Psychological Dispositions and AI Utilization: Unpacking Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy in E-commerce

Abstract

The research investigates the influence of Dark Triad personality traits, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy on women’s attitudes and intention to use AI-powered e-commerce platforms within the context of status consumption as a moderating variable. This research utilized mixed methods consisting of an exploratory qualitative inquiry and a follow-up quantitative study. A Grounded Theory approach was employed to generate themes from the semi-structured interviews conducted with 23 women consumers; these themes aided in developing the theoretical model. Of the 1,416 questionnaires distributed, 367 responses were considered valid. The data was processed using SPSS, AMOS V 28 as well as Process Macro 4.0. Results show that attitudes toward AI-powered platforms and the intention to use them are heavily influenced by Dark Triad traits, status consumption being an important moderating variable. Individuals with narcissistic traits tend to have a self-serving behavior where they seek approval from customized experiences. These traits also lead to the exploitation of others. As this study is one of the few investigating the relationship between Dark Triad traits, status consumption, and AI adoption in the context of e-commerce, there are implications for marketers and policymakers in improving user experience while restricting unethical activities.

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