Thesis Title: Dark Triads of Personality, Self Esteem and Criminal Thinking among Young Adults
Student Name: Nazish Shahzadi
Supervisor: Ghulam Ishaq
Degree: MSc
Year: 2016-2018
Department: Institute of Applied Psychology
University: Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Corresponding Address: Department of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Email: chairperson@appsy.pu.edu.pk, Phone: 92-42-9231245
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between dark triads of personality, self-esteem and criminal thinking in young adults. It was hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between dark triads of personality and self-esteem with criminal thinking. It was also hypothesized self-esteem would moderate the relationship between dark triads of personality and criminal thinking. Short SD3 scale (Paulhus & Jhones, 2011), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) and TCU CTS Criminal Thinking (Kevin & knight, 2006) scale were used to measure dark triads of personality, self-esteem and criminal thinking respectively. Correlational research design was employed and convenient sample of young adults N = 200 (n = 100 men, n = 100 women) with the age range of 18 to 30 years from government and private universities of Lahore. Results from Pearson product moment correlation revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between dark triads of personality, self-esteem and criminal thinking. Outcomes of hierarchical regression revealed that self-esteem is likely to play a moderating role in between dark triads of personality and criminal thinking. Independent sample t-test showed that males were high on criminal thinking than that of females. The findings of the current study suggested that one will get better understanding about the reasons behind crime and criminal thinking from this research. This research will also suggest a direction to clinical psychologists to think that what could be the ways to deal with individuals possessing dark triads of personality, insecure self-esteem and criminal thinking, so they can be refrain from putting step in the world of crime in future.
Keywords: Dark triads of personality, self-esteem, criminal thinking, young adults.
