A Person-Centered Approach to Emotional Security: Latent Profile Analysis of the Dark Triad and Psychological Symptoms


Kaya A., Mukba G., Özok H. İ.

Psychological Reports, 2023 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1177/00332941231203561
  • Dergi Adı: Psychological Reports
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Periodicals Index Online, AgeLine, ATLA Religion Database, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Gender Studies Database, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: attachment, machiavellianism, mixture model, narcissism, psychological distress, psychopathy
  • Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Few studies have examined emotional security utilizing a person-centered approach. Therefore, in the present study, we conceptualized a multidimensional construct that includes psychological symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) and the dark triad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy). Applying latent profile analysis (LPA) allows the exploration of the interaction of emotional security with the dark triad traits and psychological symptoms in the sample at the level of sub-classes. Depression, stress, anxiety, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy were determined as profile indicators. Moreover, satisfaction with life and the psychological well-being of the sub-classes were predicted. Data were gathered from 558 participants (418 females, %74.9) with an average age of 22.44 years). LPA indicated four distinct profiles: ‘High emotional security and low psychological symptoms, and dark triad traits’ (22%), ‘Low emotional security and high psychological symptoms, dark triad traits’ (5%), ‘Low emotional security and moderate dark triad traits’ (28%), ‘Moderate emotional security, psychological symptoms, and dark triad traits’ (45%). Mixture modeling approach-based research provides a complementary view of the previous psychopathology literature. The findings could help practitioners target at-risk university students with low emotional security, low psychological well-being, and low life satisfaction and design programs to aid them in alleviating the psychological symptoms and the dark triad traits.