Expert reveals the one surprising sign that you could be dating a psychopath
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Health
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate Films
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Health
An expert has revealed the one surprising sign that your partner might be a psychopath.
Scientists in Germany have revealed the tell-tale way you might be able to spot that the person you're dating has psychopathic tendencies.
While we might have preconceived ideas of what a psychopath is - thanks to gory films, TV shows and true-crime documentaries - psychopathy is often characterised by an extreme lack of empathy, as well as the display of manipulative and charming traits.
According to experts, having a 'successful' dating app history could also be a red flag.
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A study, published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, examined the relationship between dating platforms and different psychological characteristics.
The study applied a framework described as the 'life history theory'. Those with a 'fast life history' focus on short-term relationships, while those with a 'slow life history' tend to be drawn to something more long-term.
“Individuals who have elevated levels of traits associated with a fast life history (like the Dark Triad/Tetrad traits, or sociosexuality) use visual social media platforms more intensely,” study author Lennart Freyth told PsyPost.
“When I started my research in the area of dating apps and social media, I dived deeper into theoretical explanations of our behavior.
“Considering personality a behavioral disposition, I was indeed wondering: Why was nobody going for the most obvious elements of dating apps?”
To conduct the study, the team recruited 495 adults, aged between 16 and 70, and asked them to complete a series of questionnaires in order to assess the 'Dark Triad' personality traits - narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
They were also asked for their feelings on casual sex, sexual desire and for their previous sexual history.
Questions followed on whether they used dating apps and if they had ever had sexual intercourse with a person they met on an app.
After gathering the data, the researchers were able to examine how different personality traits matched with different outcomes.
They found that people who reported using dating apps - and having had sex with a person they had met online - were younger and had scored higher in the Dark Triad personality traits.
Overall, those with 'fast life' strategies had greater success on dating apps.
“There is a general pattern that emerges when investigating social media use and associated personality traits,” Freyth told PsyPost.
“Individuals who have elevated levels of traits associated with a fast life history (like the Dark Triad/Tetrad traits, or sociosexuality) use visual social media platforms more intensely. They also report more dates and sex—here, for instance, men high in psychopathy and sociosexuality.”
The team did note some limitations to the study, such as the data being self-reported.
For example, researchers noted how men may over-report and women may under-report their experiences.