Psychologists Highlight The Link Between Using Tinder While In a Relationship and Psychopathy

Tinder is probably the most popular sex app out there.

Normally, it is used by single people to help them find casual sex or a partner for a long-lasting relationship.

Surprisingly, a team of three experienced psychologists and relationship experts, Elien De Caluwé, Cassandra Alexopoulos and Elisabeth Timmermans have established a link between the use of Tinder while in a relationship and some psychopathic character traits.

Their research, “Why are you cheating on tinder? Exploring users’ motives and (dark) personality traits“ was published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior in December 2018.

The significance of the study lies in the fact that it represents the first-ever coordinated attempt of relationship experts to explain the negative phenomenon of dating app infidelity with some personality traits that they call “dark”.

A quarter of all participants in a committed relationship use tinder The research quotes a representative excerpt of several academic studies revealing that up to of all guys and girls in a relationship have been using Tinder on their mobiles.

The psychologists polled 1,486 Tinder users about their motives for using the sex app and their experiences with it.

Over twenty-two percent of the participants in the survey reported using the app while being in a relationship. In addition, more than half of the Tinder users who were in a relationship said they had used the app on occasion to find casual sex.

Tinder as a source of self-confidence

Elisabeth Timmermans and her colleagues of the Rotterdam University have also found out that no matter if they are in a committed relationship or not, young people tend to use Tinder as an ego-boost.

From a different perspective, if one needs a sex app to boost their ego while in a committed relationship, this indicates that they have not been receiving enough reassurance from their partner.

Using tinder while in a relationship speaks of inner insecurity

The study also highlights interesting personality differences between single Tinder users and those using the sex up while in a committed relationship.

On the whole, Tinder users in a relationship have reported significantly lower scores on conscientiousness and agreeableness, compared to single users, while at the same time they show some neurotic and psychopathic tendencies.

Furthermore, partnered Tinder users that have some psychopathic character traits are more likely to use the app to cheat on their boyfriend or girlfriend, which clearly speaks of their high level of inner insecurity.

Users in a relationship have higher Tinder rating

For some reason, Tinder users who’ve indicated that they are currently in a relationship appear to be more appealing to the other users of the app. According to the results of the survey, they report much more one night stands and casual sexual encounters than the single users of the app.

This tendency probably has to do with our conviction that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. That is, even if we have a partner, we may sometimes be tempted to look for sex outside the relationship.

This “unhealthy” thrill-seeking lends itself as much to inner insecurity, as to one’s inability to fully commit him or herself to their partner. This emotional deficiency is seen by Timmermans, De Caluwé, and Alexopoulos as the key link between Tinder Infidelity and psychopathy.

Is Tinder encouraging cheating?

In view of the facts highlighted above, the three communication experts raise the alarming question is Tinder is actually threatening to literally swipe Cupid away, having in mind that people with certain character traits are more likely to start using the app for cheating.

The bigger question is whether dating platforms are actually designed in such a way as to encourage cheating out of curiosity. The study suggests that Tinder’s game-like environment may be pushing to infidelity even those users, who might not have cheated if it wasn’t for the sex app.

If such is the case, then dating apps may be jeopardizing much more than romantic love. They may be subverting the very foundations of marriage and family togetherness that are widely regarded as the pillars of modern society.

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