Professor Peter Karl (PK) Jonason is an expert in social and personality psychology through the lens of evolutionary theory. He has led research teams around the world in studies of mate preferences, mating strategies, sex differences, and the dark side of human nature. While he collaborates with colleagues from around the world in places like Australia, Poland, the USA, and Japan, he calls the University of Padova home.

In 2010 Professor Jonason was one half of the team that created the cross-culturally validated scale called The Dark Triad Dirty Dozen. The scale is composed of 12 items that capture individual differences in narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.

Professor Jonason’s expert opinion has been showcased in media such as Men’s Health, Psychology Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, and The Sydney Morning Herald. He has been a guest on multiple radio shows including WGN Chicago, ABC Australia, and Triple J. Such expertise and notoriety have afforded him opportunities to do consulting with market research companies and the FBI.

With over 130 scientific publications, Professor Jonason’s research has investigated a wide array of topics touching on issues of organizational psychology, sexuality, interpersonal relationships, happiness, and prejudice. In 2014 he and his team won an Ig Nobel Prize for their intriguing findings surrounding people who stay up late and their higher tendency to display the Dark Triad personality traits. He currently holds an OPUS grant from the National Science Centre of Poland studying how people use online dating applications.