An Australian study revealed that individuals displaying more pronounced Dark Triad personality traits – specifically, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy – exhibited greater arousal from stealthing, which is the covert and non-consensual removal of a condom during sexual activity. The study found that psychopathy and narcissism were significant predictors of the intention to engage in such behavior. The study was published in Psychology & Sexuality.
Stealthing refers to the covert and non-consensual act of removing a condom during sexual intercourse without one’s partner’s knowledge or consent. This act is considered a violation of trust and consent in sexual encounters because it exposes the other partner to risks of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies without their awareness.
Although stealthing can be performed by individuals of both genders, research primarily examines it in the context of male partners removing the condom during heterosexual or homosexual intercourse. Studies suggest that this behavior is more prevalent among individuals under 30 years of age. Although the term “stealthing” is relatively new, the practice has a long history, previously known by terms such as “gift giving,” “protection deception,” or “stealth breeding,” especially prevalent in the gay community.
Study author Timothy Cousins and his colleagues wanted to explore the links between stealthing behaviors and the Dark Triad of personality traits. Previous studies indicated that individuals with pronounced Dark Triad traits are more likely to engage in physical and sexual acts of violence and other deviant acts. As stealthing implies a breach of trust, these researchers believed that it might also be associated with these traits. Additionally, they wanted to explore possible links between Dark Triad personality traits and condom-use resistance tactics in general.
The Dark Triad encompasses three personality traits: narcissism, characterized by an exaggerated self-importance and lack of empathy; Machiavellianism, defined by manipulation, cunning, and exploitation for personal benefit; and psychopathy, which includes a lack of empathy, impulsiveness, and disregard for societal norms. Collectively, these traits represent a spectrum of manipulative, antisocial, and narcissistic tendencies to varying degrees in individuals, often leading to adverse outcomes in personal relationships, workplaces, and societal interactions.
The authors conducted an online survey with 221 participants, recruited through social media and Amazon’s MTurk. Participants from MTurk received $1 for their participation. There were no geographical limitations for participation, but respondents were required to be individuals with a penis, aged 18 or older, who had engaged in sexual intercourse in the past six months and had used a condom at least once.
In the scope of the survey, participants provided demographic data and information on their alcohol use, forensic and sexual history. They completed assessments of Dark Triad personality traits (the Short Dark Triad) and resistance to condom use (the Condom Use Resistance Perpetration).
The survey included descriptions of three different stealthing scenarios, such as removing a condom during sex without the partner’s knowledge or continuing intercourse without a condom after unintentional removal without informing the partner. Participants were asked to report their level of arousal by these scenarios, whether they had engaged in such activities, and their likelihood of engaging in such scenarios in the future.
Results showed that individuals with more pronounced psychopathy and those with a higher number of sexual partners tended to have lower condom-use self-efficacy. In other words, these individuals saw themselves as somewhat less able to correctly and consistently use condoms during sexual activity, compared to individuals with lower psychopathy levels and fewer sexual partners. Individuals with more pronounced psychopathy tended to report having more sexual partners and being more prone to binge drinking (of alcohol).
Individuals who reported that they would be aroused by one or more stealthing scenarios tended to have higher condom-use resistance, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. These characteristics tended to also be more pronounced in individuals who reported engaging in stealthing activities. Additional statistical analyses showed that whether a person would engage in stealthing or not could be predicted very well based on psychopathy, narcissism and condom-use resistance.
“The present study found that there were associations between all DTP [Dark Triad Personality] traits and all types of condom-use resistance. Individuals who were aroused by stealthing scenarios and reported a behavioral history of stealthing scored significantly higher on all DTP traits compared to those who were not aroused or did not report a behavioural history of stealthing. Furthermore, psychopathy and narcissism were significant predictors of a person’s intention to engage in stealthing behaviour,” the study authors conclude.
The study sheds light on the links between personality and stealthing. However, the study was based on self-reports about stealthing behaviors, which leaves room for bias. Studies based on reports about stealthing behaviors of partners might not yield equal results.
The study, “Investigating the Relationship Between Non-consensual Condom Removal and the Dark Triad of Personality”, was authored by Timothy Cousins, Andrew Allena, and Jonathan Mason.
