Certain personality traits may help explain why some people betray a partner’s trust.
Psychopathy, manipulativeness and narcissism are all associated with cheating.
The strongest average link is with psychopathy, closely followed by Machiavellianism.
Narcissism, which involves an inflated sense of self-importance and a need for admiration, has the weakest link.
Impulsivity, emotional coldness and a willingness to manipulate others may help explain why these characteristics are associated with betrayal.
The conclusions come from a review of 11 studies examining dark personality traits and infidelity.
Participants included university students, married couples and adults from the general population.
All three traits were positively associated with infidelity, although the strength of the association varied between studies.
Psychopathy and impulsivity
Psychopathic traits include impulsivity, low empathy and a lack of guilt.
Someone with these characteristics may be more drawn to immediate sexual rewards and less concerned about hurting a partner.
A willingness to take risks could also make the possibility of being caught less of a deterrent — impulsivity and deception may help explain this link.
Psychopathy had the largest average correlation with cheating, although its association was close to that of Machiavellianism.
Manipulation and calculation
Machiavellianism involves a cynical view of others and a willingness to manipulate people for personal advantage.
In romantic relationships, these characteristics could make deception easier to justify when it serves someone’s interests.
However, a calculating approach may also encourage caution.
Someone concerned with protecting their reputation might weigh the potential rewards of an affair against the consequences of discovery.
This calculated approach could help explain Machiavellianism’s slightly weaker link with cheating.
Narcissism and admiration
Narcissism involves feelings of superiority, entitlement and a strong desire for admiration.
Attention from another potential partner may appeal to someone who places great importance on being desirable.
Nevertheless, narcissism had the smallest average association with infidelity and produced a less consistent pattern across the reviewed studies.
An inflated ego alone therefore offers relatively little information about whether someone has been unfaithful.
The broader picture may depend on how personality combines with relationship satisfaction, commitment and access to alternative partners.
Dark traits provide only part of the explanation for why people betray a partner’s trust.
Related
The study was published in the journal Psihologija (Ataman & Yalçınkaya Alkar, 2025).
