Investigating the mediating role of emotional beliefs and emotional regulation in relation between dark traits and sadistic personality tendencies: a study on normal population in Tehran

The aim of this study was to investigate correlational relationship and draw the mediation model of emotional beliefs and emotion regulation between dark traits and sadistic personality tendencies. For this purpose, from the statistical population of the Bu Ali sina University students, 439 were selected by using multistage cluster sampling. Then dark triad traits questionnaire, emotional beliefs and emotion regulation and sadistic personality were distributed among research participants to respond. Collected data were analyzed by using descriptive and correlation indicators and path analysis. Results indicated that there is a significant positive correlation between the negative emotional beliefs with sadistic personality tendencies, and also positive correlation between Machiavellianism trait and sadistic personality (p<0.05). But the relationship between the psychopath trait and the components of the sadistic personality was not significant (p>0.05). Also path analysis modeling indicated that mediating role of emotional believe of loss of control in relationship between Machiavellianism and sadistic trait. The results support the hypothesis that dark traits leads to abnormal personality tendencies and negative emotional beliefs can have a moderating role in this regard.