Risky business: Willingness to be caught in an extra-pair relationship, relationship experience, and the Dark Triad

•Dark Triad and low-commitment relationship experience differed from preferences.•Psychopathy and Narcissism linked to accepting risk for extra-pair relationships.•Machiavellianism not linked with preferences for any relationship type.•Machiavellianism no linked with experiences with any relationship type.

Little research into the relationship correlates of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism (i.e., the Dark Triad) has examined experience within various types of relationships nor has research examined risk-tolerance in extra-pair relationships. In a MTurk sample (N = 210), psychopathy and narcissism were positively correlated with low-commitment relationship experience, both overall and as extra-pair relationships. Machiavellianism was negatively correlated with overall experience in booty-call relationships, friends-with-benefits relationships, and serious-romantic relationships. Those who would not engage in extra-pair low-commitment relationships, even without chance of detection, were lower in psychopathy and narcissism than those indicating some acceptable chance of detection. Additionally, the amount of detection risk accepted was positively associated with narcissism for one-night-stands and friends-with-benefits relationships, and negatively associated with Machiavellianism for booty-call relationships. These findings further our understanding of the mating strategies of those high in the Dark Triad.