Journal of Woman and Family Studies

The causal modeling of affective divorce in women based on dark personality traits: with mediating role of sexual self esteem

Document Type : Research/Original/Regular

Authors

1 university of mohaghegh ardabili

2 Professor, Department of Psychology, University of mohaghegh ardabili, ardabil, Iran.

3 Department of Psychology, University of mohaghegh ardabili, ardabil, Iran.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the causal modeling of affective divorce based on the dark personality traits with the mediating role of sexual self-esteem among women in Ardabil. The statistical population of this study was all women in Ardabil who lived in this city in the autumn of 2019. One hundred and fifty women were selected randomly via clustering sampling method and participated in the study. The research method of present study was a descriptive- correlation. Gottman's Emotional Divorce Scale, Johnson & Webster's Dark Personality Assessment Questionnaire and Zeanah and Schwarz's Sexual Self-Esteem Questionnaire were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that the dark personality traits of machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism have a positive and significant effect and sexual self-esteem has a negative and significant effect on emotional divorce. In addition to the direct effect, dark personality traits also indirectly affect emotional divorce through the mediation of sexual self-esteem. According to the VAF statistics, it was observed that 36.5% of the effect of Machiavellianism on emotional divorce, 31.7% of the effect of narcissism on emotional divorce and 34.5% of the effect of psychopathy on emotional divorce can be explained through sexual self-esteem. The results of the present study highlight the importance of purposeful interventions aimed at changing or modifying dark personality traits and strengthening sexual self-esteem to prevent or reduce emotional divorce.

Highlights

Extended abstract

Background & Purpose

Divorce is one of the most important issues that disrupt life and its growing trend causes increasing single-parent families (Van Gassi and Mortelmans, 2020). In hidden divorce, couples live together because of necessity and compulsion, which is also called silent divorce or emotional divorce (Parvin, Davoodi, and Mohamadi, 2011). One of the factors that can always affect couples' relationships is their personality traits. One of the newest theories related to personality traits is the three dark personality traits of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, each of them can lead to destructive behaviors in marital relationships (Koladich and Atkinson, 2016). Uysal (2016) showed that dark personality traits are inversely and significantly related to sexual and marital intimacy.

On the other hand, one of the most important areas of marital adjustment is sexual adjustment; sexual self-esteem is also one of the determinants of this type. Sexual self-esteem represents a person's emotional response to the evaluation of his or her sexual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Beth, Julien, Anthony, and Michael, 2010). Ebrahimkhani et al. (2019) concluded that sexual factors such as sexual awareness and sexual self-esteem have a significant relationship with marital satisfaction. To confirm the relationship between personality and self-esteem to influence marital relationships; Sedikides et al. (2004) represented that narcissists have much higher egocentrism traits (eg, ambition, self-confidence) than compassionate traits (e.g., consideration) in their romantic life. Considering the high prevalence of emotional divorce among couples and the consequences of this problem against the family foundation, the purpose of this present study was to conduct a causal model of emotional divorce among women based on dark personality traits through sexual self-esteem meditation.

 

Method

The present research was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all married women in Ardabil who lived in this city in the autumn of 2019, 150 women were selected by randomized cluster sampling method.

Gottman Emotional Divorce Scale: This test contains 24 items that were developed by Gottman (2002). Each item is scored using a 2-point scale: yes (1) or no (0). Mousavi and Rahiminezhad (2015) reported the total reliability of this test equal to 0.93 using the Cronbach alpha. And also, in the present study, the reliability of this test was obtained 0.71 using Cronbach alpha.

12-item scale for three dark traits of personality: This scale was made by Johnson and Webster (2010) and includes 12 items that measure the three dark traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism, and its reliability is determined by Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.81 (Basharpoor and Shafie, 2015). In this study, its reliability was obtained at 0.86 using Cronbach alpha analysis.

Zeanah and Schwarz Sexual Self-Esteem Questionnaire: This questionnaire was developed by Zeanah and Schwarz (1996) and includes 81 items. Cronbach's alpha of the attractiveness, control, adaptability, moral judgment, and skill and experience subscales were reported to be 0.94, 0.88, 0.85, 0.85, and 0.93 respectively. In the present study, its reliability was obtained 0.95 using Cronbach alpha.

 

Results

A total of 150 subjects with a mean age of 33.15 ± 4.87 participated in this study that the direct and indirect effects of dark personality traits on emotional divorce were investigated by direct equation modeling through sexual self-esteem meditation.

Table 1.

Results related to the direct effects of variables

 

Variables

Path coefficient

T test

Standard error

Significant

MachiavellianismàSexual self-esteem

-0.48

-5.32

0.074

Significant

Machiavellianismàemotional divorce

0.35

3.42

0.096

Significant

narcissismà Sexual self-esteem

-0.62

-7.15

0.052

Significant

narcissismà emotional divorce

0.56

6.26

0.064

Significant

psychopathyà Sexual self-esteem

-0.54

-6.08

0.069

Significant

psychopathyà emotional divorce

0.43

4.75

0.079

Significant

Sexual self-esteemà emotional divorce

-0.42

-4.66

0.081

Significant

 

As can be seen, the results of Table 1 show that the direct effect of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism on sexual self-esteem is inverse and significant. Also, the effect of three dark traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism on emotional divorce is positive and significant, and as well as the direct effect of sexual self-esteem variable on emotional divorce is inverse and significant.

Table 2.

Analysis results of indirect effect for dark personality traits on emotional divorce

 

Research Hypothesis

T-sobel

Standard path coefficient

VAF

Test result

MachiavellianismàSexual self-esteemà emotional divorce

4.07

0.20

0.365

Confirmed

narcissismàSexual self-esteemà emotional divorce

5.33

0.26

0.317

Confirmed

psychopathyà Sexual self-esteemà emotional divorce

4.47

0.23

0.345

Confirmed

 

According to the number of indirect t-statistics (T-sub) between the variables of dark personality traits and emotional divorce which is out of range (1.96 & -1.96); therefore, the hypothesis of the indirect effect of dark personality traits through sexual self-esteem mediation is accepted on emotional divorce.

 

Conclusion

The results of this study indicated that sexual self-esteem can mediate the relationship between emotional divorce and dark personality traits. These results suggest that dark personality traits with a negative effect on sexual self-esteem can affect emotional divorce. People with dark personality traits have fragile and vulnerable self-esteem, and also others with high levels of dark traits try to hide their self-esteem better in appearance, but this low real self-esteem makes them feel less safe and have less faith in their survival in a marital relationship, and these factors can lead their lives to emotional divorce and cold relationships.

 

Keywords

Main Subjects

Extended abstract

Background & Purpose

Divorce is one of the most important issues that disrupt life and its growing trend causes increasing single-parent families (Van Gassi and Mortelmans, 2020). In hidden divorce, couples live together because of necessity and compulsion, which is also called silent divorce or emotional divorce (Parvin, Davoodi, and Mohamadi, 2011). One of the factors that can always affect couples' relationships is their personality traits. One of the newest theories related to personality traits is the three dark personality traits of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, each of them can lead to destructive behaviors in marital relationships (Koladich and Atkinson, 2016). Uysal (2016) showed that dark personality traits are inversely and significantly related to sexual and marital intimacy.

On the other hand, one of the most important areas of marital adjustment is sexual adjustment; sexual self-esteem is also one of the determinants of this type. Sexual self-esteem represents a person's emotional response to the evaluation of his or her sexual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Beth, Julien, Anthony, and Michael, 2010). Ebrahimkhani et al. (2019) concluded that sexual factors such as sexual awareness and sexual self-esteem have a significant relationship with marital satisfaction. To confirm the relationship between personality and self-esteem to influence marital relationships; Sedikides et al. (2004) represented that narcissists have much higher egocentrism traits (eg, ambition, self-confidence) than compassionate traits (e.g., consideration) in their romantic life. Considering the high prevalence of emotional divorce among couples and the consequences of this problem against the family foundation, the purpose of this present study was to conduct a causal model of emotional divorce among women based on dark personality traits through sexual self-esteem meditation.

 

Method

The present research was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all married women in Ardabil who lived in this city in the autumn of 2019, 150 women were selected by randomized cluster sampling method.

Gottman Emotional Divorce Scale: This test contains 24 items that were developed by Gottman (2002). Each item is scored using a 2-point scale: yes (1) or no (0). Mousavi and Rahiminezhad (2015) reported the total reliability of this test equal to 0.93 using the Cronbach alpha. And also, in the present study, the reliability of this test was obtained 0.71 using Cronbach alpha.

12-item scale for three dark traits of personality: This scale was made by Johnson and Webster (2010) and includes 12 items that measure the three dark traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism, and its reliability is determined by Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.81 (Basharpoor and Shafie, 2015). In this study, its reliability was obtained at 0.86 using Cronbach alpha analysis.

Zeanah and Schwarz Sexual Self-Esteem Questionnaire: This questionnaire was developed by Zeanah and Schwarz (1996) and includes 81 items. Cronbach's alpha of the attractiveness, control, adaptability, moral judgment, and skill and experience subscales were reported to be 0.94, 0.88, 0.85, 0.85, and 0.93 respectively. In the present study, its reliability was obtained 0.95 using Cronbach alpha.

 

Results

A total of 150 subjects with a mean age of 33.15 ± 4.87 participated in this study that the direct and indirect effects of dark personality traits on emotional divorce were investigated by direct equation modeling through sexual self-esteem meditation.

Table 1.

Results related to the direct effects of variables

 

Variables

Path coefficient

T test

Standard error

Significant

MachiavellianismàSexual self-esteem

-0.48

-5.32

0.074

Significant

Machiavellianismàemotional divorce

0.35

3.42

0.096

Significant

narcissismà Sexual self-esteem

-0.62

-7.15

0.052

Significant

narcissismà emotional divorce

0.56

6.26

0.064

Significant

psychopathyà Sexual self-esteem

-0.54

-6.08

0.069

Significant

psychopathyà emotional divorce

0.43

4.75

0.079

Significant

Sexual self-esteemà emotional divorce

-0.42

-4.66

0.081

Significant

 

As can be seen, the results of Table 1 show that the direct effect of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism on sexual self-esteem is inverse and significant. Also, the effect of three dark traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism on emotional divorce is positive and significant, and as well as the direct effect of sexual self-esteem variable on emotional divorce is inverse and significant.

Table 2.

Analysis results of indirect effect for dark personality traits on emotional divorce

 

Research Hypothesis

T-sobel

Standard path coefficient

VAF

Test result

MachiavellianismàSexual self-esteemà emotional divorce

4.07

0.20

0.365

Confirmed

narcissismàSexual self-esteemà emotional divorce

5.33

0.26

0.317

Confirmed

psychopathyà Sexual self-esteemà emotional divorce

4.47

0.23

0.345

Confirmed

 

According to the number of indirect t-statistics (T-sub) between the variables of dark personality traits and emotional divorce which is out of range (1.96 & -1.96); therefore, the hypothesis of the indirect effect of dark personality traits through sexual self-esteem mediation is accepted on emotional divorce.

 

Conclusion

The results of this study indicated that sexual self-esteem can mediate the relationship between emotional divorce and dark personality traits. These results suggest that dark personality traits with a negative effect on sexual self-esteem can affect emotional divorce. People with dark personality traits have fragile and vulnerable self-esteem, and also others with high levels of dark traits try to hide their self-esteem better in appearance, but this low real self-esteem makes them feel less safe and have less faith in their survival in a marital relationship, and these factors can lead their lives to emotional divorce and cold relationships.

 

Ethical Considerations

Compliance with ethical guidelines

This study observes the ethical codes of human research including 13, 14, and 2 (benefits from the findings for the advancement of human knowledge), code 20 (coordination of research with religious and cultural standards), and codes 1, 3, and 24 (The satisfaction of the subjects and his legal representative) has been observed in the present study.

Funding: This study did not receive any specific funding from funding agencies

Authors’ contribution: Writing the main draft of the article, reviewing and editing: Sajjad Basharpour; Data collection and method: Mehran Farivar; Data Analysis and Writing Discussion and Conclusion: Matineh Ebadi

Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank all the participants in this study.

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Journal of Woman and Family Studies
Volume 9, Issue 1 - Serial Number 20
June 2021
Pages 37-58