TY - JOUR
T1 - Dark personality traits and problematic smartphone use : the mediating role of fearful attachment
AU - Balta, Sabah
AU - Jonason, Peter
AU - Denes, Amanda
AU - Emirtekin, Emrah
AU - Tosuntas, Sule Betul
AU - Kircaburun, Kagan
AU - Griffiths, Mark D.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Recently, empirical research has shown dark personality traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, spitefulness) to be associated with problematic and addictive online behaviors. However, their direct relationships with problematic smartphone use (PSU) have yet to be examined. The present study investigated the direct and indirect associations of dark personality traits with PSU via fearful and dismissing attachment styles among 546 participants. Results indicated that men had higher scores on measures assessing dark personality traits and women had higher PSU. Narcissism and spitefulness were directly associated with PSU in the total sample, men, and women. Machiavellianism was indirectly associated with PSU via fearful attachment among men and sadism was directly and indirectly associated with PSU via fearful attachment among women. Findings suggest that dark personality traits may play a contributory role in higher PSU (with different traits having different effects among men and women), and that attachment styles partially explain the relationship between dark traits and PSU.
AB - Recently, empirical research has shown dark personality traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, spitefulness) to be associated with problematic and addictive online behaviors. However, their direct relationships with problematic smartphone use (PSU) have yet to be examined. The present study investigated the direct and indirect associations of dark personality traits with PSU via fearful and dismissing attachment styles among 546 participants. Results indicated that men had higher scores on measures assessing dark personality traits and women had higher PSU. Narcissism and spitefulness were directly associated with PSU in the total sample, men, and women. Machiavellianism was indirectly associated with PSU via fearful attachment among men and sadism was directly and indirectly associated with PSU via fearful attachment among women. Findings suggest that dark personality traits may play a contributory role in higher PSU (with different traits having different effects among men and women), and that attachment styles partially explain the relationship between dark traits and PSU.
KW - Machiavellianism (psychology)
KW - antisocial personality disorders
KW - attachment behavior
KW - narcissism
KW - sadism
KW - smartphones
UR - http://handle.westernsydney.edu.au:8081/1959.7/uws:51975
U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2019.06.005
DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2019.06.005
M3 - Article
SN - 0191-8869
VL - 149
SP - 214
EP - 219
JO - Personality and Individual Differences
JF - Personality and Individual Differences
ER -