A recent study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences has provided new insights into the relationship between certain “dark” personality traits and sexual behavior. The researchers found that two specific personality traits, narcissism and everyday sadism, were most strongly associated with higher sex drive and increased pornography consumption.
The Dark Tetrad refers to a group of four personality traits that are associated with malevolent, manipulative, or antisocial behaviors. These traits are narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and everyday sadism. Narcissism involves an inflated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others.
Machiavellianism is characterized by manipulation, deceit, and a focus on personal gain, often at the expense of others. Psychopathy involves impulsivity, a lack of remorse or guilt, and a tendency toward antisocial behavior. Everyday sadism refers to deriving pleasure from causing others discomfort or harm, even in everyday situations.
The motivation behind the new study was to build on previous findings that had uncovered surprising links between certain Dark Tetrad traits and sexual behavior. Earlier research suggested that narcissism and sadism, rather than psychopathy, were most strongly associated with higher sex drive. This finding was unexpected because psychopathy, known for its impulsivity and lack of emotional restraint, was previously thought to be a major predictor of sexual behavior.
The current study sought to replicate and clarify these findings using more precise measurements of the Dark Tetrad traits and sex drive, and by incorporating pornography use as an additional indicator of sexual motivation.
“My co-authors and I are continuing to explore the four dark personalities comprising the so-called Dark Tetrad. In particular, we were trying to replicate surprising findings from an earlier study: Namely that narcissism and sadism — not psychopathy — predicted higher sex drive,” said study author Delroy L. Paulhus, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.
The study was conducted across two separate universities, using large samples of undergraduate students who were asked to complete an online questionnaire. In the first study, 701 participants from the University of British Columbia were surveyed. The sample was primarily young adults, with ages ranging from 17 to 29, and was relatively diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity.
The participants completed a questionnaire that included the Short Dark Tetrad inventory, a tool designed to measure Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and everyday sadism. In addition to personality assessments, participants were also asked to report on their sex drive and pornography use. Sex drive was measured with two simple items: one directly asking participants to rate their sex drive and another asking about their frequency of pornography consumption.
The second part of the study was conducted at the University of Winnipeg with 400 participants. In this part, 196 participants were retested five months after completing the same questionnaire, allowing the researchers to assess whether the relationships between dark personality traits and sex drive held up over time. In addition, this second study included a measure of romantic relationship status to explore whether being in a relationship influenced self-reported sex drive.
The results from both studies supported the initial findings: narcissism and everyday sadism were the strongest predictors of sex drive. In contrast, psychopathy and Machiavellianism showed little to no significant relationship with sex drive. This “twin peaks” pattern, where narcissism and sadism emerged as the top predictors, was consistent across both samples.
In terms of pornography use, the findings closely mirrored those for sex drive, further reinforcing the idea that narcissism and sadism are linked to heightened sexual motivation. The researchers also found that men scored higher than women on both dark personality traits and sex drive, which is consistent with prior research on gender differences in these areas.
“We were surprised when our earlier study found sadism predicted sex drive, but our current study replicated that finding twice,” Paulhus told PsyPost. “Unsurprising was the fact that men reported much higher sex drive than did women.”
Interestingly, when controlling for relationship status in the second study, the results remained the same: narcissism and sadism continued to predict sex drive, regardless of whether participants were currently in a romantic relationship. This suggests that the link between these dark traits and sexual motivation is not merely a product of greater sexual opportunity through relationships but reflects a deeper psychological association.
“There is an important difference between one’s frequency of sexual liaisons and personally experienced sex drive,” Paulhus said. “The former depends on opportunities and is facilitated by personal attractiveness. Consider the plight of ‘incels’ — those with high sex drive but minimal opportunities.”
While the study offers important insights into the relationship between dark personality traits and sex drive, it does have some limitations. One potential concern is the reliance on self-reported measures of sex drive and pornography use, which could be influenced by social desirability bias or inaccurate self-perception.
Additionally, the study focused on a relatively young, college-aged sample, limiting the generalizability of the findings to older populations. Future research should aim to replicate these findings in more diverse age groups to see if the relationships between personality traits and sex drive hold up across the lifespan.
More in-depth assessments could also help clarify the nuances of how each dark trait influences sexual motivation. For instance, future studies might explore the emotional and cognitive mechanisms behind why narcissism and sadism are so closely linked to sex drive.
The study, “Sex drive among the Dark Tetrad,” was authored by Paul D. Trapnell, Megan M.L. Poulter, and Delroy L. Paulhus.
