Exploring a Model for Explaining the Loneliness of Girl and Boy Students Based on the Dark Triad: Studying the mediating Role of Love Styles

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of predicting students' loneliness based on dark personality traits and mediation of love styles. The method of this study was correlation of path analysis type. 551 students (295 girl and 256 boys) were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling method from Sari universities and responded to the Dark Triad Questionnaire (Jonason & Webster), Love Attitude Scale (Hendrick, Hendrick, & Dick) and Lonliness Scale (Russel, Peplau, & Cutrona). Data were analyzed using path analysis statistical method and AMOS software. Findings showed that in the sample of girl students, antisocial trait influenced the loneliness through mediating the erotic love, and in the case of boys students, narcissism trait was effective on loneliness through mediating of manic love style. Therefore, in general, it can be said that at least part of the relationship between the three dark traits of personality and loneliness in young non-clinical samples can be justified by the mediating effect of different attitudes to romantic relationships