A recent study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences has identified significant connections between the dark core of personality traits and various antisocial behaviours, including mate poaching, romantic jealousy, and attitudes towards sexual harassment. A team of international researchers conducted the study, which offers a thorough examination of how malevolent personality traits affect sexual attitudes and behaviours.
The dark core of personality, often referred to as the D-factor, encompasses a range of malevolent traits such as narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and more. There is a core characteristic that unites these traits (a tendency to maximise one’s own advantage at the expense of others). The study’s authors, Katrina Craib and colleagues, aimed to explore how these traits relate to specific sexual attitudes and behaviours.
The study involved 410 participants who completed questionnaires assessing their levels of various dark personality traits, as well as their experiences and attitudes towards mate poaching, romantic jealousy, sociosexual orientation, ambivalent sexism, and sexual harassment.
The results indicated that deceitfulness was the trait most strongly associated with mate poaching. This finding aligns with previous research suggesting that mate poaching often involves deception. Interestingly, men showed a stronger association between deceitfulness and mate poaching, potentially due to a higher general involvement in mate poaching activities.
Narcissistic entitlement emerged as the most significant predictor of romantic jealousy. Individuals high in narcissistic entitlement who believe they deserve more than others are more likely to experience intense jealousy in romantic relationships. This trait’s link to jealousy is consistent with earlier studies highlighting narcissism’s role in romantic insecurity.
The study found mixed results regarding sociosexual orientation, which refers to one’s willingness to engage in sexual activity outside of committed relationships. Sadism, characterised by deriving pleasure from others’ pain, was associated with a less restricted sociosexual orientation. Conversely, narcissistic entitlement and vindictiveness were linked to a more restricted sociosexual orientation, particularly among women.
Ambivalent sexism includes both hostile sexism (antipathy towards women seeking to control men) and benevolent sexism (chivalrous attitudes towards women conforming to traditional gender roles). Vindictiveness showed a large positive association with both hostile and benevolent sexism. This suggests that individuals high in vindictiveness are more likely to hold sexist attitudes.
The trait of vindictiveness also played a crucial role in attitudes towards sexual harassment. The study revealed that individuals high in vindictiveness are more likely to tolerate and accept sexual harassment. Additionally, hostile sexism mediated the relationship between vindictiveness and acceptance of sexual harassment, highlighting the complex interplay between these personality traits and sexist attitudes.
The findings of this study have significant implications for developing interventions aimed at reducing antisocial behaviours and promoting healthier relationships. By identifying specific personality traits that predict problematic sexual behaviours, psychologists and counsellors can tailor their approaches to address these underlying issues.
For instance, interventions targeting narcissistic entitlement could help reduce romantic jealousy, while those addressing deceitfulness might be effective in curbing mate poaching. Additionally, understanding the role of vindictiveness in fostering sexist attitudes and tolerance of sexual harassment can inform strategies to combat these harmful behaviours.
The researchers acknowledge several limitations in their study. The sample was predominantly drawn from social media, which may not be representative of the general population. Additionally, the reliance on self-reported data introduces the potential for response biases. Future research should aim to replicate these findings in more diverse and representative samples, and consider using partner-reported data to mitigate self-report biases.
