Dark traits: Sometimes hot, and sometimes not? Female preferences for Dark Triad faces depend on sociosexuality and contraceptive use

Men with high dark triad personality traits can accurately infer dark triad traits from other people's faces

Introduction

The literature suggests that people can accurately infer dark triad (DT) personality traits from other peoples' faces. Using a self-report scale, this study investigated the impact of participants' DT personality traits on their ability to accurately infer other peoples' DT traits from facial cues.

Methods

We created composite facial photographs of Japanese people with varying Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism scores. The Japanese participants (N = 170) assessed these three DT traits in the facial photographs and completed a questionnaire that assessed their own DT traits.

Results

The results indicated that the participants could accurately infer all three DT traits from female faces but not from male faces. Male participants showed a positive correlation between accurate inferences of other men's Machiavellianism and their own DT traits. In contrast, female participants showed a negative correlation between correct inferences of men's DT traits and their own DT traits.

Discussion

These findings offer novel insights into human evolutionary and social adaptations.

Evidence of assortative mating for theory of mind via facial expressions but not language

Assortative mating is a phenomenon in which romantic partners typically resemble each other at a level greater than chance. There is converging evidence that social behaviours are subject to assortative mating, though less is known regarding social cognition. Social functioning requires the ability to identify and understand the mental states of others, i.e., theory of mind. The present study recruited a sample of 102 heterosexual couples via an online survey to test if theory of mind as measured using facial expressions (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test) or language (Stiller-Dunbar Stories Task) is associated with assortative mating. Results provide evidence of assortative mating for theory of mind via facial expressions, though there was no such effect for theory of mind via language. Assortative mating for theory of mind via facial expressions was not moderated by length of relationship nor by partner similarity in age, educational attainment, or religiosity, all variables relevant to social stratification. This suggests assortative mating for theory of mind via facial expressions is better explained by partners being alike at the start of their relationship (initial assortment) rather than becoming similar through sustained social interaction (convergence), and by people seeking out partners that are like themselves (active assortment) rather than simply pairing with those from similar demographic backgrounds (social homogamy).

Crowd Salience Reduces Aversion to Facially Communicated Psychopathy but Not Narcissism

Despite the adaptive advantages of social affiliation in humans, the benefits of interpersonal contact are nonetheless bounded. The experience of crowding can emerge from an oversaturation of social affiliation, fostering avoidant behaviors and heightening vigilance toward interpersonal threats. Among these features indicative of threat includes facial structures connoting dark personality traits associated with a proclivity toward exploitative behavior. Despite the potential costs imposed by those exhibiting these features, individuals could nonetheless enjoy coalitional benefits from exploitative humans (i.e., protection). Two studies investigated whether crowding would foster aversion or interest toward facial structures connoting psychopathy and narcissism. Although crowd salience heightened tolerance for psychopathy (Study 1), providing evidence for a bodyguard hypothesis, narcissism was similarly aversive regardless of motivational state (Study 2). We frame results from an evolutionary perspective and provide tentative explanations for discrepant signal values through psychopathy and narcissism that could elicit disparate findings.

Self-Rated Attractiveness Moderates the Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Romantic Ideals in Women

Our study investigated the different mate preferences of the Dark Triad in women. In addition to former studies, we also examined the effect of self-evaluated attractiveness on these preferences. Attractiveness is a high-valued partner attribute, especially in short-term relationships. Accordingly, we predicted that women high in Dark Triad traits prefer characteristics related to short-term mating, because they possess traits favored in short-term relationships. Associations between ideal partner standards and Dark Triad traits were investigated with self-reports: 529 female undergraduate students filled out the Short Dark Triad and the Ideal Standards Scale. Results showed that all three Dark Triad traits were related to unique preferences of mate qualities corresponding to their self-rated partner qualities. Furthermore, despite the differences between the three Dark Triad traits, women's partner preferences were associated with their self-evaluated attractiveness (an indicator of mate value). In summary, according to our findings, qualities advertised by Dark Triad women as potential partner influence their expectation or preferences regarding mates, suggesting homogamous mate choice on the levels of these qualities.