"The Dark Triad and Relationship Expectations: Attempting an Empirical Approach to Study Toxic Relationships"

Individuals who score highly on the dark triad (dT) are linked to the term "toxic" in romantic relationships. Those with more dT traits in their relationships have been described as conflicted and manipulative. The present study sought to address the research question of whether the dT construct significantly predicts relationship expectations and attitudes in intimate relationships. Moreover, the study examined the role of the dT in sexual aggression within intimate relationships. A non-clinical sample completed the Short Dark Triad (SD3), the Relationship and Attachment Personality Inventory (BB-PI), and the Sexual Aggression & Victimization Scale (SAV-S) via an online survey (N = 624; N_female = 481, N_male = 143). Intercorrelations, t-tests for independent samples, and hierarchical regressions were analyzed. Results indicated that the dT traits were predictive of relationship expectations and behavior, particularly in relation to dominance and aggression, as well as sexually deviant and risky relationship expectations. The moderating effect of sex on the findings was not statistically significant. The dT demonstrated a significant correlation with sexual aggression perpetration. Significant correlations were identified between the dT and the perpetration of sexual violence in intimate relationships. Further study of the dT may contribute to risk assessment of sexual aggression in intimate relationships.