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Dark Triad Personality Traits in Cyber Aggression Among College Students
Taylor R Nocera1, Eric R Dahlen2
1School of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS.
Violence and Victims
|August 14, 2020
Summary
College students exhibiting psychopathic traits, particularly an erratic lifestyle, are more likely to engage in cyber aggression. Narcissistic and Machiavellian traits also correlate with this behavior.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Cyberpsychology
Background:
- Cyber aggression is a significant issue among adolescents, but less is understood about its predictors in college populations.
- The Dark Triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy) are increasingly studied in relation to antisocial behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between Dark Triad personality traits and cyber aggression perpetration in a college student sample.
- To determine if specific components of the Dark Triad uniquely predict cyber aggression.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 297 college students completed measures of Dark Triad traits and cyber aggression.
- Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationships, controlling for gender and age.
Main Results:
- Machiavellian, narcissistic (grandiose and vulnerable), and psychopathic traits were positively associated with cyber aggression.
- Only the erratic lifestyle facet of psychopathy significantly predicted unique variance in cyber aggression perpetration.
- Gender did not moderate the relationship between Dark Triad traits and cyber aggression.
Conclusions:
- Psychopathic traits, specifically an erratic lifestyle, emerge as a key predictor of cyber aggression among college students.
- Findings contribute to understanding the psychological underpinnings of cyber aggression in higher education settings.
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