Mating strategies person-centered: sociosexuality, intrasexual competition, and Dark Triad

People more interested in uncommitted sex are higher in intrasexual competition (ISC) and the Dark Triad (DT). This covariation has been interpreted as ISC and DT in part being co-evolved adaptations for solving challenges particularly salient to short-term mating. However, is it not also possible to be interested in uncommitted sex without being combative, and combative without being interested in uncommitted sex? For example, by channeling one's combativeness toward long-term relationships. Existing research has restricted sociosexuality (SOI), ISC and DT to be uniformly and positively related, owing to its reliance on variable-centered approaches. Using latent profile analysis on a representative Norwegian sample ( N = 1390; ages 18–87), this study sought to identify whether SOI, ISC, and DT move in concert within individuals, or whether these traits manifest in qualitatively different configurations. Eight profiles were identified: Peaceable–restricted (↑women), Peaceable–surplus behavior (↑women), Peaceable–permissive attitude (↑men), Peaceable–unrestricted (↑men), Modest–surplus desire (↑men), Combative–restricted (↑women), Combative–surplus behavior , and Combative–unrestricted (↑men). The profiles support that DT-ISC are central to men's short-term mating, while also identifying a cluster of men who were peaceable yet highly unrestricted. I discuss how DT-ISC may be less central to sociosexuality among men high in heritable fitness (“attractiveness”). Women frequently belonged to profiles that were restricted yet high in combativeness, indicating that their DT-ISC is directed toward long-term mating. This was also common to men. The study illustrates how person-centered modeling can reveal meaningful configurations in mating constructs usually seen as varying uniformly.