Navigating Emotion Goals: Exploring the Interplay of Dark Personality Traits and Gender in Romantic Relationships
Summary
This study investigates the association between emotion goals and dark personality traits, specifically narcissism and psychopathy, within romantic relationships. Emotion goals are the emotions people want to experience, with individual differences associated with demographic variables, psychopathology and personality traits, among others. For instance, psychopathy and narcissism are associated with challenges in emotional regulation, influencing individuals’ emotion goals and interpersonal interactions within romantic relationships. We investigate how these traits are related to emotion goals like guilt, shame, empathy, and pride during interpersonal interactions, including conflicts and reconciliation. The study also explores how demographic factors like gender and relationship status relate to these emotion goals within these contexts. Participants (N=105) between 19 and 89 years old completed surveys measuring emotion goals, narcissistic traits, and psychopathic traits. Results indicate that individuals with higher levels of narcissism and psychopathy tend to seek specific emotional experiences, particularly pride, during conflicts and reconciliation within romantic relationships. Moreover, gender differences were observed, with men exhibiting a greater inclination towards experiencing shame and guilt compared to women in romantic contexts. Finally, this study highlights the complex interplay between psychopathy and narcissism, and emotion goals within romantic relationships, emphasizing distinct patterns of emotional experiences among individuals with such personality profiles, as well as gender differences in emotion goals within intimate partnerships, providing valuable insights for understanding and navigating interpersonal conflicts and emotional well-being.