Machiavellianism Scale, MACH-IV

Test scores

Report

The most central component of the scale taps a respondent's feelings about whether other people can be manipulated so as to achieve the respondent's goals. Thus, the person high in Machiavellianism reflects a rather perverse type of trust; that is, a confidence that others can be influenced or changed by a combination of techniques employed by the manipulator.

Despite the usual pejorative implications that surround the term «Machiavellian», none of Christie and Geis' evidence suggests that high Machs are more hostile, vicious, or vindictive than low Machs. Rather it appears that they have a «cool detachment» that makes them less emotionally involved with other people, with sensitive issues, or with saving face in embarrassing situations.