Terminating relationships via “ghosting” is more common among individuals exhibiting personality traits of the “Dark Triad,” a 2021 article reports.
The article, “Leaving without a word: Ghosting and the Dark Triad traits,” was published in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Psychologica in October 2021. The findings reported on research conducted by Peter K. Jonason, Izabela Kazmierczak, Ana Catarina Campos, and Mark D. Davis.
The Methods Employed
The study’s framework examined the Dark Triad as a collection of overlapping personality traits and behaviors associated with narcissism (grandiosity, entitlement, a need for admiration and validation), psychopathy (coldness, antagonism, scorn for social norms), and Machiavellianism (manipulation, calculation). The research goes on to see how individuals exhibiting these traits end their relationships, specifically how much the tactic of ghosting was used.
The team conducted their research via an online study in late 2019. Participants were comprised of 341 volunteers from the United States (approximately 76 percent were female and 23 percent were male) who were largely white (71 percent) and undergraduate students (42 percent). The remaining participants were predominantly black.
Participants were measured using the 27-item Short Dark Triad questionnaire to determine levels of Dark Triad traits in these individuals. After that, the researched moved on to the use of ghosting in the termination of relationships. The definition of ghosting used in the study reads as follows: “Ghosting is when a person abruptly socially disengages with someone they are romantically/sexually involved with, with little-to-no explanation.”
Findings
The research revealed the use of ghosting was more common among those exhibiting signs of Machiavellianism and psychopathy, but not narcissism. The research further showed that ghosting was only viewed as acceptable in short-term contexts, but not long-term situations.
The study notably found a correlation between the acceptability of ghosting and the amount of times the act of ghosting was engaged in. The more a participant ghosted, then the more he or she found it a useful and appropriate strategy.
The researched stated the following:
Our study showed that those who had ghosted others in the past were more Machiavellian and more psychopathic (but not narcissistic) than those who had not ghosted anyone. A possible explanation for this is that while the difference in Machiavellianism may be explained by shared variance with psychopathy, the psychopathy effect may be actually a lack of empathy effect.
A reason why individuals exhibiting levels of narcissism aren’t as likely to ghost is due to a narcissist’s ability to cognitively understand another person’s emotions (cognitive empathy) and use that to maintain a superficial relationship for future benefit (such as maintaining a source of “narcissistic supply”).
The Dark Triad And Relationship Behavior
While the research showed that individuals exhibiting Dark Triad traits only view ghosting acceptable when ending short-therm relationships, the article also affirms that that Dark Triad behavior typically seeks out shallow and superficial attachments with romantics partners to begin with.
The authors wrote the following:
Traits like the Dark Triad… are associated with interest in casual sex; more sex partners; promiscuous attitudes, behaviors, and desires; tactics to capture mates from others (i.e., mate poaching); and less relationship authenticity in long-term relationships.
The researchers make a point to emphasize an uptick of interest (both lay and academic) in narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. One of the reasons for this is the affect these personality trains and patterns of behavior have on partners living in these romantic relationships.
The authors further stated:
Those characterized by Machiavellianism have a game-playing love style and they play hard-to-get to increase their desirability as a partner. Those characterized by narcissism and psychopathy may have rape-enabling attitudes, engage in sexual coercion, and commit relationship aggression… It appears that those characterized by these traits have a selfish, causal, and even exploitive approach to relationships.
The researchers conclude with the idea that there’s a fundamental difference in the view of a relationship’s importance between individuals characterized with Dark Triad traits and the partners they’re involved with.
That’s why ghosting is deemed more acceptable.
The relationship is simply not that important.
