The dark triad and psychological well-being: Mediating role of emotional intelligence

The present study explored the relationships between Dark Triad (DT), emotional intelligence (EI) and psychological well-being (PWB) among Indian industrial employees. Using a purposive sample of 217 participants belonging to ages 21-60, bivariate correlations, multiple regression and mediation analyses were examined. Participants completed Short Dark Triad, Ryff's Scale of Psychological Well-Being and Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale. Results showed significant weak correlations between DT and PWB. Narcissism was positively associated with PWB, which indicates that self-enhancing motives may contribute to better well-being in the workplace. Psychopathy was negatively associated with PWB. This suggests that emotional detachment and deficits in empathy, typically characteristic of psychopathy, may undermine well-being. Machiavellianism was negatively related to PWB, but it did not predict PWB. Its relationship to PWB was not mediated by EI which suggests that it has limited explanatory value. EI partially mediated PWB's relationships with narcissism and psychopathy. Narcissism was linked to higher EI, which in turn led to higher PWB. In contrast, psychopathy was linked to lower EI, leading to a decline in PWB. Overall, the regression model explained 14 % of the variance in PWB which suggests that factors such as job stress or coping mechanisms may also play a crucial role. The results underscore that culturally informed EI interventions tailored to personality profiles are needed to improve employee well-being.