The Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Moral Hypocrisy: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement
Yongjin Yu, Yanyan Zhang School of Philosophy and Sociology, Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yanyan Zhang, Email zhangyanyan@jlu.edu.cnPurpose: The current study investigated the relationship between dark personality traits, moral hypocrisy, and moral disengage...
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Dove Medical Press
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Psychology Research and Behavior Management |
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| description | Yongjin Yu, Yanyan Zhang School of Philosophy and Sociology, Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yanyan Zhang, Email zhangyanyan@jlu.edu.cnPurpose: The current study investigated the relationship between dark personality traits, moral hypocrisy, and moral disengagement in accordance with life history theory and social cognitive theory.Methods: Two types of moral hypocrisy were examined using questionnaires with moral scenarios and behavioral experiments: interpersonal moral hypocrisy (ie, moral double standards) and intrapersonal moral hypocrisy (ie, misalignment between words and deeds). A sample of 638 students (384 females, 60.19%) aged 18 to 25 years (Mage = 22.53, SDage = 1.81) was recruited at a Chinese university using a convenience sampling method.Results: Results showed that Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy were positively associated with moral hypocrisy. In addition, moral disengagement partially mediated the relationship between Machiavellianism and moral hypocrisy, partially mediated the relationship between narcissism and moral hypocrisy, and fully mediated the relationship between psychopathy and moral hypocrisy.Conclusion: These findings advanced the understanding of the relationship between dark personality traits and moral hypocrisy and shed light on how to prevent moral hypocrisy.Keywords: moral hypocrisy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, moral disengagement |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1ccaccb3a37b4ccb9de7ff535efac170 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1179-1578 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychology Research and Behavior Management |
| spelling | doaj-art-1ccaccb3a37b4ccb9de7ff535efac1702025-08-20T02:03:05ZengDove Medical PressPsychology Research and Behavior Management1179-15782025-03-01Volume 18551561100805The Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Moral Hypocrisy: The Mediating Role of Moral DisengagementYu YZhang YYongjin Yu, Yanyan Zhang School of Philosophy and Sociology, Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yanyan Zhang, Email zhangyanyan@jlu.edu.cnPurpose: The current study investigated the relationship between dark personality traits, moral hypocrisy, and moral disengagement in accordance with life history theory and social cognitive theory.Methods: Two types of moral hypocrisy were examined using questionnaires with moral scenarios and behavioral experiments: interpersonal moral hypocrisy (ie, moral double standards) and intrapersonal moral hypocrisy (ie, misalignment between words and deeds). A sample of 638 students (384 females, 60.19%) aged 18 to 25 years (Mage = 22.53, SDage = 1.81) was recruited at a Chinese university using a convenience sampling method.Results: Results showed that Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy were positively associated with moral hypocrisy. In addition, moral disengagement partially mediated the relationship between Machiavellianism and moral hypocrisy, partially mediated the relationship between narcissism and moral hypocrisy, and fully mediated the relationship between psychopathy and moral hypocrisy.Conclusion: These findings advanced the understanding of the relationship between dark personality traits and moral hypocrisy and shed light on how to prevent moral hypocrisy.Keywords: moral hypocrisy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, moral disengagementhttps://www.dovepress.com/the-relationship-between-dark-personality-traits-and-moral-hypocrisy-t-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBMmoral hypocrisymachiavellianismnarcissismpsychopathymoral disengagement |
| spellingShingle | Yu Y Zhang Y The Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Moral Hypocrisy: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement Psychology Research and Behavior Management moral hypocrisy machiavellianism narcissism psychopathy moral disengagement |
| title | The Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Moral Hypocrisy: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement |
| title_full | The Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Moral Hypocrisy: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement |
| title_fullStr | The Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Moral Hypocrisy: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Moral Hypocrisy: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement |
| title_short | The Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Moral Hypocrisy: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement |
| title_sort | relationship between dark personality traits and moral hypocrisy the mediating role of moral disengagement |
| topic | moral hypocrisy machiavellianism narcissism psychopathy moral disengagement |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/the-relationship-between-dark-personality-traits-and-moral-hypocrisy-t-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM |
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