Researchers Identify the Personality Profile of People Who Thrive on Romantic Competition

A study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, titled A Cross-Cultural Examination of Intrasexual Competition: The Links Between Mating Competition, Aggression, Appearance Enhancement, and Sexuality, found that people who enjoy outperforming same-sex romantic rivals tend to share a distinct set of psychological and behavioral traits. Conducted by Norbert Meskó of the University of Pécs and colleagues, the research found consistent links between competitive enjoyment, aggression, appearance enhancement, and openness to casual sex across different cultures.

The study focused on intrasexual competition, which refers to rivalry between people of the same sex for romantic or sexual partners. From an evolutionary psychology perspective, this type of competition is considered an important aspect of human mating behavior that influences how people present themselves and interact with both potential partners and rivals.

Researchers Examined Two Forms of Intrasexual Competition

The researchers investigated whether intrasexual competition is best understood as two separate psychological components. The first, superiority enjoyment, reflects satisfaction gained from outperforming romantic rivals. The second, inferiority frustration, describes the negative feelings experienced when confronted with someone viewed as more attractive or desirable.

Most previous research on the topic has been conducted within a single country, making it difficult to determine whether the findings apply across cultures. To address this question, the researchers compared participants from Canada, Hungary, and Indonesia to examine whether these two dimensions were associated with similar personality traits and behaviors in different societies.

The study also explored how both forms of competition relate to characteristics linked to mating success. These included sensation seeking, aggression, appearance-enhancing behaviors, attitudes toward cosmetic surgery, sexual motivation, and sociosexuality, which refers to a person's willingness to engage in sexual relationships outside committed partnerships.

How the Study Was Conducted

The study included 661 adults between the ages of 18 and 67, approximately 75% of whom identified as women. The sample consisted of 124 participants from Canada, 272 from Hungary, 96 from Indonesia, and 169 international students living abroad, providing additional cultural diversity.

Participants completed online questionnaires in either English or Hungarian, depending on their location and native language. Standardized self-report measures assessed intrasexual competition, sensation seeking, physical and verbal aggression, hostility, and sociosexual attitudes and behaviors.

The survey also examined time spent on appearance-related activities, including applying makeup, styling hair, and dieting to improve physical attractiveness. Participants were asked about their willingness to consider cosmetic surgery as well as their motivations for having sex, including pleasure, emotional closeness, self-esteem, and coping with stress.

Enjoying Competition Was Linked to Several Behaviors

Across Canada, Hungary, and Indonesia, superiority enjoyment showed consistent associations with most of the traits measured in the study. Participants scoring higher on this dimension were more likely to seek exciting and novel experiences and reported higher levels of physical aggression, verbal aggression, and hostility.

They also devoted more effort to improving their appearance. Individuals with higher superiority enjoyment spent more time on daily beauty routines and were more willing to consider cosmetic procedures for both personal satisfaction and social advantages in the dating environment.

The researchers also found that superiority enjoyment was associated with a less restricted sociosexual orientation. People with higher scores reported greater comfort with casual sex and endorsed a wider range of motivations for sexual activity, including pleasure, intimacy, emotional regulation, and achieving personal goals.

Inferiority Frustration Showed Fewer Consistent Associations

Compared with superiority enjoyment, inferiority frustration displayed weaker and less consistent relationships with the measured traits. Although people who felt more threatened by attractive rivals showed some tendency toward greater openness to uncommitted sex, the researchers found no consistent links with sensation seeking, aggression, or routine appearance-enhancing behaviors.

These findings suggest that enjoying competition with rivals represents a different psychological process from simply feeling disadvantaged by them. While both are aspects of intrasexual competition, they appear to influence behavior in different ways.

The researchers suggest that superiority enjoyment may reflect a broader motivational system related to status, dominance, and strategic self-presentation during mate competition, whereas inferiority frustration may mainly reflect emotional reactions to perceived competition.

Similar Patterns Emerged Across Cultures

Average levels of superiority enjoyment were similar among participants from Canada, Hungary, and Indonesia despite substantial cultural differences in dating practices, sexuality, and gender expectations. According to the researchers, this may indicate that the desire to outperform romantic rivals is a widespread feature of human mating psychology.

Participants from Canada, however, reported lower levels of inferiority frustration than those from Hungary and Indonesia. The researchers suggest that cultural differences in attitudes toward competition, modesty, and self-expression may contribute to these findings, although the study did not directly investigate these factors.

The observed associations were generally modest to moderate in size, which is typical in personality and social psychology research. The authors note that the consistency of the findings across different countries is particularly noteworthy.

Researchers Call for Further Study

The findings suggest that people who enjoy competing for romantic partners may also be more likely to engage in behaviors aimed at attracting or retaining mates, including investing in physical appearance, taking greater risks, and showing greater openness to casual sexual relationships.

At the same time, the researchers note that stronger competitive tendencies may also be associated with higher levels of aggression, riskier sexual behavior, and greater interest in cosmetic procedures.

Because the study was cross-sectional and based on correlations, it cannot determine whether competitive tendencies cause these behaviors or whether the relationship works in the opposite direction.

The authors also acknowledge several limitations. Women made up most of the sample, and the Indonesian group was relatively small, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about gender differences or country-specific patterns. In addition, all data were based on self-reported questionnaires, which may be influenced by social desirability, particularly when participants report sexual behavior or attitudes toward cosmetic surgery.

Future research should include more culturally diverse populations and examine how factors such as income inequality, beauty standards, and social media exposure influence intrasexual competition. The researchers also plan to explore how competitive tendencies relate to relationship maintenance, mate retention, body image, and online dating, helping to clarify how these behaviors develop across different social environments.