Early Parental Rejection and Moral Disengagement in Emerging Adulthood: A Family-Based Developmental Pathway Through Psychopathy and Sadism

Abstract

This study examined a family-based developmental pathway linking childhood parental rejection to moral disengagement in emerging adulthood, with Psychopathy and Sadism conceptualized as mediating personality adaptations. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 603 emerging adults (M = 24.98, SD = 3.17, range = 18–29) through online self-report measures. Path analysis was conducted to test the proposed mediation model. Results indicated that parental rejection was indirectly associated with higher moral disengagement through elevated Psychopathy and Sadism traits, whereas the direct effect was not significant. These findings suggest that early relational adversity within the family may become internalized as relatively stable interpersonal orientations shaping moral self-regulation in emerging adulthood. By situating dark personality traits within a developmental framework, this study underscores how disruptions in early parent–child relationships may have enduring implications for moral cognition and the quality of relational functioning over time and across contexts.