The Strange Ghosting Behavior of Dark Triad People

When you think of ghosting, whether or not you’ve been a victim, it’s most likely in terms of a close relationship. The ghoster decides it’s time to end things and, either out of misplaced kindness or selfishness, simply vanishes.

What about people who ghost in other areas of life? Perhaps you tried to hire someone to do a chore at home and put in a call to what you believed would be a reliable company. A day or two goes by and no response, so you try again. Still no luck. Why would someone turn down the opportunity to earn a few dollars or, at least, not have the decency to get back to you?

Ghosting as a Dark Triad Trait

According to a research team headed by Elon University’s Brian Lyons (2024), ghosting does occur in situations just like the fix in which you found yourself. People apply for jobs and then disappear. Although you may more commonly view workplace ghosting as generated by employers, the situation is becoming more two-sided than in the past, Lyons et al. point out. Part of this can be attributed to the impersonal nature of many job applications, which increasingly are using online tools. Still, not everyone ghosts.

The Elon U. researchers suggest that those who do engage in this “aberrant” behavior may have personalities that predispose them to behave in ways that violate ordinary social norms. The social norms of job applications, especially from the perspective of the potential employee, mean that someone who wants to be hired actively replies to an offer. People high in the so-called “Dark Triad” traits (psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism) often “flaunt or ignore norms of exchange and instead act opportunistically to benefit themselves over any exchange partner.”

There are two more pieces to the puzzle. though. People high in Dark Triad traits are also low in the quality of self-control. Their impulsiveness can extend to the job search process, in which they seek out new positions on a whim. If they get a callback, they don’t reply because they weren’t that serious in the first place. The second possible cause relates to fear of missing out (FOMO). Prior research shows that people high in narcissism are heavy-duty FOMO types. They want to be part of every action and feel snubbed when they’re not. The other two Dark Triad traits may also fit into the picture, just as part of an overall set of aberrant tendencies.

Testing the Dark Triad as Ghoster

To find out whether this constellation of traits would predict workplace ghosting, Lyons et al. recruited an online sample of 321 adults over two test occasions, three weeks apart. At the first test, participants completed questionnaire measures of Dark Triad traits, FOMO, self-control, and an additional factor of being ghosted before. The authors reasoned that people who were ghosted by an employer figure that it’s OK to ghost back.

At the second testing, participants completed a ghosting behavior questionnaire with the following items (the time interval allowed the researchers to dissociate the predictors from the ghosting behavior outcome measure).

See if you can relate to any of these items, either in terms of work or relationships (e.g. with a potential dating partner):

I didn’t attend a previously scheduled virtual interview with an employer and didn’t contact them afterward.

I didn’t attend a previously scheduled interview at the employer’s office location and didn’t contact them afterward.

I didn't call back a recruiter or company representative that inquired about my resume or application.

I didn't respond to an email from a recruiter or company representative asking me to interview with them.

Confirming the idea that ghosting in the job application process is relatively common, more than half (51 percent) said they had been ghosted, and nearly as many (40 percent) had ghosted an employer.

Qualitative data gathered in association with the ghosting questionnaire allowed the research team to find out more about why people ghosted. These included reasons such as “Lost interest in the job,” “I didn’t feel like telling them,” “They were toxic,” and “Their pay offer was insulting.” Again, maybe you can relate to these feelings from your own experiences.

After comparing the joint and individual effects of the predictor variables, Lyons et al. emerged with the conclusion that it was psychopathy and FOMO that found their way to the top. Other Dark Triad traits also factored in when they were individually considered, but psychopathy still won out. As the authors concluded: “Regarding narcissism and Machiavellianism, our unique result for psychopathy is consistent with research suggesting that, of the DT traits, psychopathy is the most toxic.”

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In further elaborating on this result, the authors note that narcissists may be more motivated to seek supportive audiences rather than violate norms, and the people high in Machiavellianism want to keep people under their thumb. “Both,” the authors claim, “have vested interests in working with others.” Walking out on a job potential may be inconsistent with these qualities, but once in a job, based on prior research, they’ll use others toward their own ends. Therefore, people with these other Dark Triad traits are hardly angels once they're hired.

What the New Ghosting Research Suggests for You

Knowing that ghosting can occur in settings that you may never have imagined before can be informative in and of itself. From the standpoint of seeking out a new relationship, whether in a work or romantic setting, sniffing out the psychopath seems to be the best protection. There are also a host of other dangers you can avoid. The Elon U. authors suggest that some ghosters would also be likely to commit resume fraud, reneging on an offer, and simply faking.

Just as the Dark Triad can be so potentially dangerous in a variety of interpersonal situations, its association with ghosting now suggests that you be on the lookout when you’re in the process of initiating relationships. It’s also helpful to know that a ghoster’s hurtful behavior may have nothing to do with your qualities or something you did wrong.

To sum up, ghosting is in many ways a strange behavior that seems to violate social norms of reciprocity. Knowing how the Dark Triad feeds into this can help you survive when you’re the one left behind.