The Dark Triad and the derogation of mating competitors

• We assessed links between the Dark Triad and tactics of derogating mating rivals.
• A large sample of 331 participants was used to test hypotheses.
• Higher scores on the Dark Triad predicted greater competition with rivals.
• Each Dark Triad trait uniquely predicted type of derogation tactic endorsed.

The present study investigated the relation between the Dark Triad and tactics used to derogate mating rivals. Three hundred and thirty-one participants (213 males, 118 females) living in the United States were recruited online through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Correlations between study variables revealed significant associations between indicators of the Dark Triad and three types of mate derogation tactics. Furthermore, when competing with rivals for a mate, high scores on (a) Machiavellianism was associated with a rude derogation style, (b) Narcissism was associated with a derogation style where individuals tried to outshine their competitor in different situations (e.g., sports, dominance, and strength), and (c) Psychopathy was linked with endorsing tactics that damaged their rival’s reputation. Implications for considering subtle differences in the use of mate derogation tactics across the three indicators of Dark Triad are discussed.