The mediating role of perceived social support from teacher in relation to dark tried personality, and social comparison with bullying behavior in females.

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the mediating role of perceived social support from teachers in relation to dark tried personality, and social comparison with bullying behaviour in females (average age: 16.82 and Sd: 1.04). The present research was descriptive-correlational and based on structural equation modelling. A total of 384 secondary school female students in Urmia were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling method and responded to the Illinois Bully Scale, Narcissistic Personality Inventory, Machiavellianism personality scale, Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, Perceived Social Support scale, Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure questionnaires. SPSS and Smart PLS software were used in order to analyze the conceptual model, and test the research hypotheses, and statistical inferences. The results of structural equation modelling confirmed the mediating role of perceived social support from teachers in the effect of Machiavellianism on bullying. Besides, the results revealed that the perceived social support from teachers could not play a mediating role between narcissism and bullying; Psychopathy and bullying; and social comparison and bullying. Based on the findings, narcissism and Machiavellianism have a positive significant effect on bullying while Psychopathy has no effect on it. In addition, the social comparison has a positive significant effect on bullying, but social support has a negative significant effect on bullying. According to the value obtained for GOF (0.370), a suitable and strong fit of the overall model was confirmed.‌‌Keywords Dark Tried Personality, Perceived Social Support, Social Comparison, Bulling.‌‌IntroductionAccording to Olweus (2013), bullying is intentional, persistent, and negative behaviour that is perpetrated by one or more individuals on a person who is having difficulty defending themselves which is characterized by an imbalance of power and force between the bully and the victim.Machiavellianism refers to individual strategies that support coldness, deception, evaluation, and manipulation to achieve goals. Narcissism is a pathological form of self-love that is associated with a sense of magnification, being right, domination, and the illusion of superiority (Paulhus, & Williams, 2002). The essence of the triarchic model is that psychopathy encompasses three distinct phenotypic constructs: disinhibition which reflects a general propensity toward problems of impulse control; boldness, which is defined as the nexus of social dominance, emotional resiliency, and venturesomeness; and meanness, which is defined as aggressive resource seeking without regard for others (“disaffiliated agency”). Based on the social comparison theory, people essentially need to acquire information in order to evaluate themselves through social comparison. This comparison occurs in groups and other face-to-face situations (Festinger, 1954) and influences how individuals evaluate (self-concept and self-esteem) (Visconti, Kochenderfer-Ladd, & Clifford, 2013) and their abilities (Festinger, 1954). Cobb (1976) defined social protection as information by which a person believes to be affable, valued, credible, and respected, and to belong to a network of bilateral communications and commitments (p. 300). MethodologyThe present research was descriptive-correlational and based on structural equation modelling. A total of 384 secondary school female students in Urmia were selected. To determine the volume of the sample and use the multi-stage cluster random sampling for each hidden measure, 15 observations were selected. Taking into account the 10% drop in the sample, responded to the Illinois Bully Scale (IBS), Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), Machiavellianism personality scale (MACH), Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-II), Perceived Social Support scale and Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM). Tests were performed among 390 people and leaving aside the incomplete and distorted questionnaires, 384 tests were entered into the final analysis. SPSS and Smart PLS software were used in order to analyze the conceptual model, and test the research hypotheses, and statistical inferences. FindingsThe absolute value of the t-statistic showed that the mediating role of perceived social support from teachers between Machiavellianism and bullying is significant. In addition, the investigation of the absolute value of t-statistic divulged that the mediating role of perceived social support from teachers between narcissism, Psychopathy social comparison and bullying is not significant. The absolute value of t-statistic for the effect of narcissism on bullying, the Machiavellian effect on bullying, the effect of social comparison on bullying, and the effect of social support on bullying indicated that Machiavellianism, narcissism, social comparison and social support have a significant and direct effect on bullying. On the other hand, the absolute value of the t-test showed that Psychopathy does not directly affect bullying. According to the value obtained for GOF (0.370), a suitable and strong fit of the overall model was confirmed. ResultThe results illustrate that Machiavellianism and narcissism have a direct significant effect on bullying. It would be said that selfishness, deception, abuse of others, emotional coldness, recklessness, and impulsivity, cause disorder in interpersonal relationships and a tendency to behaviours to achieve their goals at any cost. As a result, they act fearlessly, guiltlessly, ruthlessly, and selfishly to increase their superiority through bullying and domination of others.The results exposed that Psychopathy does not have a direct and significant effect on bullying. It might be assumed that females, due to their gender role, show more readiness to accept and apply gender norms and stereotypes. As a result, these norms prevent them from engaging in bullying behaviours.In addition, the social comparison has a direct significant effect on bullying. It could be indicated that if the hierarchical status of the classroom, the success of classmates, and the support of education officials for them, indicate inequality; These conditions, as sources of pressure, cause negative feelings, frustration, anger, depression and loss of self-esteem about oneself; As a result, one engages in aggression and bullying in comparison to people who are in a higher and better position in order to eliminate inequality and despair and in this way, improve self-esteem and reduce anger to prove their power and superiority.Perceived social support from teachers also has a direct significant effect on bullying. Hence, it could be argued that bullying behaviour is caused by various factors such as lack of self-confidence, low social skills, ignoring bullying and lack of support for the victim. Given that girls have a greater desire to perform socially friendly behaviours; Therefore, the more bully and victim students perceive or receive more support from their teachers; Positive communication and attachment to peers, commitment to school rules, sense of self-esteem, understanding and empathy with peers, and self-efficacy are increased in them, and as a result, they are prepared to deal with stressful physical, psychological and social events, such as bullying. On the other hand, teachers' lack of support for students who are victims of bullying and their lack of awareness of the prevalence of bullying in school indirectly legitimizes and increases bullying behaviour in the school environment.The indirect effect of Machiavellianism on bullying is significant due to the perceived social support from teachers. A possible explanation for this finding could be that pessimistic perceptions, mistrust, and rejectionist behaviours of people with Machiavellian personality affect the quality of their interpersonal relationships; So, their circle of social relations is small, which also overshadows their perception of support. As a result, the level of attention and social support of those around them decreases and bullying behaviours increase.‌The indirect effect of narcissism on bullying is not significant due to the perceived social support from teachers. It can be assumed that the perceived social support from the teacher may not affect superiority, hegemony, or partisanship, and also, it would not reduce their bullying behaviour of them.Additionally, the indirect effect of Psychopathy on bullying is not significant due to the perceived social support from teachers. It would be said that the perceived social support from teachers in these people, has no effect on their selfishness, Affiliation, moral indifference, aggression and bullying behaviour.‌The indirect effect of social comparison on bullying, due to the perceived social support from teachers in the present study, is also not significant. Although female students may feel that others have a better position than them and receive more social support; However, maintaining and expanding interpersonal relationships is so important for them that it does not affect their perception of receiving social support from the teacher and, as a result, bullying behaviour.‌

Keywords

• dark tried personality
• perceived social support
• social comparison
• bulling