Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences

Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences

Predicting anxiety tolerance based on dark personality traits mediated by defense styles in married clients seeking divorce

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Zahra Akhgary 1
Hosein Ebrahimimoghadam 2
Rahim Davari 3
1 PhD student General Psychology , Department of Psychology , Roudehen Branch , Islamic Azad University, , Roudehen , Iran.
2 Associate Professor، Department of Psychology , Roudehen Branch , Islamic Azad University ,Roudehen ,Iran. (Corresponding author)
3 Assistant Professor، Department of Psychology , Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen , Iran.
10.22038/mjms.2022.20142
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of defense styles in the relationship between dark personality traits and distress tolerance in married clients seeking divorce. The study method was correlation based on structural equations. The present study population was divorce applicants who had referred to Tehran family counseling clinics in 1400. Using the available sampling method, 260 people were selected and answered the standard questionnaires. Data collection tools were Simmons & Gahr (2005) Distress Tolerance Scale, Johnson & Webster (2010) Dark Personality Traits Scale, and Andrews et al. (1993) Defense Styles Scale. Data analysis using structural equation modeling method showed that the main path coefficient between dark personality traits with distress tolerance in the model is significant (P <0.01). The coefficient of the main path between the three defensive styles with distress tolerance in the model is significant (P <0.05). Also, the coefficient of the main path between dark personality traits with immature defense style is positive and with negative defense style is negative in the model (P <0.01). The results of this study showed that defense styles mediate the relationship between the two variables of dark personality traits and distress tolerance. Psychotherapy techniques can be used to intervene in personality problems and modify defense styles in pre-divorce counseling, and by increasing the tolerance of distress, to maintain the structure and health of the family.
Keywords
Defense styles
dark personality traits
distress tolerance
  1. Allendorf, K., Ghimire, D. J. Determinants of marital quality in an arrangedmarriage society. Social Science Research, 2013; 42(1): 59-70.
  2. Arab, Sayyid Muhammad; Ebrahimzadeh Pezeshki, Reza; Morvati Sharifabadi, Ali (1393). Designing a hybrid model of factors affecting divorce with a systematic review of previous studies. Iranian Journal of Epidemiology. 1393;10 (4): 22-10. (in Persian)
  3. Ismailian, Nasrin; Tahmassian, Karineh; Dehghani, Mohsen; Mutabi, Fereshteh (2013). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on the symptoms of depression and the acceptance of children with divorced parents. Clinical Psychology. 2013; 5 (3):45-47 (in Persian)
  4. Mahmoudpour, Abdul Basit; Shiri, Tahereh; Farahbakhsh, Kiomars; Zolfaghari, Shadi. Predicting the tendency to divorce based on marital boredom and enduring distress mediated by loneliness in women seeking divorce. Culture of counseling and psychotherapy. 1399;11 (42): 141-121. (in Persian)
  5. Simons, J. S., & Gaher, R. M. The Distress Tolerance Scale: Development and validation of a self-report measure. Motivation and emotion, 2005;29(2): 83-102.
  6. Leopold, T., & Kalmijn, M. Is divorce more painful when couples have children? Evidence from long-term panel data on multiple domains of well-being. Demography, 2016;53(6): 1717-1742.
  7. Qamrani, Amir; Samadi, Maryam; Taghinejad, Mohaddeseh; Shamsi, Abdul Hussein (1394). Psychometric indices of the Dark Personality Scale in students. Psychological methods and models. 6 (20). 86-73. (in Persian)
  8. Back, M. D., & Vazire, S. The social consequences of personality: Six suggestions for future research. European Journal of Personality, 2015;29(2): 296-307.
  9. Ryerson, M. K. (2018). The Relationship between the Dark Tetrad using the HEXACO Personality Models in Relationship to Mental Toughness in College Athletes.
  10. Mededovic, J., & Petrovic, B. The dark tetrad. Journal of Individual Differences. 2015
  11. Uysal, A. N. Predicting relationship satisfaction: Dark triad personality traits, love attitudes, attachment dimensions (Master's thesis, Doğuş Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü). 2016
  12. Yu, Y., Wu, D., Wang, J. M., & Wang, Y. C. Dark personality, marital quality, and marital instability of Chinese couples: An actor-partner interdependence mediation model. Personality and Individual Differences, 2020; 154: 109689.
  13. Horan, S. M., Guinn, T. D., & Banghart, S. Understanding relationships among the dark triad personality profile and romantic partners’ conflict communication. Communication Quarterly, 2015;63(2): 156-170.
  14. Shafiee, Zahra; Qamrani, Amir. The role of dark personality and blossoming in couples' marital boredom. Women and society. 1369;8 (29): 94-77. (in Persian)
  15. Mirzaei Jahed, Atefeh; Saberi, Hayedeh (1398). Predicting women's marital boredom based on their sexual attitudes and their husbands' tendency toward dark personalities. Applied Psychology. 1398;13 (51): 389-371. (in Persian)
  16. Hardin, B. S., Smith, C. V., & Jordan, L. N. Is the COVID-19 pandemic even darker for some? Examining dark personality and affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Personality and Individual Differences, 2021;171: 110504.
  17. Yahya, Reyhaneh; Mirzaei, Negar; Sabunizadeh, Azam. Predicting interpersonal problems based on mindfulness and dark personality traits among female nurses in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz. The First International Conference on New Ideas in Jurisprudence, Law and Psychology. Tehran. 1400 (in Persian)
  18. Parvaz, Rana; Chelbianlu, Gholamreza. The role of the four dark traits of personality, rumination, and psychological distress in perceived stress and depressive symptoms in students during the Covid-19 epidemic. The First National Congress of University and Covid - 19. Tehran. 1399 (in Persian)
  19. Michael, Nilufar; Azizzadeh Karkarq, Robabeh; Hayati Gorjan, Mehdi; Yazdan Mehr, Atosa. Comparison of the four dark personality traits in students with and without depressive symptoms. The first national conference on clinical psychology of children and adolescents. Ardabil. 1399 (in Persian)
  20. Aghabalazadeh, Leila. Comparison of alexithymia and dark personality traits in divorced and normal women. The first biennial congress of new psychology and behavioral sciences. Tabriz University. 1398 (in Persian)
  21. Miranda, B., & Louza, M. R. The physician’s quality of life: Relationship with ego defense mechanisms and object relations. Comprehensive psychiatry, 2015; 63: 22-29.
  22. Hart, J. Toward an integrative theory of psychological defense. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2014; 9(1): 19-39.
  23. Paroui, Mehdi; Bastami Katoli, owner; Karbalaei Ismail, Ensieh; Kazemi Rezaei, Seyed Ali; Kazemi Rezaei, Seyed Vali Predicting nurses' marital satisfaction based on attachment styles, defense mechanisms and quality of life. Psychiatric Nursing. 1397;6 (2): 32-24 (in Persian)
  24. Andrews, G., Singh, M., & Bond, M. The defense style questionnaire. Journal of Nervous and mental Disease.1393; 58: 25-34
  25. Heshmati, Rasool; Mirza Mohammadi, Samaneh; Hamed Sobhi, Amin; Afshari, Fardin; Theoretical, inspiration; Dudkanlu Milan, Hamid The role of developed, immature and psychologically abused defense styles in predicting chronic pain. Anesthesia and pain. 1397;9 (2): 82-74. (in Persian)
  26. Ciocca, G., Rossi, R., Collazzoni, A., Gorea, F., Vallaj, B., Stratta, P., & Di Lorenzo, G. The impact of attachment styles and defense mechanisms on psychological distress in a non-clinical young adult sample: a path analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2020;273: 384-390.
  27. Fang, S., Chung, M. C., & Wang, Y. The impact of past trauma on psychological distress: The roles of defense mechanisms and alexithymia. Frontiers in Psychology, 2020; 11: 992.
  28. Zerach, G., & Elklit, A. Polyvictimization and psychological distress in early adolescence: A mediation model of defense mechanisms and coping styles. Journal of interpersonal violence, 2020;35: 4732-4756.
  29. Jonason, P. K., & Webster, G. D. The dirty dozen: A concise measure of the dark triad. Psychological assessment, 2010; 22(2): 420.
  30. Hajlo, Nader; Qaseminejad, Mohammad Ali; Ansar Hussein, Sarvin; Sidi Asl, Timur. Preliminary study of psychometric properties of the dark three aspects of personality questionnaire. Clinical Psychology and Personality (Former Behavior Scholar).2015; 14 (26): 144-137 (in Persian)
  31. Khodamradi, Sadegh; Besharat, Mohammad Ali; Hemmati, Azad. Comparison of defense styles in patients with breast cancer with non-clinical group. Journal of Scientific Research.1392;15 (3):86-76.. (in Persian)
  32. Besharat, Mohammad Ali; Sharifi, Mandana; Irvani, Mahmoud. Investigating the relationship between attachment styles and defense mechanisms. Journal of Psychology.1380; 3 (19): 289-277 (in Persian)
Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences
Volume 64, Issue 6 - Serial Number 6
March and April 2022
Pages 4237-4251