Model Evaluation of Risky Behaviors According to Cerebral-Behavioral Systems and the Dark Triad of Personality with the Mediation of Thought Control Ability in Secondary High School Students

The purpose of the present study was to structurally model risky behavior according to cerebral-behavioral systems and the dark triad of personality with the teaching of control thinking skills in secondary high school students. The research was applied and the research method was correlational through structural equation modeling and the research population consisted of all high school students in Shahin Shahr in the academic year 2020-2021, of which 505 individuals (262 boys and 243 girls) were selected through the available sampling method. The research instruments included Brain Behavioral Systems Questionnaire (BBSQ), High Risk Behaviors Questionnaire (HRBQ), Dark Trail of Personality Questionnaire (DTPQ) and Control Thought Ability Questionnaire (CTAQ). Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling via SPSS and Amos-23. The results showed that the scores of behavioral activation and inhibition systems, the dark triad of personality (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and antisocialism) had a significant direct influence on students’ ability to control their thoughts and risky behaviors (p <0.001). moreover, the results showed that mind control ability not only has a direct effect on students’ high-risk behaviors, but also plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between brain-behavior systems and the dark triad of personality and risk behaviors of high school students. Given the significant mediating role of mind control skills, it is suggested that by influencing the cerebral-behavioral systems and the dark aspects of behavior through the teaching of mind control techniques, we can attempt to reduce the occurrence of risk behaviors.