Predicting Psychological Well-being Based on Dark Personality Traits and Sensation Seeking in Men and Women

Abstract

Background and Objective: Psychological well-being is a fundamental component of mental health, and research indicates that personality traits can either undermine or enhance it. Notably, "dark" personality traits and sensation-seeking are frequently associated with negative psychological outcomes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the four dimensions of dark personality traits and sensation-seeking in predicting psychological well-being, as well as to assess the moderating role of gender among men and women in Tehran.
Method: This study was fundamental in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of execution. The statistical population consisted of men and women in Tehran; a sample of 397 individuals (151 men and 246 women) was selected using convenience sampling. The instruments employed included Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale (short form, 2006), the Dark Tetrad Personality Traits Questionnaire (Yousefi & Imanzad, 2018), and Zuckerman’s Sensation-Seeking Scale (1999). Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 26), utilizing Cronbach’s alpha, normality indices, Pearson correlation, and both simultaneous and hierarchical multiple regression analyses.
Findings: The results indicated that all four dimensions of dark personality traits and sensation-seeking had a significant negative relationship with psychological well-being (correlation range: 0.317 to 0.761). Collectively, these variables explained 66% of the variance in psychological well-being. However, the moderating role of gender was not confirmed. Conclusion: The findings indicate that personality characteristics—particularly "dark" traits and sensation-seeking—play a significant role in predicting levels of psychological well-being. Therefore, considering these characteristics can be beneficial in designing preventive and therapeutic interventions to promote mental health.