Individuals High on the Dark Triad Traits are More Jealous if they are Also High on Mate Value and Restricted in Sociosexuality

The motivation to mate is a universal motive for all sexually dimorphic species, of which humans belong, that facilitates reproductive success. Jealousy is a universal emotion that is adaptive in the context of mate retention. We tested the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and jealousy as well as the moderating effect of mate value (study 1; N = 441) and mating orientation (study 2; N = 298) on the association between the Dark Triad traits and jealousy. We found that perceived mate value moderated the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and jealousy. As such, people high on the Dark Triad traits were more jealous if they had high mate value. Further, mating orientation moderated the relationship between psychopathy and romantic jealousy. Individuals high on psychopathy that were oriented to long-term mating were more jealous compared to individuals high on psychopathy but oriented to short-term mating.