Impact of Dark Triad on Anxiety Disorder: Parallel Mediation Analysis During Pandemic

Liu Shengbo; Muhammad Fiaz; Yasir H Mughal; Worakamol Wisetsri; Irfan Ullah; Diandian Ren; Alina Kiran; Kavindra Kumar Kesari

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.914328

Impact of Dark Triad on Anxiety Disorder: Parallel Mediation Analysis During Pandemic

Front Psychol. 2022 Jul 4:13:914328. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.914328. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Liu Shengbo¹, Muhammad Fiaz², Yasir H Mughal³, Worakamol Wisetsri⁴, Irfan Ullah⁵, Diandian Ren⁶, Alina Kiran⁷, Kavindra Kumar Kesari^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ School of Higher Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
² Department of Management Science, Qurtuba University of Science and Information Technology, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.
³ Department of Health Administration, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Manufacturing and Service Industry Management, Faculty of Business and Industrial Development, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Bangkok, Thailand.
⁵ Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
⁶ School of Banking and Finance, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China.
⁷ Department of Technology and Management, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Malacca, Malaysia.
⁸ Department of Applied Physics, School of Sciences, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
⁹ Department of Bio Physics and Bio Systems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.

Abstract

The current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of loneliness, ASMR, on the relationship between narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy and anxiety disorder. The population of the study was professionals working in public and private sector organizations. Non-probability snowball technique was used. Data was collected from 512 professionals. A total of 653 questionnaires were distributed and 512 were used in the analysis yielding a response rate of 78.4%. PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data. Measurement and structural models were developed to test the reliability, and validity of the scales as well as hypotheses. Findings of the measurement model revealed that scales were reliable and valid while results of the structural model revealed that narcissism, psychopathy, COVID loneliness, and ASMR have a significant direct impact on anxiety disorder but Machiavellianism does not have a significant effect on anxiety disorder. In addition, COVID loneliness and ASMR mediated between narcissism and psychopathy but do not significantly mediate between Machiavellianism and anxiety disorder. The current study has extended the body of knowledge by bridging the two theories theory of attachment and cognitive dissonance theory. The current study has provided the primary evidence that COVID loneliness increases anxiety while ASMR (audio-visual) tingling sensations help to reduce anxiety disorder.

Keywords: ASMR; Machiavellianism; anxiety disorder; loneliness; narcissism; psychopathy.