Researchers from Brock University along with Carleton University in Canada recently investigated the connection between desire and psychopathy in romantic connections.
Kristopher Brazil, PhD student, recruited 46 males between the ages of 17 and 25. A female assistant then interviewed them on video — asking what they enjoyed to do on a first date as well as what they believed to be important in a relationship.
The exact same men were then graded by the researchers on their psychopathic personality traits as well as gauged on their social intelligence and views on sex — like how they would engage in a sexual affair outside a committed relationship.
The 108 women (who were either in their first or second year at school) were then shown the two-minute clips of the selected males where they rated their attractiveness, sexiness as well as how confident they were.
Published in Evolutionary Psychological Science, the study found the men who turned in the highest results on the psychopathic scale were more attractive to women. And according to Brazil, psychopaths have a personality style that aids them when it comes to dating.
Brazil shared:
“Psychopathic men have a personality style that makes them appear attractive to women in dating encounters. This may be because they are extra confident or feel at ease or know exactly what to say to get the attention of women. Psychopathic individuals may use their charm and exciting personality to elicit trust and desire, but their ultimate goal seems to be selfish pleasure. The old cliché of getting to know someone well may be one maxim to live by to protect oneself from getting into a relationship with a psychopathic individual. According to the American Psychological Association, psychopathy is characterized by ‘exploitation of others, deceitfulness, impulsivity, aggressiveness… [and] accompanied by lack of guilt, remorse and empathy’.”
And while you may be thinking that faking psychopathy is one avenue to getting your next girl but before you jump in, you may want to know the following. Brazil added:
“By virtue of being psychopathic, one never really fits in long-term in a social group. Connections to others are tenuous and rarely will someone have your back when it really matters. These costs should make it clear that the potential benefits of ‘investing’ in psychopathic traits as a young man will come with some negative consequences as well.”