Psychopathy predicts the use of physical, verbal, and indirect aggression in women.

Intrasexual selection is a mechanism of evolution that explains same-sex competitive behaviors. For women, the use of nonphysical competitive strategies is thought to be selected for due to the high cost associated with direct physical competition. Women incorporate competitive strategies, such as verbal and indirect aggression (i.e., gossiping and rumor spreading), to be able to target and compete with same-sex counterparts. Nonetheless, dark personality traits also correlate with competitive sexual behaviors, as individuals who score higher on psychopathy and Machiavellianism are more likely to engage in intrasexual competition due to their reliance on the use of manipulation and derogative behaviors. The current study investigated women’s use of aggressive strategies in a Hispanic sample. Women (N = 136) completed the Intrasexual Competition Scale, Dark Tetrad (i.e., psychopathy, sadism, narcissism, and Machiavellianism), and Direct/Indirect Aggression Scale (Mini-DIAS). The findings showed that psychopathy predicted women’s use of physical, verbal, and indirect aggression, while sadism predicted the use of verbal aggression. These findings add to research on the type of aggressive strategies that women utilize in intrasexual competitive contests and account for the unique role of dark personality traits.