Self-Esteem and Psychopathic Traits among Undergraduate Students: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Abstract

This present study aimed to assessthe role of self-esteem in the development of psychopathy among undergraduate students(N= 600). StructuralEquation Modelling(SEM)techniques were used to analyze the model. On the measurementlevel,allfit indices were examined and on a structural level, relationships between latent variables were assessed. To explore the model, five latent variables including three factors of psychopathic traits: egocentricity, callous and antisocial traits, and two factors of self-esteem: positive self-esteem and negative self-esteem were identified. The result indicatedthe promising role of negative self-esteem in the development of psychopathy. Results also revealed that positive self-esteem was negatively related to both antisocial traits and egocentricity. Furthermore, negativeself-esteem was found as positivelyrelated to antisocial traits of psychopathy suggestingthat those students who were high on negative self-esteem were involved in antisocial acts. Overall results indicatedthat positive self-esteem buffer against antisocial and egocentric traits of psychopathy and found as a safeguard against developing psychopathic traits whiles negative self-esteem is the promising element in the development of psychopathic traits among students.