Personality, which serves as the underlying rationale for individual behaviours, plays a significant role in everyday interactions. The advent of dating applications has transformed the manner in which individuals establish connections, shifting conversations into the digital realm. The motivations for downloading dating apps and engaging in the swiping process are largely influenced by personality. Users of these platforms have varied objectives, ranging from seeking serious relationships to pursuing casual encounters or simply enjoying the experience.

A research study published in Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace examined the impact of personality traits on dating behaviours, particularly focusing on the reasons individuals utilize dating apps such as Tinder. The researchers identified the 'Dark Triad' traits—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—as key factors. This concept was further broadened to include sadism, thereby evolving the Dark Triad into the Dark Tetrad.

In addition to personality traits, the study also investigated sociosexual orientation, which pertains to an individual's openness to engaging in casual, non-committal sexual relationships.

Let us delve into the specifics of these personality traits and their influence on dating motivations within the context of dating applications.

Understanding the ‘Dark Tetrad’ traits

The Dark Tetrad refers to a group of personality traits that are often associated with detrimental social behaviours and manipulative intent. This cluster includes narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism.

Narcissism is characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with oneself, and a strong desire for admiration. In contrast, Machiavellianism involves a manipulative social strategy aimed solely at achieving personal benefits. Psychopathy is defined by a deficiency in empathy and impulsive behaviour. Finally, sadism is the inclination to derive pleasure from the pain and suffering of others.

Different user profiles based on intent

The researchers conducted a survey involving nearly 200 participants, predominantly women. From the collected data, they categorized the participants into three distinct groups.

The first group consists of romance-driven individuals, accounting for approximately 41% of the participants. These individuals seek serious relationships and exhibit minimal interest in casual sexual encounters. They also demonstrated low scores on the Dark Tetrad traits.

The second group comprises casual sex-seeking individuals, representing 39% of the participants. This group is more inclined towards casual sexual experiences without the desire for meaningful connections. They exhibited relatively high levels of narcissism, along with moderate levels of Machiavellianism and psychopathy.

The third group includes social approval seekers, making up the remaining 20% of participants. Notably, this group recorded the highest scores in the Dark Tetrad traits, particularly in psychopathy and sadism. Their motivations extend beyond mere sexual encounters; instead, they utilize dating apps as a means of obtaining social approval.

What implications can be drawn from this?

Individuals exhibiting Dark Tetrad traits, typically associated with negative and manipulative social behaviours, are anticipated to engage in hedonistic activities, utilizing dating apps for casual interactions while maintaining emotional detachment.

However, the findings reveal that they place significant importance on social approval and validation. Dating applications serve as a substantial source of social affirmation from unfamiliar individuals. This indicates that social validation plays a crucial role in their self-esteem.

Consequently, it appears that individuals with pronounced Dark Tetrad traits are unlikely to use platforms like Tinder solely for sexual purposes. While they may project an image of aloofness and cunning, much of their self-worth is derived from social validation as well.

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