prediction of abnormal personality traits based on maladaptive schemas and dark triad personality traits considering the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation

The purpose of research was to predict abnormal personality traits based on maladaptive schemas and dark triad personality traits considering the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation. this was a descriptive-correlation study with structural equation modeling approach. the study population included all students of isfahan university in of both genders during the academic year of 2022-2023. 255 people were selected as a sample by multi-stage cluster sampling. the data were collected using personality inventory for dsm-5 – short form (pid-5-sf), the dark triad traits of personality questionnaires (dttpq), the difficulties in emotion regulation scale (ders) and schema questionnaire—short form (sq-sf) and were analyzed on pearson correlation, path analysis and structural equation modelling). the results showed that the suggested hypothetical model has a good fit. the results also revealed a significant correlation between the dark triad personality traits and early maladaptive schemas with difficulties in emotion regulation and between dark triad personality traits and early maladaptive schemas with abnormal personality traits. also, the path analysis also revealed a positive and significant correlation between early maladaptive schemas with difficulties in emotion regulation (β=0.73, p≥0.001) and abnormal personality traits (β=0.51, p≥0.001) and early maladaptive schemas and dark triad of personality have a positive and significant indirect effect on abnormal personality traits through difficulties in emotion regulation. according on the findings it can be concluded that the early maladaptive schemas and dark triad personality traits directly and indirectly predict abnormal personality traits through the difficulties in emotion regulation.