High Machiavellianism Research Articles

“High empathic response but low interest”: Machiavellianism and its neurostructural basis relate to perceived risk of social exclusion and workplace deviance

The manipulative, exploitative, and indifferent behavior of individuals with high scores on the trait of Machiavellianism attracts research interest in their cognitive and affective emphathic skills; however, the findings are contradictory. We explored the neurostructural substrates of Machiavellianism using voxel-based morphometry analysis with a large sample of 202 full-time employees. Consistent with our expectation, the association of Machiavellianism and its neurostructural basis with the perceived risk of social exclusion were supported whereas that with workplace deviance were not fully supported; the results only showed a significant relationship between Machiavellianism and organizational deviance at the trait level. Our results together provide novel insights into Machiavellianism by highlighting the perspective of “High empathic response but low interest”; namely, individuals with high Machiavellianism possess affective empathic capacity, but they do not care about others.

Why Do People Sometimes Wear an Anonymous Mask? Motivations for Seeking Anonymity Online.

Anonymous environments are more accessible than ever. As such, it is important to understand not only how anonymity can change human behavior but also why people are motivated to seek anonymity in online spaces. In four studies, we investigated differences in motivations for seeking anonymity online and their associations with related dispositional factors and online behavior. We found that some people were motivated to seek anonymity to self-express or behave toxically. Both motivations to seek anonymity were associated with low self-concept clarity and high Machiavellianism but differed in their relation to traits such as self-consciousness and psychopathy. Further analyses suggested that people selectively engage in behaviors in anonymous online environments, in line with the specific gratifications they seek through anonymity. We conclude that people seek anonymity to pursue self- or other-related goals that are otherwise more difficult or costly to pursue when identifiable.

World wide web of lies: Personality and online deception

The deliberate act of falsifying aspects of a person's identity is rampant online and across social networking sites. Although personality traits have been found to be related to deception in traditional contexts, less is known about how this relationship translates to an online setting. The current study investigates the relationships between the dark tetrad traits (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism), self-esteem, and online identity-based deception. A combined student and community sample (N = 342, 18 – 72 years old, 70.2% female) was asked if they had previously engaged in eight common identity-based deceptive behaviours on social networking sites (e.g., used a fake name, created a fake profile). Personality traits were measured using the Short Dark Triad, the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, and the Rosenburg Self-Esteem Scale. Overall, engagement in identity-based deception was found to be common on social networking sites. Machiavellianism emerged as a unique predictor of using a fake name and altering one's age with higher Machiavellianism also associated with a greater frequency of lying about one's name, age, appearance, and relationship status. Psychopathy, however, failed to uniquely predict any of the online-deceptive behaviours examined when controlling for other personality variables. Together, these findings suggest that online identity-based deception is a calculated endeavour.

Testing Gender Differences: The Dark Triad and Motives for Deceptive Impression Management

This study examined the effect of the dark triad personality traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy on motives for deceptive impression management in consideration of gender differences. An online survey was conducted with 121 Japanese university students (57 men, 64 women), who completed the Short Dark Triad-Japanese version and the Acting in Daily Life Scale. Multiple-group structural equation modeling results were as follows: (a) Men with high Machiavellianism scored lower on relationship maintenance and relationship acquisition than women with high Machiavellianism did; (b) narcissism was positively associated with relationship acquisition in men, whereas in women, narcissism was negatively associated with difficult situations; and (c) in both men and women, psychopathy was negatively associated with relationship acquisition. The findings suggest that the effects of the dark triad of personality on deceptive impression management in daily life are gender-specific and dependent on cost estimates.

The Effects of Client Machiavellian Traits and Fraud Motivation on Fraud Risk Assessments

ABSTRACT The extant fraud literature indicates the Dark Triad personality trait of Machiavellianism can indicate behavioral warning signs, signal the motivation of a potential fraudster, and be used in a predictive approach to fraud assessments (Brody, Melendy, and Perri 2012; Hermanson, Justice, Ramamoorti, and Riley 2017). In a 2 × 2 experiment, this study examines the effects of client manager Machiavellian traits and fraud motivation on fraud risk assessments. We find that participants' fraud risk assessments are higher when client traits are consistent with high Machiavellianism. We did not find a significant fraud motivation effect. The results indicate evidence of additional attitude/rationalization risk factors for consideration under the fraud triangle and the effects on judgment when assessing fraud risk. We provide insights on the ability of auditors to recognize high/low pressure/motivation situations within the context of a case study. Finally, the study provides evidence for documentation in consideration of fraud factors.

Are you a cyberbully on social media? Exploring the personality traits using a fuzzy-set configurational approach

Cyberbullying behavior (CB) on social media is complex because its perpetrators exhibit varied demographic characteristics and personalities. Prior studies have applied Big Five (Big5) and Dark Tetrads (Dark4) personality traits (PTs) along with demographic attributes, using symmetrical modelling, but revealed mixed and inconsistent results. This paper applies an asymmetric modelling approach using complexity and configurational theories to develop configurations of PTs and demography to predict CB. The online survey data have been analyzed using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) technique. Regarding Big5 PTs, our findings reveal that, for instance, people scoring high in conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness and low in agreeableness undertake cyberbullying. For Dark4 PTs, the combination of either psychopathy and sadism or Machiavellianism and psychopathy leads to cyberbullying. As for demographic attributers, educated young married people, irrespective of gender, are likely to commit cyberbullying. Our all-inclusive model reveals that social media bullies, regardless of their gender, marital status, and social media experience, are young, educated, neurotic, conscientious, psychopathic, and sadistic with high Machiavellianism and low agreeableness. Further, we suggest configurations to reduce cyberbullying. The findings are discussed with implications for theory and practice.

The role of the dark triad and the experience of violence in the creation and dissemination of self-destructive online content by adolescents and youth

IntroductionResearch in recent years has raised an important question about the role of the Internet in the self-injurious and suicidal behavior of adolescents and youth.ObjectivesThe aim of this work is to study the role of the experience of violence in real life and the dark triad in the creation and dissemination of self-destructive content among adolescents and youth.Methods827 Russian students aged 15-25 (59% female) сompleted the questionnaire and the “Dirty Dozen” (Kornilova, et al., 2015).ResultsTwo-thirds of respondents have seen self-harm (72%) and suicidal (66%) content. Every seventh respondent (14%) is at risk, because he creates, approves with likes or disseminates self-destructive content among peers. Respondents at risk are more likely to have experienced physical (χ2=9.8, p<0.01), psychological (χ2=4.36, p<0.05) and sexualized (χ2=7.44, p<0.01) violence. Respondents who have a higher machiavellianism are more likely to approve (F=17.96, p=0.00) and disseminate (F=6.07, p<0.05) self-destructive content, less often using the «report» (F=4.06, p<0.05). Adolescents who have a higher psychopathic are more likely to create (F=7.34, p<0.01), disseminate (F=23.27, p=0.00) and approve (F=23.92, p=0.00) it.ConclusionsSelf-destructive online content is seen by most teens and youth, and every seventh creates, approves and distributes it among peers, being a victim of violence in real life and having potential tendencies towards self-harm or suicidal behavior. Teens and youth with higher machiavellianism and psychopathy can create and disseminate self-destructive content due to their own psychological problems, but also potentially involve others. Research was supported by the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research, project 20-013-00857.DisclosureResearch was supported by the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research, project 20-013-00857.

Exploring the relationship between personality, morality and lying: A study based on the person-centred approach

AbstractPast research explored the relationship between personality, moral disengagement, and deception and found a general trend showing that the lower people score on the big five personality factors, but the higher they score on moral disengagement and Machiavellianism, the higher their lying tendency. However, a limitation of past research is that it has usually adopted a variable-centred approach, whereas a person-centred approach might describe people in more detail and provide further insight into the relationship between personality and morality. In the present study, we collected data from 316 participants and asked them to fill an on-line questionnaire which included measures on personality, moral disengagement, and lying tendency (perceived lying ability, frequency, negativity and contextuality). The latter was measured via the newly developed Structure of Deception (SoD) scale (Makowski et al., Current Psychology, 2021). We had to aims. First, to validate an Italian version of the SoD, which showed a good factor structure, gender measurement invariance, and good construct and criterion validity. Second, to explore the association between personal characteristics and lying tendency. Personality and morality scores were combined to obtain subpopulations of participants by a mean of cluster analysis. We obtained four clusters, one of which was marked by high Machiavellianism and moral disengagement but low scores on the personality factors, and one of which showed the opposite trend. The results also showed that cluster membership, and hence personal characteristics, was associated with lying tendency. The person-centred approach can be applied in research on lying. Limitations of the study and future suggestions are also discussed.

Machiavellian Leader Effectiveness

Abstract. Research on the effectiveness of Machiavellian leaders has found contradictory results. By linking socioanalytic and trait activation theory to the Machiavellianism and leadership literature, we argue that political skill may explain these findings by moderating the relation between Machiavellianism and leadership effectiveness. Using a multisource design and moderated mediation analyses with 153 leaders, 287 subordinates, and 153 superiors, we show that leaders who are both strongly politically skilled and high on Machiavellianism successfully enact transformational leadership, mediating improved leader effectiveness. However, when leader political skill is low, high Machiavellianism is negatively associated with (subordinate-rated) transformational leadership, resulting in lower leader effectiveness ratings by superiors. We discuss these results in light of current research on Machiavellianism in leadership and work contexts.

Borderline Machiavellianism: A Call for Reclassification of High and Low Machiavellianism

The MACH IV scale is the primary tool used in Machiavellian studies for identifying high and low Machiavellians. While this classification has been useful, the arbitrary nature of classifying low and high Machiavellians on the cut-off point of 60 is leading to confusion and ambiguity. Our study calls for academic discourse to investigate and debate on those managers who are projecting the characteristics of both low and high Machiavellian attributes. To provide greater clarity for identifying and refining those characteristics of low vs high Machiavellians, this study attempts to understand those managers bordering on high Machiavellianism in the MACH IV score. We use in-depth interviews to triangulate the MACH IV survey responses. The study was conducted in the construction industry in Sri Lanka where Machiavellian leaders are popular and sought after. Study findings reveal that borderline high Machs express both high and low Mach characteristics and their behavior may be influenced by cultural and religious values.

Examining the joint development of antisocial behavior and personality: Predictors and trajectories of adolescent indirect aggression and machiavellianism.

Indirect aggression has been associated with antisocial personality traits like Machiavellianism, but there is a lack of evidence on their longitudinal development across adolescence. Therefore, the joint developmental trajectories of adolescent indirect aggression and Machiavellianism across 3 years of high school (Grades 10 to 12) were investigated. Predictors of joint trajectory groups at the start of high school (Grade 9) were also explored. Participants included a sample of 513 individuals (Mage = 14.95 in Grade 10; SD = .37; 56.7% girls; 76.4% White) recruited from a school district that completed self-report measures of indirect aggression and Machaivellianism annually. Self- and parent-report measures of individual differences (e.g., approval seeking), peer relations (e.g., school bonding), and psychological features (e.g., anxiety) were explored as predictors of the trajectory groups. As predicted, a small subgroup of individuals indicated a high-risk joint trajectory pattern of moderate stable indirect aggression and high stable Machiavellianism. Additional trajectory patterns included a low-risk group indicating low stable indirect aggression and low stable Machiavellianism, and a high Machiavellianism only group indicating low stable indirect aggression and high stable Machiavellianism. Moderate indirect aggression was a better indicator of high Machiavellianism than the reverse. Individual differences, peer relations, and psychological features differentiated these trajectory groups. Findings have implications for the prevention of antisocial traits and behavior among young people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

О предикторах негативной креативности у взрослых на примере курсантов

The work is aimed at clarifying the contribution of moral identity and Machiavellianism as predictors of negative creativity. Negative creativity is the solution of a legitimate task, as a result of which unintentional harm was inflicted on others. To prevent such an impact on others, it is important to understand which personal characteristics are predictors of behavioral manifestations of negative creativity. The materials of an empirical study obtained on a sample of cadets of one of the universities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (N=277 people, 200 of them men, the average age is 20 years) are presented. We used questionnaires adapted from the Russian sample of Mac IV and NEO-FFI; as well as moral ideality (K. Aquino and A. Reed, II). To diagnose negative creativity, the scales ‘Lies’ and ‘Evil Jokes’ of the questionnaire ‘The Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale’ (Hao et al.) were used. Research hypothesis: the key characteristics of the negative creativity profile of adults (on the example of cadets) are Machiavellianism and low values of moral identity. According to the results, the ability to control one's own impulses and the internalization of moral qualities developed at the average level, as well as high Machiavellianism and average self-control ability, are predictors of negative creativity and risk components. The novelty of the results obtained is that in the case of negative productivity, it is important to take into account not the low development of positive characteristics (conscientiousness and moral identity), but the average values.

Systematic Review : Violation of Integrity from the Perspective of Psychology, Organizational Context and Community Culture

Abstract The report on the crackdown on ICW corruption cases in 2019 explained that during 2019 there were 271 cases in Indonesia, as many as 29 (10.7%) cases occurred at the national level and 242 (89.3%) occurred in various regions in Indonesia. These data indicate the existence of integrity violations committed by public officials. The purpose of the literature review is to explore the psychological, organizational, and cultural factors of society that affect integrity violations. Research methods are systematic reviews. The results of the literature review: 1) psychological factors include low universal basic values and virtues, low moral judgment, low risk perception, low shame and guilt, high love of money, high machiavellianism, external motivation, authority, wealth, status and affiliation motivation, luxurious and hedonistic lifestyle and low happiness; 2) organizational factors are quite varied, including an ethical climate that is perceived negatively and self-oriented, less transparent organization, Human Resources and performance systems, politicization of the bureaucracy, the role model of the leader / superior is not good, several other factors; 3) Community cultural factors include high power distance, high masculinity, high collectivism and avoiding low uncertainty. Key Word : Violation of Integrity, Psyhology, Organizational Context, Community Culture

THE REACTION OF CHARISMATIC AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP TOWARDS MACHIAVELLIANISM IN ORGANIZATIONS

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The dark triad personality traits and work behaviors: A person-centered approach

To date, research on the dark triad has mainly adopted a variable-centered perspective to investigate work-related outcomes of each dimension of the dark triad, thus not considering their potential combined effects. To overcome this issue, authors have begun to examine the dimensions of the dark triad by adopting a person-centered approach. Because the existing literature on this topic is still scarce, more person-centered studies are needed. Accordingly, by relying on a person-centered approach, we explored the latent profiles of 447 French employees' dark triad traits, characterized by their levels of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. This research also investigated the associations between these profiles and work behaviors (i.e., job performance and counterproductive work behaviors). Latent profile analysis identified four latent profiles (i.e., benevolent, high Machiavellianism, high psychopathy, and malevolent), which differentially predicted individuals' work behaviors. More interestingly, the results showed that the malevolent profile was associated with the highest job performance. Overall, our findings provide important contributions to the literature on the dark triad and pave the way for future research.

Effects of Positive Language and Profession on Trustworthiness and Credibility in Online Health Advice: Experimental Study.

BackgroundWhen searching for health information, many people use the internet as their first source of information. In online health forums, for example, users post their questions and exchange health advice. In recent years, information givers from various professions have begun to use positive language (indicated by the frequent use of positively valenced adjectives) to communicate their information and persuade their audiences.ObjectiveThe goal of the current study was to answer the following research questions: (1) How does positive language, in comparison to neutral language, influence the trustworthiness of a person arguing in an online health forum and the credibility of their health claims; (2) How does working for a university, compared to working for a lobbying organization, influence the trustworthiness of a person arguing in an online health forum and the credibility of their health claims; and (3) Do the two factors of language style and professional affiliation interact with each other to influence trustworthiness and credibility judgments?MethodsIn a 2 × 2 between-subject experiment, 242 participants read a post from an online health forum and subsequently rated the trustworthiness of the forum post author and the credibility of their information. Within the post, the professional affiliation (scientist vs lobbyist) and language style (neutral vs positive) of the forum post author was varied.ResultsWhen the forum post author used a positive language style, they were perceived as less trustworthy (high Machiavellianism [P<.001; η2p=.076], low Integrity [P=.001; η2p=.045], and low Benevolence [P=.02; η2p=.025]) and their information was perceived as less credible (low Message Credibility [P=.001; η2p=.045]). The professional affiliation of the forum post author did not influence their trustworthiness or the credibility of their information.ConclusionsWhen searching for health information, information seekers evaluate the language style of forum posts to decide whether forum post authors are trustworthy and their information is credible.

The Dark Tetrad in Tinder: hook-up app for high psychopathy individuals, and a diverse utilitarian tool for Machiavellians?

Location-based on-line dating applications are a popular tool for initiating short and long-term relationships. Besides seeking for partners, people use these applications for a myriad of other reasons. We investigated how the Dark Tetrad of personality, controlling for sex, age, and trolling tendencies, related to different motives for using Tinder. Current or former Tinder users (N = 216) completed online scales for Tinder use motivations, trolling, sadism, and the Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy). Using Tinder for acquiring sexual experience was related to being male and being high in psychopathy. Psychopathy was positively correlated with using Tinder to distract oneself from other tasks (e.g., procrastination). Higher Machiavellianism and being female were related to peer pressure as a Tinder use motivation. Using Tinder for acquiring social or flirting skills had a negative relationship with narcissism, and positive relationship with Machiavellianism. Finally, Machiavellianism was also a significant, positive predictor of Tinder use for social approval and to pass the time. Results indicate that individuals high in Machiavellianism use Tinder for a number of utilitarian reasons, whereas the main motive for high psychopathy individuals is hook-up for casual sex.

Examining The Mediating Effect Of Organizational Politics On Personal Traits And Job Performance Relationship Applied Study On Public Hospitals In Zagazig City

Abstract The purpose of current research is to investigate the mediating role of organizational politics in the relationship between personal traits (political skills – locus of control – Machiavellianism) and job performance, and also investigating the direct impact of personal traits and organizational politics. Questionnaire was developed, and date collected from stratified simple random sample of nurses and physicians (n=300) from four public hospitals in Zagazig city. Data was analyzed using AMOS V.20and results indicated that individuals with high political skills , high Machiavellianism and internal locus of control have more tendency to practice organizational politics ,also it was found that organizational politics partially mediate the relationship between personal traits and job performance

The relationships among love of money and unethical behaviour

This study examines the relationships between love of money and unethical behaviour, with Machiavellianism and narcissism, acted as the intervening variables. The data were collected by distributing a questionnaire to 122 banking employees in Yogyakarta and analysed using multiple regression analysis to test the hypothesis. Results indicate that Machiavellianism and narcissism were significantly related to unethical behaviour. Meanwhile, instead of love of money, which did not have any relationship with Machiavellianism, it had a significant relationship with narcissism. The implication of the findings is that a person who love for money and with high Machiavellianism are more likely to do unethical behaviour. However, people with high love of money are not always associated with a Machiavellianism personality.

Manipulating the odds: The effects of Machiavellianism and construal level on cheating behavior.

Values, beliefs, and traits differ across individuals, and these concepts might impact whether individuals choose to engage in (dis)honest behavior. This project focuses on interindividual differences in Machiavellianism, which is defined as a tendency toward cynicism and manipulativeness, and the belief that the ends justify the means. We hypothesized that trait Machiavellianism would predict dishonest behavior. Furthermore, we speculated that some situations are more conducive than others for Machiavellianism to translate into behavior. In particular, Construal Level Theory holds that individuals construe social situations on a concrete level, or an abstract level, and that an abstract construal level triggers values and value-related traits to be more influential on behavior. Against this background, we hypothesized that differences in Machiavellianism produce differences in dishonest monetary behavior when situations are construed abstractly. Four studies tested these considerations by asking participants to toss a coin and self-report the toss’ outcome. Inconsistent with our theorizing, we did not find that higher Machiavellianism is consistently associated with a higher self-reported probability of receiving an individual bonus. We also did not find consistent support that higher Machiavellianism is associated with cheating under abstract compared to concrete construal.