Hookup Culture and Psychopathy: New Study Links Dating App Success to Dark Personality Traits
A new German study has revealed a striking connection between dating app “success” and dark personality traits — particularly psychopathy.
The research, published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, investigated why certain individuals thrive on digital hookup platforms while others struggle. Led by Lennart Freyth, research director of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Institute and professor at Hochschule Döpfer University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, the study focused on how personality and behavior shape outcomes in online dating.
“When I started my research in the area of dating apps and social media, I dived deeper into theoretical explanations of our behavior,” Freyth told PsyPost. “Considering personality a behavioral disposition, I was indeed wondering: Why was nobody going for the most obvious elements of dating apps?”
To explore this, Freyth and his team surveyed nearly 500 dating app users, who completed questionnaires measuring traits like narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy — collectively known as the “Dark Triad.” Participants were also asked about their sexual desires, attitudes toward casual sex, and past sexual behavior.
The findings were eye-opening: while men and women reported going on similar numbers of Tinder dates, men were far more likely to have sex with someone they met on the app — making up 66% of those who reported such encounters.
Those with the highest hookup success were generally younger and scored higher in narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. They also displayed greater openness toward casual sex, stronger sexual desire, and more prior sexual experience. In other words, the very traits often linked to manipulation, impulsivity, and risk-taking also translated into higher “sexcess” rates on dating apps.
The researchers warn that this pattern could have troubling consequences. “Individuals with a faster life strategy, particularly men high in psychopathy and sexual desires, report more mating success via dating apps,” the study noted, as cited by the Daily Mail. This suggests that dating apps may unintentionally reward traits associated with exploitation and manipulation, potentially putting vulnerable individuals at greater risk.
While dating apps have revolutionized modern romance, this research underscores the darker side of digital courtship — where success might come at the cost of empathy, honesty, and genuine connection.