Relationship between dark triad traits and parental communication in a sample of parents with school-aged children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21615/cesp.7285Keywords:
Dark Triad, parental communication, family functioning, family implicationsAbstract
Family communication is fundamental in the healthy development of children and adolescents. However, there are factors that impair family communication, like parental psychopathology. Given the scarcity of literature regarding this type of relationship, the present investigation has as main objectives: explore the association between the personality traits that constitute the Dark Triad and the different types of parental communication, verify if there are differences in personality traits that comprise the Dark Triad according to gender and analyze the predictor role of the Dark Triad in parental communication. The sample was constituted of 290 children/teenagers’ parents in school age between 7 and 16 years, 231 participants were female and 59 males, with ages between 28 and 66 years. The measures used were Dark Triad Dirty Dozen Scale (TN-12), the Perception Scale of Parenting Communication – parents version (COMPA-P) and a social demographic questionnaire. The results suggest that narcissism is negatively associated with all dimensions of parental communication, while Machiavellianism is not associated with any dimension, psychopathy is negatively associated with the expression of affection and emotional support, and psychopathy predicts some dimensions of parental communication. In conclusion, the results become relevant for the development of programs/formations to the health care workers, to sensitize them about the magnitude of this problem, and its consequences and provide tools to assess and intervene.
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