What is psychological Machiavellianism?
Machiavellianism in personality psychology is a trait characterized by manipulation, lack of empathy, and a calculated focus on self-interest. Developed in the 1960s by psychologists Richard Christie and Florence Geis, the construct is measured using their Mach IV personality survey. It stands alongside narcissism and psychopathy as one of the dark triad traits.
What we know
- Machiavellianism is a personality trait construct defined by manipulativeness, indifference to morality, lack of empathy, and self-interest. [1, 2]
- Psychologists Richard Christie and Florence L. Geis created the construct and devised the Mach IV personality survey in the 1960s. [2, 5]
- Individuals who score high on the Mach IV scale typically exhibit deceitfulness, exploitativeness, and a cold temperament. [2]
- The psychological construct shares no actual relation to the historical figure Niccolò Machiavelli outside of bearing his name. [2]
Where to go next
- how it workedWhat is the Mach IV personality test?
- the bigger pictureWhat are the traits in the dark triad?
- whoWho was Florence Geis?
- compared withHow does political philosophy differ from psychological Machiavellianism?
- how we knowWhat insights were published in Studies in Machiavellianism?
- an unexpected connectionHow did a dissertation on Machiavellianism connect to feminist scholarship?Florence Geis co-created the major psychological construct of Machiavellianism through her doctoral dissertation, yet she also built a prominent career focused on gender bias and feminist scholarship.
Sources
- [1]Machiavellianism (Wikidata Q69976101) · CC0 1.0
- [2]Machiavellianism (psychology) · CC BY-SA 4.0
- [3]Florence L. Geis · CC BY-SA 4.0
- [4]Machiavellianism · CC BY-SA 4.0
- [5]Studies in Machiavellianism · CC BY-SA 4.0