Negotiate with a Narcissist Online, UBCO Study Says

Are you better to negotiate with a psychopath in person or online?

According a new study from the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO), if you have to do business with an psychopath or narcissist, communicating in an online forum will lead to more favourable results.

In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers at UBCO looked at traditionally successful manipulators, those who would be classified as part of the Dark Triad (DT). These are people who fall into the category of being narcissistic, psychopathic or have Machiavellian tendencies.

Each of the three categories of the DT have distinct traits. Psychopaths tend to lack empathy and are anti-social. Narcissists are defined as having an unrealistic sense of superiority and lean towards self-adoration. People with Machiavellian qualities are extremely goal-orientated and are considered to be calculated manipulators.

The study, “The Dark Side of Negotiation” was conducted between October 2013 and February 2014, and included more than 200 Canadian university students. A portion of those who were involved in the study were identified as having various qualities on the DT spectrum.

Participants were asked to negotiate for concert tickets, either as a buyer or a seller, with the ultimate goal to receive maximum financial benefit. Each student was randomly assigned to either a face-to-face contact or computer-mediated contact.

The research found those who ranked higher on the DT spectrum were more successful in face-to-face negotiations than they were online.

“The results of this study are pretty clear- once you remove non-verbal cues such as body language from the equation, the ability to smoke out a narcissist and psychopath becomes easier,” said UBC Professor of Psychology, Michael Woodworth.

“We can also conclude that it is very likely that the qualities that allow these people to successfully charm, manipulate, intimidate or exploit others appear to require a live, in-person audience.”

The research also concluded that higher ranking DT participants were 12.5 per cent less successful in online negotiations than those who ranked lower on the spectrum.

“While there has long been a fascination with DT personalities and how they can impact ‘ordinary’ people, little has been studied as to how these people behave online,” said Woodworth.

The psychology professor said if people want to be confident in their ability not to be taken advantage of by these types of people, they are better off dealing with them online.