The relationship between Honesty-Humility and malevolent creativity: Sequential mediation models with prosocial moral emotional traits and prosocial tendencies

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between Honesty-Humility and malevolent creativity, by testing the sequential mediation models of prosocial moral emotional traits (gratitude, guilt, sympathy, and empathy) and prosocial tendencies. Participants (N = 592) filled out scales measuring Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Openness to experience, malevolent creativity, trait guilt, trait gratitude, trait empathy, trait sympathy, and prosocial tendencies. The variables of Age, gender, Emotionality, and Openness to experience were controlled for in sequential mediation analyses. The results indicated that Honesty-Humility was negatively associated with malevolent creativity. Multiple mediation analyses showed that trait gratitude, trait guilt, and trait sympathy fitted the model that prosocial moral emotional traits and prosocial tendencies sequentially mediate the negative association between Honesty-Humility and malevolent creativity. However, trait empathy failed in fitting the sequential mediation model. The findings suggest that individuals with high Honesty-Humility are inclined towards experiencing prosocial moral emotions and then have prosocial tendencies. Consequently, they may act with fewer malevolent creative tendencies.