People with darker personalities tend to prefer partners like themselves, study suggests

A new study published in Evolution and Human Behavior suggests that people with darker personalities tend to prefer romantic partners who share similar traits. The study, led by Katharina P. da Silva, found that individuals with high levels of the Dark Triad personality traits—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—rated these same traits as more desirable in a potential partner.

The researchers also discovered that participants found a fictional character described as manipulative and having committed physical assault to be highly undesirable, and adding attributes such as fame, wealth, or good looks did not enhance their appeal. Evolutionary biology typically predicts that people should favor prosocial traits like kindness and cooperation in a romantic partner, as these qualities contribute to stable relationships and ensure both individuals invest in raising children.

However, the study challenges this general rule by indicating that some individuals are attracted to antisocial personalities, leading to a phenomenon known as hybristophilia, which is a sexual attraction to criminals. The study's findings directly tested the two primary hypotheses explaining the appeal of dark personality traits: homogamy (choosing similar partners) and the desirability by-product hypothesis (attractiveness stemming from desirable traits like physical beauty or wealth).

The researchers surveyed 369 Brazilian adults aged 18 to 60, measuring their own Dark Triad traits and desirability ratings for these traits in a partner.