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The Dark Side of Tinder: The Dark Triad of Personality as Correlates of Tinder Use

June 2019
Journal of Individual Differences

Authors:

MEF University

Tinder is the leading online dating application. This study (N = 271) explored the Dark Triad personality traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) and sociosexuality as correlates of Tinder use. The results revealed that Tinder users had higher scores on the Dark Triad traits and sociosexuality, compared to non-users. Also, Tinder users with higher scores on the Dark Triad traits and sociosexuality significantly showed greater motivation to use Tinder for short-term mating; however, there was no significant relation with Tinder use and motivation for long-term mating. This finding supports the idea that Tinder can be a new venue for people high on the Dark Triad to pursue their short-term mating strategies.

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Original Article

The Dark Side of Tinder

The Dark Triad of Personality as Correlates

of Tinder Use

Barıs

ßSevi

Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

Abstract: Tinder is the leading online dating application. This study (N= 271) explored the Dark Triad personality traits (i.e., Machiavellianism,

narcissism, and psychopathy) and sociosexuality as correlates of Tinder use. The results revealed that Tinder users had higher scores on the

Dark Triad traits and sociosexuality, compared to non-users. Also, Tinder users with higher scores on the Dark Triad traits and sociosexuality

significantly showed greater motivation to use Tinder for short-term mating; however, there was no significant relation with Tinder use and

motivation for long-term mating. This finding supports the idea that Tinder can be a new venue for people high on the Dark Triad to pursue their

short-term mating strategies.

Keywords: tinder, dark triad, sociosexuality, sexual strategies, online dating

With 10 million daily users and over 100 million down-

loads, Tinder is the leading online dating application (app;

LeFebvre, 2017). The most promoted reason via the media

for use of the app is regarding short-term relationships, and

the app is mentioned as the “hook-up app”(Sevi, 2018b).

Studies have shown that individual differences influence

people’s usage of the app. For example, males are more

likely to describe Tinder as a venue to meet sexual partners,

than females (Carpenter & McEwan, 2016), and Tinder

users showed lower sexual disgust levels compared to

non-users (Sevi, 2018a). Furthermore, differences in

personality may influence the use of Tinder, as Tinder users

were shown to be more open to experiences and more

extraverted than non-users (Timmermans & De Caluwé,

2017). This supports the notion that Tinder users can show

differences in personality traits compared to non-users.

Specifically, The Dark Triad of personality can be another

possible personality difference from Tinder users and

non-users.

The Dark Triad traits consist of three correlated, but

conceptually distinct personality traits: Machiavellianism,

narcissism, and psychopathy (Paulhus & Williams, 2002).

Machiavellians often manipulate other people and are con-

sidered highly strategic. Narcissists show characteristics of

superiority, dominance, and entitlement. Psychopaths

demonstrate impulsivity and lack empathy. Previous

research found that the Dark Triad traits influence close

relationships, as they are associated with romantic revenge,

jealousy, and attachment (Barelds, Dijkstra, Groothof,

& Pastoor, 2017;Breweretal.,2018; Rasmussen & Boon,

2014). Particularly in the topic of mating, individuals high

on these personality traits have more intimate sexual

fantasies (Baughman, Jonason, Veselka, & Vernon, 2014),

have more sex partners (Jonason, Li, Webster, & Schmitt,

2009), and have lower standards when choosing short-term

mates, which increase the probability of finding a mate

(Jonason, Valentine, Li, & Harbeson, 2011). Thus, the find-

ings suggest that those with high levels of Dark Triad traits

are utilizing short-term mating strategies.

According to Sexual Strategies Theory (Buss & Schmitt,

1993), humans possess two types of mating strategies:

long-term mating strategies and short-term mating

strategies. People may have long lasting relationships

(e.g., life-long marriage), but other forms of mating exist.

Some mating relationships can last short durations, such

as weeks, days, or even hours. This variability in sexual

strategy provides a rich repertoire of mechanisms that solve

possible adaptive problems related to mating (Buss, 1998).

Different adaptive problems may emerge in a variety of

contexts; furthermore, according to sexual strategies

theory, some mate preference adaptations are dependent

on the context (Schmitt, Couden, & Baker, 2001). Online

dating apps have brought a new context to the 21st century

world of mating, as such it is important to study how this

evolutionary theory of sexual strategies operates in this

context.

The study of online dating apps is an emerging topic of

study, but the literature is sparse examining the use of these

Journal of Individual Differences (2019), 40(4), 242–246 Ó2019 Hogrefe Publishing

https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000297

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