The dark side of negotiation: Examining the outcomes of face-to-face and computer-mediated negotiations among dark personalities

This study examined the influence of the Dark Triad (DT; psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) and communication condition (face-to-face [FtF] versus computer-mediated communication [CMC]) on success in negotiations. This is relevant considering the increased use of CMC and the potentially differing nature of how individuals communicate online compared to FtF. For example, while individuals with dark personalities are known to exploit others in person, relatively little is known about their propensity to manipulate in online environments. Participant dyads (N = 206) negotiated the details of a pair of concert tickets either FtF or online in real time for 20 min before having to come to a decision. The results (based on overall success in the negotiation) indicate that individuals scoring higher on self-report measures of the DT perform best when they are able to negotiate FtF with their counterpart, whereas those with lower DT scores appear better suited to succeed in negotiations online.