The relationship between dark triad, envy, and schadenfreude among undergraduates in Malaysia

Lau, Jia Le and Lim, Wen Nee and Lim, Yi Ling (2025) The relationship between dark triad, envy, and schadenfreude among undergraduates in Malaysia. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

The increase in antisocial behaviours that were usually corresponding to the Dark Triad traits, envy, and schadenfreude would lead to numerous personal and societal issues. Hence, the current study was conducted to examine the relationship between narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, envy, and schadenfreude among undergraduates in Malaysia. In this research, a cross-sectional correlational study was carried out to gather numerical data and conduct statistical analysis to investigate the relationship between the variables. An online questionnaire was distributed to gather data across multiple social media platforms, while the purposive sampling method was utilised for recruiting Malaysian students who are at the undergraduate level and between the ages of 18 to 26 years old, and 178 samples, with the majority of them being Chinese (89.3%), were involved in this study. The instruments of Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (DTDD), Dispositional Envy Scale (DES), and Schadenfreude Scale were used to evaluate the study variables. Based on PPMC, all variables of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and envy showed a significant and positive relationship with schadenfreude. On the other hand, the result of single linear regression analysis also indicated that all variables significantly predict schadenfreude. This study has refined the existing research in regard to schadenfreude in the context of Malaysia. Not to mention, it also offered empirical support to the higher education institution and mental health professionals to raise public awareness regarding the underlying psychological mechanisms related to antisocial behaviours. In addition to that, early intervention and assessments could be implemented in time to detect and resolve these behaviours, promoting a better mental well-being and interpersonal relationships.

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