When your beloved is a psychopath. Psychopathic traits and social status of men and women's relationship and sexual satisfaction

Abstract

The triarchic psychopathy model was used to investigate the effects of male psychopathy on female satisfaction in a female community sample (N = 1945). We examined the associations of the psychopathic traits of a male romantic partner (in the perception of his female partner) with relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction assessed by the female partner. Negative relationships were observed between men's disinhibition and meanness and women's relationship and sexual satisfaction. Men's boldness was positively associated with perceived men's social status, and it predicted higher satisfaction of female partners. Quantile regression confirmed the unique relationships between satisfaction, psychopathic traits, and social status. These associations were stronger when the levels of satisfaction were low. Interaction analysis showed that meanness potentiated the effects of disinhibition, and boldness attenuated the effects of disinhibition and meanness on relationship satisfaction. The results confirmed the specificity of disinhibition, meanness, and boldness as three distinct psychopathic traits with potentially different impacts on romantic relationships.