Dark Triad and Mate Poaching Is the Relationship Moderatedby Self-Perceived Mate Value and Sociosexuality?

An emerging literature indicates a relationship between the Dark Triad traits—Machiavellianism,Narcissism, and Psychopathy—and experiences of mate poaching, yet the underlying mechanismsbehind this relationship remain unclear. Therefore, the current study investigates the relationshipbetween Dark Triad (DT) and mate poaching within the context of short-termrelationships. Itfurther examines whether self-perceived mate value and sociosexuality or short-termor long-termmating orientation moderates this association and explores sex dif erences across the variables.Utilizing a sample of 77 predominantly young, educated individuals, the study revealedthatpsychopathy significantly correlates with and predicts mate poaching attempts, aligningwithprevious research that underscores the role of psychopathy in mating strategies prioritizingmatingover parenting ef orts. While narcissism significantly predicted being the target of mate poaching,no such ef ect was observed for the Dark triad traits (composite) and being successfully poached.Sociosexuality moderated the relationship between psychopathy and poaching attempts, suggestingthat high psychopathy is associated with increased poaching attempts when coupled withashortterm mating orientation. Significant sex dif erences were observed with males scoringhigheronsociosexuality and mate poaching attempts, consistent with evolutionary theories on malematingstrategies. The findings highlight the complexity of mating behaviors influenced by personalitytraits and call for further research that considers sociocultural factors and expands demographicrepresentation