Relationship between Dark Personality Traits and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Competitive Athletes: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion

Document Type : Original research

Authors
Omid Kalami fard 1
Zahra Pooraghaei Ardakani 2
Jalal Mohammadi 2
Hanieh Yamani Ardakani 3
1 Department of Sport Psychology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran
2 . Department of Sport Psychology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Department of Sport Psychology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22089/spsyj.2025.17447.2525
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Background and Purpose
Research on athlete mental health has predominantly focused on specific contextual phenomena such as injury, retirement, and performance. Less is understood, however, about the contribution of internal psychological processes—such as patterns of thinking and emotional regulation—to an athlete's psychological resilience. In addressing psychological vulnerability, cognitive emotion regulation strategies have been identified as a key intervention point (Sulakumor et al., 2023).
Personality traits, which are pivotal for athletic success, significantly influence these cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Within sports psychology, personality has been consistently linked to a range of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes that directly and indirectly affect performance (Yunel et al., 2023). Another critical psychological resource is self-compassion, defined as a kind and understanding response to one's own suffering or failure. It comprises three core components: self-kindness versus self-judgment, a sense of common humanity versus isolation, and mindfulness versus over-identification, all of which have profound implications for emotional regulation (Sirois et al., 2019). As such, self-compassion is recognized as a powerful mechanism for coping with adversity.
Given these factors, investigating the relationship between darker personality traits in athletes has emerged as a compelling, albeit controversial, area of inquiry. Specifically, the "Dark Triad" of personality (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) and its association with psychological attributes in athletic populations remains underexplored. Since cognitive emotion regulation is a crucial indicator of psychological well-being across sports, identifying factors that can enhance these strategies is vital. A review of the literature indicates that most studies on these constructs have been conducted in non-sport domains, with little attention paid to the potential mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between the Dark Triad and cognitive emotion regulation in athletes.
Elucidating this structural relationship, with self-compassion as a mediator, could provide a more effective framework for understanding the psychological functioning of athletes with these traits. To date, no prior study, domestically or internationally, has evaluated self-compassion as a mediating variable within a causal model linking the Dark Triad to cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Therefore, this study aims to answer the following question: Does self-compassion mediate the relationship between the Dark Triad personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in competitive athletes?
Materials and Methods
This study employed a correlational design to investigate the relationships between the research variables using structural equation modelling (SEM).
Participants
A sample of 300 Iranian athletes, involved in both team and individual sports, was recruited through convenience sampling. Eligibility criteria required participants to be active on social media and to have maintained a training frequency of at least twice per week over the preceding year. Recruitment was conducted via online social media platforms (Telegram, Instagram, Twitter) and sports-related advertisements. The sample size was determined using Cochran's formula. Eligible athletes who provided informed consent were directed to complete an online questionnaire administered through Google forms.
Data Collection Tools
Data were collected using the following validated instruments:
Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ): The short-form Persian version of the questionnaire developed by Garnefski et al. (2005) was used. The original CERQ is designed to identify the cognitive coping strategies individuals use following negative experiences.
Dark Triad Personality Questionnaire: A 12-item instrument was used to assess the three dark personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Responses were recorded on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
Self-Compassion Scale (ASCS): This 26-item self-report scale, developed by Rae’s et al. (2011), measures self-compassion across six subscales: self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness, and over-identification. It reflects an individual's quality of relationship with their personal experiences.
Findings
The findings revealed a significant positive effect of self-compassion on adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and a significant negative effect on maladaptive strategies. Conversely, dark personality traits demonstrated a negative impact on both self-compassion and adaptive strategies, while exhibiting a positive effect on maladaptive strategies.
To test the mediation hypothesis, the Sobel and Goodman tests were employed. The results, with a t-value exceeding 1.96 (p < 0.05), confirmed that self-compassion acts as a significant mediator in the relationship between dark personality traits and both adaptive and maladaptive cognitive strategies. Furthermore, the strength of this mediation was assessed using the Variance Accounted For (VAF) criterion. The VAF values for both models fell within the range of 0.2 to 0.8, indicating that self-compassion plays a role of partial mediation.
Conclusion
This study investigated the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between Dark Triad personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies among competitive athletes. The results confirmed several significant pathways, elucidating the underlying psychological mechanisms. The primary findings indicate that self-compassion serves as a critical positive psychological resource, significantly promoting adaptive cognitive strategies while reducing reliance on maladaptive ones. Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was identified between Dark Triad traits and self-compassion. This aligns with previous research, such as the work of Bakhshipour and Seraj (2022), who documented a similar inverse relationship between dark personality traits and self-compassion. The role of self-compassion as a mediator between personality and outcomes is also supported by Khormaee and Mahbod (2017), who demonstrated its function in the context of academic vitality.
The study also confirmed the direct impact of Dark Triad traits on emotion regulation, negatively influencing adaptive strategies and positively influencing maladaptive ones. This finding is consistent with research by Islamian et al. (2022), which established the role of maladaptive strategies as a mediator in a different psychological model. Collectively, these results illuminate a crucial interplay: while Dark Triad traits can predispose athletes to less effective psychological coping mechanisms, self-compassion appears to be a mitigating factor. By buffering the adverse effects of these personality traits, self-compassion can ultimately contribute to enhanced mental readiness and performance at both individual and team levels.
This research addresses a notable gap in the literature and provides a foundational model for understanding these variables in athletic populations. For applied practice, these insights offer valuable guidance for coaches and sports psychologists. Developing targeted self-compassion training interventions could be an effective strategy for improving athletes' cognitive emotion regulation and overall psychological resilience.
Ethical Considerations 
This study was carried out with basic objectives in accordance with research guidelines and compliance with all ethical principles.
Authors’ Contributions
All authors contributed equally to the writing and revision of the article.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest regarding this article.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the athletes who participated in this study.
Keywords
Modeling, Psychological Skill, Strategy, Sports Performance, Validity

Subjects

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Sport Psychology Studies
Volume 14, Issue 52
June 2025
Pages 1-22

  • Receive Date 27 November 2024
  • Revise Date 27 May 2025
  • Accept Date 02 June 2025