The Dark Tetrad in Tinder: hook-up app for high psychopathy individuals, and a diverse utilitarian tool for Machiavellians?



Lyons, Minna, Messenger, Ashleigh, Perry, Rebecca and Brewer, Gayle ORCID: 0000-0003-0690-4548
(2022) The Dark Tetrad in Tinder: hook-up app for high psychopathy individuals, and a diverse utilitarian tool for Machiavellians? CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY, 41 (2). pp. 659-666.

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Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Location-based on-line dating applications are a popular tool for initiating short and long-term relationships. Besides seeking for partners, people use these applications for a myriad of other reasons. We investigated how the Dark Tetrad of personality, controlling for sex, age, and trolling tendencies, related to different motives for using Tinder. Current or former Tinder users (<jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 216) completed online scales for Tinder use motivations, trolling, sadism, and the Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy). Using Tinder for acquiring sexual experience was related to being male and being high in psychopathy. Psychopathy was positively correlated with using Tinder to distract oneself from other tasks (e.g., procrastination). Higher Machiavellianism and being female were related to peer pressure as a Tinder use motivation. Using Tinder for acquiring social or flirting skills had a negative relationship with narcissism, and positive relationship with Machiavellianism. Finally, Machiavellianism was also a significant, positive predictor of Tinder use for social approval and to pass the time. Results indicate that individuals high in Machiavellianism use Tinder for a number of utilitarian reasons, whereas the main motive for high psychopathy individuals is hook-up for casual sex.</jats:p>

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Dark tetrad, Tinder use, Trolling, Motives
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 06 Feb 2020 16:58
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 00:04
DOI: 10.1007/s12144-019-00589-z
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00589-z
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3073828