceived norm violations, particularly in sexual threats, friendship violations, and privacy violations. Machiavellianism was associated with an increased gap between self and partner evaluations of privacy violations. Individuals with higher levels of psychopathy exhibited greater acceptance of norm violations, mainly in sexual threat contexts, challenging the initial hypothesis of disapproval towards partner norm violations. While narcissism did not directly correlate with self-evaluation of norm-violation behaviors, it was associated with an increased gap between self and partner evaluations of friendship violations.