The relationship between the personality traits of the “bright triad” and empathy in psychology students

Abstract

The article presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the relationship between the personality traits of the Light Triad and empathy among psychology students. The relevance of the study is substantiated within the framework of the development of positive psychology, which focuses on the investigation of moral-value and prosocial characteristics of personality as determinants of effective interpersonal interaction and psychological well-being. The content and structural organization of the Light Triad – comprising faith in humanity, humanism, and Kantian moral orientation – are elucidated and interpreted as an integral system of cognitive, axiological, and normative-regulatory dispositions. Their conceptual affinity with the principles of humanistic psychology and theories of moral development is demonstrated. Empathy is conceptualized as a multidimensional psychological construct integrating cognitive, emotional, and regulatory components, functioning as a mechanism for the realization of prosocial attitudes in interpersonal interaction. Its role as a mediating link between internal moral-value orientations and behavioral manifestations of personality is emphasized. Empirical findings indicate a high level of development of the Light Triad components among undergraduate psychology students, reflecting the integrity of their moral-value organization. A high level of empathy was also identified, characterized by a relatively balanced structure and the predominance of the cognitive component. Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant positive relationships between all components of the Light Triad and empathy, confirming their structural and functional interdependence. The strongest associations were found between faith in humanity and empathic ability, indicating mutual reinforcement of cognitive-value and affective-perceptual processes. It has been demonstrated that humanism and Kantian moral orientation are associated with increased empathic sensitivity and ethical responsibility in social relations. The integral index of the Light Triad shows a strong positive correlation with empathy, allowing these constructs to be considered as complementary components of a unified prosocial dispositional system of personality. It is substantiated that the development of these characteristics constitutes an important psychological resource for the professional formation of future psychologists, ensuring the advancement of humanistic orientation, ethical reflection, and the capacity for constructive interaction. Prospects for further research are associated with the study of the developmental dynamics of the Light Triad components and empathy in the process of professional training using longitudinal research designs.