Psychological Security and the Dark Triad of Personality among a Sample of Female University Students: A Correlational Study

Abstract

Psychological security is one of the most important psychological needs for humans and a fundamental pillar of mental health. The absence of psychological security can lead to internal psychological conflicts, resulting in behavioral disturbances, aggression towards others, deception, control, and influence over them, which are the detrimental traits referred to as the Dark Triad of Personality. Previous studies have not explored the relationship between psychological security and the Dark Triad of Personality, making the current research significant in addressing these modern psychological concepts. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between psychological security and the Dark Triad personality traits. The current research utilized a descriptive correlational method. The sample consisted of 110 female participants. The study employed the Psychological Security Scale developed by Al-Shahibi and Al-Jizani (2020) and the Dark Triad Personality Scale developed by Jones and Paulhus (2013). The results revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between psychological security and the narcissistic and Machiavellian traits, while there was no relationship with the psychopathy trait. There were no differences in study variables attributed to the participant's place of residence. The current research results underscore the need to utilize them in future studies and personality research.