Structural Relationships of Personality Factors with Antisocial Personality Disorder Due to the Role of Schadenfreude

This study aimed to investigate the modelling of structural equations of personality factors with symptoms of antisocial personality disorder mediated by Schadenfreude in women.
Personality factors were considered as an exogenous variable, symptoms of antisocial personality disorder were considered as an endogenous variable, and Schadenfreude as a mediating variable. 285 female students of Tabriz University were selected using random sampling and answered Millon III, NEO-FFI questionnaires, and hypothetical scenarios of Schadenfreude that were provided to them. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24 and Amos.
Evaluation of the hypothetical research model using fit indexes showed that the measured model fits. The results showed that Agreeableness with mediating of Schadenfreude with a Standardized Beta Coefficient of -0.048 had a significant effect (P<0.05) on women's antisocial personality disorder symptoms. Besides, Neuroticism had a direct and positive correlation (r= 0.316, P<0.01) with Schadenfreude and conscientiousness (-0.311, P<0.01), Agreeableness (-0.366, P<0.01), Extroversion (-0.209, P<0.01) and openness (-0.237, P<0.01) had direct and reverse correlation with Schadenfreude. Also, all of the NEO Five-Factor expect openness had a direct and reveres correlation with antisocial personality disorder symptoms. 
The results showed that agreeableness of five major personality factors mediated by schadenfreude has a significant effect on the symptoms of antisocial personality disorder. The findings of this study, along with supporting the hypothetical model for the symptoms of antisocial personality disorder in women, provide a suitable framework for the aetiology of this personality disorder.
 
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Schadenfreude, Antisocial personality, Big Five Factors, Emotions, Empathy.
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‌Introduction
Various personality factors can be related to the onset of psychological symptoms directly or indirectly. One of these symptoms is Schadenfreude. Indeed, it is the experience of pleasure from the suffering of others. Also, it can be experienced like other emotions by the majority of people. However, Schadenfreude can appear in persons with special personality features and the presence of special triggers. Besides, it can be probable representative of some of the personality disorder's symptoms.
Thus, the purpose of the present study is to investigate of structural relationships between Big Five personality factors with symptoms of antisocial personality disorder with mediating the role of Schadenfreude in female students, in which, predisposed personality features (vulnerability factor) with the meditation of external and possible motivating factors (stress factor), lead to the onset of antisocial personality disorder symptoms.
Schadenfreude has a connection with the psycho-social areas of humans. However, have implemented few studies about psychological features which are related to Schadenfreude. Study about the relationship between individual differences and Schadenfreude looking for an answer to the question are persons with special features more prone to experience Schadenfreude?
With the examination of shreds of evidence, it seems that some studies about the direct relationship between most variables had been implemented. However, not developed a comprehensive model for responding to this question; which one of these factors and from what ways can explain the onset of antisocial personality disorder? Therefore, an issue that needs to be addressed is investigation of the indirect and mediating relationship between Big Five personality traits and cluster B personality disorders especially antisocial personality disorder with mediating of Schadenfreude. It is assumed that personality traits with the characteristic of social interactions and social exchanges are more related to the experience of Schadenfreude emotion. Because Schadenfreude is an emotion that finds meaning in the context of social communication.
 
Methodology
The method of the present study, according to the subject, objectives and hypotheses, was of the correlation type by modelling structural equations by examining the relationship between the NEO Five-Factor and symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, according to the mediating role of Schadenfreude. And in terms of purpose, it was fundamental.
The statistical population of the present study was 12000 women's students of the University of Tabriz in the academic year 2020-2021. Based on Krejcie & Morgan's (1970) table and by using the Convenience sampling method 285 subjects were selected. In the present study for collecting data, the following tools were used; NEO Five-Factor Inventory, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III), and Scenarios of Schadenfreude Inventory. Data were analyzed using Amos and SPSS Ver.24.
 
Findings
Evaluation of the hypothetical research model using fit indexes showed that the measured model fits. The results showed that Agreeableness with mediating of Schadenfreude with a Standardized Beta Coefficient of -0.048 had a significant effect (P<0.05) on women's antisocial personality disorder symptoms. In fact, with the increase in Agreeableness, the rate of Schadenfreude and consequently symptoms of antisocial personality disorder decrease. Besides, Neuroticism had a direct and positive correlation (r= 0.316, P<0.01) with Schadenfreude and conscientiousness (-0.311, P<0.01), Agreeableness (-0.366, P<0.01), Extroversion (-0.209, P<0.01) and openness (-0.237, P<0.01) had direct and reverse correlation with Schadenfreude. Also, all of the NEO Five-Factor except openness had a direct and reverse correlation with antisocial personality disorder symptoms.
 
Result
The results of this study, along with supporting the hypothetical model for the symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, provide a suitable framework for the aetiology of this personality disorder. Women seem to experience Schadenfreude emotion depending on their preferences and the importance of the subject and the circumstances. Although higher levels of empathy and a desire for collectivism can be expected of them, this empathy is not a factor in forgetting their individuality. It is important to understand the cognitive structure and personality of women that women can also be competitive, progressive and malicious. Competitiveness, progressiveness and wealth-lovingness are still considered masculine in today's modern world. But if there is a platform for more women to be present in potentially masculine positions, they may be more inclined to express their reality and the burden of titles and attributes that societies attach to them be released (Even positively but imposingly like empathy). Schadenfreude is also an emotion that is experienced only concerning others. By definition, the experience of emotion is pleasure over the malice of others. Others are an integral part of this emotion, while in many emotions there is no need for social and interpersonal interaction. In fact, an antisocial personality disorder can be considered the most social personality style that DSM-5 officially introduces. The DSM-5 begins by describing the disorder as follows: The main manifestation of antisocial personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard, and violation of the rights of others. The definition of Agreeableness also mentioned: kindness, empathy, trust and warmth in the face of hostility, selfishness and distrust; All of these characteristics implicitly confirm the presence of others. Therefore, the common denominator of all three variables is the "others" keyword. And this word, in its heart, expresses culture and society. The obtained relationship between the present variables can be considered in the social dimension of the aetiology of antisocial personality disorder. In summary, the findings of the present study showed that several Big five personality factors can be a good predictor of the likelihood of antisocial traits in women through Schadenfreude mediation.