The Mediating Role of Empathy and Emotion Regulation in Attachment Styles and Dark Personality Traits in Adolescents

Objectives The current study investigated the mediating role of emotion regulation and empathy between attachment styles and dark personality traits.  Methods In total, 350 teenage students from Bushehr schools were selected based on convenience sampling method in the academic year of 2017-18. Then, dark traits test, emotional dysregulation, attachment styles, and empathy were distributed among research participants to respond. Collected data were analyzed by correlation indicators and path analysis in LISREL software.  Results There was a significant correlation between the components of dark personality traits, empathy, emotional dysregulation, and attachment styles (P<0.05). Moreover, path analysis modeling indicated the mediating role of emotional dysregulation and empathy in the relationship between attachment styles and dark traits (P<0.05).  Conclusion The obtained results supported the hypothesis that attachment styles lead to dark traits tendencies and emotional dysregulation. Furthermore, empathy can have a moderating role in this regard.