Shadows of competition: unraveling the effects of Dark Triad and moral emotions on antisocial behaviour in Iranian male football players

This study examined the relationships between Dark Triad (DT) traits – narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy – and antisocial behaviour among 404 professional Iranian soccer players, focusing on the mediating roles of guilt and shame proneness. Structural equation modelling showed that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were the strongest predictors of antisocial behaviour toward both teammates and opponents, while narcissism demonstrated a weaker but still significant effect. Low guilt and shame proneness partially mediated these associations, underscoring the importance of dispositional moral emotions. The model accounted for 41% and 45% of the variance in antisocial opponent and teammate behaviours, respectively. These findings highlight guilt and shame proneness as likely mechanisms, offering promising targets for intervention to curb unethical behaviour in sports.