Structural Modeling of High-Risk Sexual Behaviors Based on Misophonia and Sensation Seeking: The Mediating Role of Childhood Trauma in Individuals with Psychopathic Traits

Parham Fonoudi; Negar Akbari Zargar; Ali Farahani

Authors

Parham Fonoudi Master's Degree, Department of Psychology, WT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1478-5131
Negar Akbari Zargar Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, WT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7229-0428
Ali Farahani Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Raja University, Qazvin, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0715-534X

Keywords:

misophonia, sensation seeking, childhood trauma, high-risk sexual behaviors, psychopathic traits, structural equation modeling

Abstract

The present study aimed to model the structural relationships of misophonia and sensation seeking with high-risk sexual behaviors through the mediating role of childhood trauma in individuals with psychopathic traits. The study employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (path analysis). The statistical population consisted of individuals with psychopathic traits or a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder who were identified during 2025–2026 through psychiatric centers, psychological clinics, counseling centers, and Qazvin Central Prison. Using purposive sampling, 240 participants (67 women and 173 men) were selected as the final sample. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (Bernstein et al., 2003), the High-Risk Sexual Behaviors Questionnaire (Zarei et al., 2010), the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale (Zuckerman, 1978), and the Amsterdam Misophonia Scale (Schröder et al., 2013). Data were analyzed using correlation and regression analyses in SPSS 27 and structural equation modeling (path analysis) in AMOS. The findings indicated that the proposed conceptual model, incorporating the mediating role of childhood trauma, demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data (χ²/df = 3.356, RMSEA = .072, CFI = .910, GFI = .916, p < .01). All direct relationships among misophonia, sensation seeking, childhood trauma, and high-risk sexual behaviors were positive and statistically significant (p < .01). Furthermore, the mediating role of childhood trauma was confirmed both in the relationship between misophonia and high-risk sexual behaviors (β = .129) and in the relationship between sensation seeking and high-risk sexual behaviors (β = .077; p < .01). These findings suggest that high-risk sexual behaviors among individuals with psychopathic traits may result from the concurrent interplay of heightened emotional-sensory sensitivity (misophonia), a persistent need for stimulation (sensation seeking), and unresolved adverse experiences from childhood (trauma).

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