Anxiety in Lying Situations and Sense of Guilt: An Explanation Based on Mental Health and the Dark Triad of Personality

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between anxiety in lying situations, guilt, dark personality traits, and mental health, and to test the mediating role of dark personality in the relationship between anxiety in lying situations and guilt. The study involved 311 individuals from the Brazilian general population aged 18 to 59 years. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Anxiety in Lying Situations Scale, the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen, the Sense of Guilt Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS and JASP. In general, it was found that anxiety in lying situations and guilt were positively correlated. Mental health factors were also positively correlated with guilt and the social dysfunction dimension with anxiety in lying situations factors. Narcissism was positively correlated with all factors of anxiety in lying situations and guilt, whereas psychopathy was negatively correlated with these variables. Mediation analysis showed that the psychopathy and narcissism had a significant indirect effect on the relationships between anxiety in lying situations and total guilt, subjective guilt, and temporal guilt. It is considered that the objectives of the study were achieved, contributing to the expansion of knowledge on this topic and enabling future studies.