Psychopathic individuals more tolerant of online dating deception, study finds

Online dating platforms see a range of deceptive behaviors, but lying about weight garners less harsh judgment than other forms of deception, according to a new study. The research, published in Behaviour & Information Technology, surveyed 796 current and former users of dating apps. Participants, aged 18 to 67, were asked to rate six hypothetical scenarios involving deception in areas such as age, gender, appearance, weight, socioeconomic status, and relationship status.

Deception about gender was strongly rejected by 93.1% of participants, followed closely by appearance (90.6%) and age (81.6%). Only 37.7% strongly rejected weight deception, where a person understated their weight by 40 pounds and avoided posting full-body photos. The study found that higher scores on traits associated with the “Dark Tetrad”—psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and sadism—were linked to a greater tolerance for deception in online dating.

Psychopathy, in particular, emerged as the most consistent predictor of accepting deception about gender and relationship status. Men were less likely than women to strongly reject deception involving age, socioeconomic status, and relationship status. Women, however, were less harsh in their judgment of age and relationship deception when the deceiver was a woman.

Educational background also played a role, with lower educational attainment associated with greater acceptance of age and appearance deception among those who did not strongly reject those behaviors. However, the study had limitations, including a convenience sample, reliance on hypothetical scenarios, and potential unreliability of some personality measures.