Narcissistic Personality Traits and the Perception of Potential Romantic Relationship Partners

Additional Authors

Isabella Bisio,Psychology Department, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University

Abstract

Due to the difficulty of meeting potential dating partners in the modern age, many people have resorted to using dating apps to meet potential romantic partners. The ubiquity of dating app use in the U.S. led Bisio & Blackhart (2025) to examine how dating app users perceive potential romantic partners as opposed to those engaging in more traditional dating behaviors. They found that individuals higher in narcissism were significantly more likely to dehumanize potential romantic partners than those lower in narcissism, regardless of whether they used dating apps or not. The purpose of the present study was to explore this finding further, examining whether specific aspects of narcissism, as well as different aspects of the dark tetrad of personality, predicted dehumanization of potential romantic partners. The results indicated that individuals that scored higher in Contingent Self-Esteem and Self-Sacrificing Self-Enhancement, from the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, as well as those who scored higher in the sadism dimension of personality, were more likely to dehumanize potential dating partners.

Start Time

16-4-2025 11:00 AM

End Time

16-4-2025 12:00 PM

Room Number

271

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Presentation Subtype

UG Orals

Presentation Category

Social Sciences & Business

Faculty Mentor

Ginni Blackhart

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Apr 16th, 11:00 AM Apr 16th, 12:00 PM

Narcissistic Personality Traits and the Perception of Potential Romantic Relationship Partners

271

Due to the difficulty of meeting potential dating partners in the modern age, many people have resorted to using dating apps to meet potential romantic partners. The ubiquity of dating app use in the U.S. led Bisio & Blackhart (2025) to examine how dating app users perceive potential romantic partners as opposed to those engaging in more traditional dating behaviors. They found that individuals higher in narcissism were significantly more likely to dehumanize potential romantic partners than those lower in narcissism, regardless of whether they used dating apps or not. The purpose of the present study was to explore this finding further, examining whether specific aspects of narcissism, as well as different aspects of the dark tetrad of personality, predicted dehumanization of potential romantic partners. The results indicated that individuals that scored higher in Contingent Self-Esteem and Self-Sacrificing Self-Enhancement, from the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, as well as those who scored higher in the sadism dimension of personality, were more likely to dehumanize potential dating partners.