Search Results (129)

Background/Objectives: In an increasingly pervasive digital environment, trait boredom has been identified as a key psychological factor in the onset and maintenance of problematic digital technology use. This systematic review aims to investigate the role of trait boredom in digital behavioral addictions, including problematic smartphone use, Internet and social media overuse, and gaming addiction, through theoretical models such as the I-PACE model and the Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT). Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple scientific databases (PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus), yielding a total of 4603 records. Following the PRISMA guidelines after duplicate removal and screening based on title and abstract, 152 articles were assessed for full-text eligibility, and 28 studies met the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the final review. Results: Findings reveal that trait boredom functions as both a direct and indirect factor in problematic technology use. It serves as a mediator and moderator in the relationship between psychological vulnerabilities (e.g., depression, alexithymia, vulnerable narcissism) and dysfunctional digital behaviors. Furthermore, as an independent variable, it has an influence on technological variables through Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), loneliness, low self-regulation, and dysfunctional metacognitions, while protective factors such as mindfulness and attentional control mitigate its impact. Conclusions: Boredom represents a central psychological lever for understanding behavioral addictions in the digital age and should be considered a key target in preventive and therapeutic interventions focused on enhancing self-regulation and meaningful engagement with free time. Full article

In informal economic contexts, migrant entrepreneurs have been extolled as highly resilient and adaptable. This study critically investigates the adverse psychological foundations inherent in such enterprises, focusing on how dark triad personality traits emerge in the leadership orientations of marginal migrant entrepreneurs. Following a qualitative ethnographic approach, this research engaged 10–15 migrant employees through participant observation, field notes, and semi-structured interviews in an informal economic context. Thematic analysis revealed five dominant patterns: narcissistic leadership with entitlement and emotional disrespect; Machiavellian behavior of manipulation and deception; psychopathic detachment in emotional callousness; absence of light triad actions such as empathy, humility, and selflessness; and moral disengagement through rationalizations such as “everyone does it” or system blame. Migrant business owners prefer to rationalize their exploitative acts as being necessary for economic survival, thus legitimizing immoral conduct and suppressing moral self-regulation. The findings indicate that marginality not only drives entrepreneurial innovation, but also has the potential to create exploitative inclinations that are institutionally and morally unchecked. Solving this issue requires not only mere psychological awareness, but also systematic reforms that foster ethical robustness and emotional sensitivity. This study ultimately asserts the need to reframe migrant entrepreneurship discourse, including both ethical and psychological accountability. Full article

We conducted a diary study to examine how narcissism influences reactions to daily perceived partner phubbing (N = 196). We examined relationships between two facets of narcissism (rivalry and admiration) and personal and relational well-being, reactions to phubbing, reports of retaliation, and motives for retaliation. On average, participants higher in rivalry reported lower self-esteem and higher depressed and anxious mood, whilst participants higher in admiration reported greater relationship satisfaction, higher self-esteem, lower depressed and anxious mood, and lower levels of anger/frustration. These patterns held regardless of whether they were phubbed or not. In response to partner phubbing, participants higher in rivalry reported, on average, greater curiosity, resentment, conflict, and retaliation. On days when participants reported higher phubbing, those with higher rivalry reported greater curiosity, while those higher in admiration reported greater conflict. When retaliating to phubbing, those higher in rivalry did so, on average, to get back at their partner and to seek support and approval from others, whereas those higher in admiration were less likely to report boredom as a reason for retaliating. Our findings contribute to the sparse literature on narcissism and phubbing by showing how narcissists respond to being phubbed. We discuss how phubbing may exacerbate their relational difficulties. Full article

This study aimed to examine teachers’ toxic behaviors and their impact on the school environment from the perspective of school principals. The study, employing a phenomenological approach, was based on the views of 12 school principals in Türkiye. It was found that toxic behaviors were consistent with personality traits known as the dark triad—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy—and were associated with characteristics such as low performance, professional inadequacy, and a lack of social skills within the school context. Findings suggested that such behaviors can have serious negative effects on organizational climate, teacher collaboration, and organizational trust. Particularly, according to the school principals’ views, toxic teachers poisoned the school environment, reduced motivation, and negatively affected the overall performance of the school. The study also evaluated the strategies school principals used to cope with toxic teachers, revealing a phased adoption of constructive and discipline-based intervention approaches. The results underscored the critical importance of school principals’ ability to effectively manage toxic behaviors for the academic and social success of their schools. Full article

The rising prevalence of cyberbullying in online environments has raised concerns about the well-being and safety of individuals. The objective of this research is to explore if the dark triad traits (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) function as mediators in the connections between maternal psychological control, paternal psychological control, cyberbullying, and cybervictimization. A sample of 1016 young adults participated in an online survey, providing self-reported data. The results revealed complex relationships among the variables examined. While most direct and indirect links were statistically significant, the direct connection between maternal psychological control and cyberbullying was significant only when paternal psychological control was not simultaneously included as a predictor. Furthermore, narcissism’s mediating effects were beneficial when Machiavellianism and psychopathy were excluded and negative otherwise. The results highlight that individuals with high degrees of parental psychological control are more prone to engage in manipulative actions and lack empathy, leading to cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Future research should disentangle the distinct roles of maternal and paternal control, investigate the interplay among dark triad traits in different social contexts, and consider how peer dynamics and digital environments may amplify or mitigate these effects. Full article

The rapid expansion of digital communication platforms has created new spaces for antisocial, manipulative, and emotionally detached behaviors. While psychopathy has been extensively studied in clinical and forensic settings, its digital manifestation, referred to as cyberpsychopathy, remains conceptually underdefined. This integrative review aimed to synthesize empirical research exploring psychopathy and aversive personality traits in online contexts to identify key conceptual domains and propose a preliminary definition. A systematic search across five databases yielded 35 peer-reviewed studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Using a biopsychosocial framework and thematic synthesis, six interrelated domains were identified: online behaviors (e.g., trolling and deception), online environments (e.g., anonymity and reward mechanisms), sociodemographic factors (e.g., age and gender), personality traits (e.g., psychopathy and narcissism), psychological factors (e.g., emotion dysregulation and low self-esteem), and motivations (e.g., dominance and emotional compensation). These domains interact to shape how psychopathic tendencies manifest online. Most studies were of moderate-to-high methodological quality, though variability limited direct comparisons. We propose cyberpsychopathy as a multidimensional construct representing the expression of aversive traits facilitated by digital affordances and psychological vulnerabilities. This review provides a foundational framework for understanding cyberpsychopathy and underscores the need for empirical validation and the development of assessment tools suited to digital behavior in both clinical and forensic settings. Full article

Non-consensual intimate media sharing (NCIMS)—defined as the non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit images or videos—has notably increased in recent years, despite legislative actions to tackle this. This study aimed to investigate whether the Dark Triad traits of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—as well as sex and social desirability—predicted NCIMS proclivity, enjoyment, and approval in UK university students. A total of 653 participants were recruited through Prolific, the University of Birmingham survey circle, and social media. All participants completed various measures to assess self-reported levels of Dark Triad traits, social desirability, and NCIMS proclivity, enjoyment, and approval. The results showed that the models for each multiple linear regression (NCIMS proclivity, enjoyment, and approval) were statistically significant, though only certain variables were independent predictors for each regression. For proclivity, only psychopathy independently added to the prediction. For enjoyment, significant predictors were sex, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. For approval, only Machiavellianism added statistically to the prediction. This research adds to the growing literature base around NCIMS, specifically within university students in the UK, and provides strong evidence for the development and implementation of interventions designed to address the likelihood of individuals perpetrating NCIMS. Full article

Background/Objectives: Burnout is a highly prevalent issue among physicians. Recent research has indicated that personality traits, such as narcissism, may influence the development of burnout. This study investigates the relationship between the threatened self (TS) narcissism subscale and burnout in male physicians. Methods: We analyzed data from 60 male physicians in Switzerland, divided into burnout (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. Male physicians in Switzerland were recruited via hospitals, clinics, medical associations, professional journals, and direct email outreach. We assessed participants using the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI-HSS) and the Narcissism Inventory (NI-20). A generalized linear model (GLM) was used for the statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that lower TS scores were significantly associated with a reduced likelihood of burnout, suggesting that self-esteem instability and emotional vulnerability, characteristic of TS, may act as risk factors for burnout. Furthermore, we found that Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) was significantly associated with burnout. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of considering personality traits such as TS in burnout research and could be explored in further studies. In clinical practice, increasing therapists’ awareness of TS may support more targeted interventions and help prevent the onset of burnout. Full article

Narcissism has been linked to negative attitudes toward certain outgroups. The present studies examined the associations that narcissistic traits—extraverted narcissism, antagonistic narcissism, and neurotic narcissism—had with anti-immigrant attitudes. More specifically, we were interested in the possibility that these associations may be mediated by social worldviews and ideological attitudes. Across three studies, the results indicated that extraverted and antagonistic narcissism had positive indirect associations with anti-immigrant attitudes through the competitive social worldview via the ideological attitudes of Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation. In contrast, neurotic narcissism was negatively associated with anti-immigrant attitudes, though this relationship was not consistently mediated by social worldviews or ideological attitudes. These findings suggest that individuals with high levels of extraverted and antagonistic narcissism may endorse a competitive worldview, which aligns with negative attitudes toward immigrants who may be perceived as threats to their social status. This underscores the role of narcissism, social worldviews, and ideological attitudes in potentially shaping anti-immigrant sentiment. Full article

This paper empirically examines the impact of CEO narcissism on corporate financialization using Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies from 2009–2022. The results find that CEO narcissism leads to corporate financialization, and the promotion is more significant in lower cash flow, smaller company size, and non-Big Four audited firms. The impact mechanism test finds that CEO narcissism leads to inefficient investment behaviors, increases agency costs, and thus, exacerbates corporate financialization. By exploring the relationship between CEO narcissism and corporate financialization in depth, this paper provides new perspectives and ideas for research in related fields. This study conducts an in-depth analysis of the underlying mechanisms through which CEO narcissism influences corporate financialization. It highlights that inefficient investment behavior and increased agency costs serve as key transmission channels, providing new theoretical support for understanding the complex drivers of corporate financialization. Therefore, this research not only expands the scope of studies on the relationship between CEO characteristics and corporate financial decision making but also offers new perspectives for explaining the phenomenon of corporate financialization and formulating governance strategies. Full article

The objective of this systematic review was to explore the interaction between Dark Triad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) and other personality dimensions in the workplace, and how these combinations impact the performance of employees and leaders. Fifteen empirical studies published since 2014 were analyzed, which assessed the influence of Dark Triad traits along with other personality dimensions, such as the traditional Big Five (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness), on performance, interpersonal relationships, and organizational satisfaction. The results suggest that narcissism is negatively related to agreeableness and self-control, Machiavellianism to empathy and agreeableness, and psychopathy to conscientiousness and empathy. These traits also affect job performance, as narcissism and Machiavellianism are associated with work addiction, while psychopathy is linked to lower responsibility and self-control. Additionally, leaders with high levels of Dark Triad traits experience reduced performance, especially in lower hierarchical roles. It was found that emotional stability can moderate the negative impact of narcissism, and that less regulated organizational contexts exhibit more interactions involving these dark traits. These findings provide valuable insights for developing talent assessment and management strategies aimed at improving organizational performance and climate through evidence-based approaches. Full article

There has been considerable debate about whether contemporary Western societies are experiencing an increase in narcissistic tendencies, often referred to as a “narcissism epidemic”. This rise highlights the importance of understanding the origins of narcissism, particularly regarding its potential association with parenting styles. Such insights can inform treatment approaches and contribute to paradigm shifts in developmental psychology. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine how different parenting styles are associated with the development of narcissistic traits, using both partial and zero-order correlations as measures of effect. To ensure a consistent conceptualization of parenting styles, the results were evaluated using Baumrind’s parental styles typology. The review follows PRISMA guidelines and is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024516395). Studies published in English or Portuguese since 2000 were sourced from PubMed (1039 articles) and Scopus (2120 articles), resulting in a final sample of 53 studies across 38 articles. Data synthesis included assessment of statistical heterogeneity (${\mathrm{I}}^2$ statistic), publication bias (funnel plots, Egger’s test, and the trim and fill method), and methodological quality (adapted Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, NOS). Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of excluding studies scoring below eight on the NOS by comparing results from analyses with all studies versus high-quality studies only. Results indicate a significant, albeit weak, association between parenting styles and narcissistic traits, with notable variations between maternal and paternal influences. This analysis provides a comprehensive perspective on the interplay between parenting approaches and the emergence of narcissistic characteristics, underscoring the complexity of factors that contribute to narcissism in contemporary society. Full article

Prior research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding the association between narcissism and creativity, possibly due to the neglect of different narcissism subtypes. The present study aimed to elucidate the relationship between narcissism and creativity by introducing two distinct subtypes of narcissism, namely grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. A total of 571 employees (267 males, 304 females) from high-tech enterprises across 26 provinces in China completed measures of narcissism, creative performance, creative states, and self-esteem, following explicit instructions. The results indicated that participants with grandiose narcissism reported significantly higher levels of creativity states and fluency in creativity performance than those with vulnerable narcissism. Self-esteem mediated the relationship between both subtypes of narcissism and creativity. The implications of the revealed differential effects of grandiosity and vulnerability on creativity in the workplace were also discussed. Full article

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. Full article

Background and Objectives: The use of anabolic–androgenic steroids (AASs) by competitive and recreational athletes has been studied and well documented. There are numerous studies showing its effects on personality traits and risky behaviors like aggression. The relationship between AAS use, aggression, and narcissism is complex and intricate. We examined this relationship in male bodybuilders who use AASs. Materials and Methods: A total of 319 healthy subjects aged 18–44 years (33.4 ± 9.4) who have been regularly training at bodybuilding for at least 3 years participated voluntarily in the study and completed a demographic data inventory, the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory Short Form (FFNI-SF), and the Buss–Perry Aggression Scale anonymously. Demographic data were given as percentages, comparisons of aggression and narcissism scores according to AAS use were performed by using an independent sample t test, and effects of narcissism and aggression levels on AAS use was assessed by using logistic regression analysis. All analyses were performed by using SPSS Statistics 22.0. Results: Results showed that AAS users had significantly higher scores on the overall FFNI-SF Scale (p < 0.001) and all sub-dimensions of narcissism (p < 0.001) and on the overall Buss–Perry Aggression Scale (p < 0.001) and all sub-dimensions of aggression (p < 0.001). It was also shown that there were significant and positive correlations between the FFNI-SF overall score (p < 0.001) and both the vulnerable narcissism and grandiose narcissism sub-dimensions (p < 0.001) and the scores of the Buss–Perry Aggression Scale (p < 0.001), physical aggression (p < 0.001), anger (p < 0.001), hostility (p < 0.001), and verbal aggression (p < 0.001) sub-dimensions. Conclusions: These results show a strong relation between AAS use, narcissism, and aggression in bodybuilders. However, it is not clear whether AAS use leads to aggression and narcissism or whether narcissistic and/or aggressive people tend to use AASs. Furthermore, including a lot of potential third variables shows that it does not have to be either one or the other way around. There is a need to conduct future studies to determine this causality. Full article