Role of Subclinical dark personality tendencies in men and women moral cognition and moral identity: a study based on structural equation modeling

The aim of this study was to investigate correlational relationship and draw the path analysis model of dark traits on moral identity and moral cognition. For this purpose, from the statistical population of the Bu Ali sina University students, 421 were selected by using multistage cluster sampling. Then dark triad traits, moral identity and moral cognition questionnaires were distributed among research participants to respond. Collected data were analyzed by using descriptive and correlation indicators, path analysis and independent T test. Results indicated that there are a significant positive correlation between the machiavelism with moral identity and moral cognition (p<0.05). The negative correlation was obtined between psychopathic trait with moral identity and moral cognition (p<0.05). The path analysis also indicated the positive effect of machiavelism on moral identity and moral cognition, psychopathic trait have negative effect on moral identity and moral cognition. Results not showed any difrences in research variabes in both gender. Overal, results supported this hepotesies that dark traits leads to abnormal moral tendencies in persons with psychopathic tendencies.