Investigating the relationship between the dark triangle of personality and cognitive flexibility with the moderating role of athletic expertise

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Department of Motor Behavior and Sport Psychology, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

Materials and Methods: The present research is applied in terms of purpose and correlational in terms of research method, which was carried out in three sections: library (collecting theoretical foundations), field (SD3 Palhaus and Johns Dark Triad Personality Questionnaire), and laboratory (Cantab software). The statistical population of the study was 1900 male athletes in the fields of boxing and football in Iran, aged 19 to 31 years. Which were classified into 5 categories according to the classification of Swann et al. (2015). The sample size was determined by G*Power software and stratified sampling method was 320 people, and Spss version 18 and Amos 23 software were used to conduct the research (p < 0.05).
Findings: The results showed that 86% of the changes in cognitive flexibility (error) and 58% of the changes in cognitive flexibility stages are achieved by changing the dimensions of the dark triad of personality and specialization. Psychopathy on change (error) and (stages) under the moderation of sports expertise (β = -0.465, β = -0.917), narcissism on change (stages) under the moderation of sports expertise (β = 0.917) and Machiavellianism on change (error) under the moderation of sports expertise (β = 0.274) has a significant relationship (p <0.05) and the structural equation model (p=0.076>0.05), (RMSEA=0.051<0.08), (X2/DF=1.11<3) confirms this and all fit indices AGFI,GFI, CFI , GFI were reported above 0.9, which indicated a good fit of the model with the data.
Conclusion: Emotional sports such as football and boxing, while providing an opportunity to express and strengthen the traits of the “dark triad of personality”, can help improve the performance of these athletes by understanding and managing the personality traits of athletes and their impact on cognitive flexibility.

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Functional Research in Sport Psychology
Volume 2, Issue 4 - Serial Number 8
December 2025
Pages 42-16

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History

  • Receive Date: 13 July 2025
  • Revise Date: 30 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 16 August 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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