The association between Dark Triad traits and sociosexuality with mating and parenting efforts: A cross-cultural study

Abstract

Life History Theory has been proposed as a trade-off between allocation of resources into growth or reproduction. Within the reproductive domain, individuals are theorized to mostly invest either in mating or parenting. We tested effects of sociosexuality and Dark Triad traits on both mating and parenting efforts. In total, 1,110 heterosexual Middle European (Czech) and Latin American (Brazilian) men and women participated in an online study. Regression models were conducted with parenting/mating effort as dependent variables and sociosexuality and Dark Triad traits as independent variables. All sociosexuality dimensions, Machiavellianism, and narcissism predicted positively mating effort, while parenting effort was negatively predicted by sociosexual attitude and psychopathy. Focus on mating is thus higher among self-centric individuals pursuing interpersonal manipulation, while individuals endorsing sexual commitment with higher empathy and affinity with children pursue a parenting strategy. These results applied to both sexes and both countries. Finally, both unrestricted sociosexuality and Dark Triad traits were the highest in individuals with High-Mating/Low-Parenting profile, and the lowest in individuals with Low-Mating/High-Parenting profile. Individuals with High-Mating/High-Parenting and Low-Mating/Low-Parenting profile scored in between. Thus, the relationship among Dark Triad traits, sociosexuality and mating and parenting efforts holds across-cultures, and mating and parenting are not exclusive, but rather complementary variables.