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Machiavellianism and psychopathy

J W McHoskey1, W Worzel, C Szyarto

  • 1Department of Psychology, Clemson University, USA. mchoskey@online.emich.edu

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|February 11, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Machiavellianism (MACH) measures both primary and secondary psychopathy in non-clinical populations. Differences between MACH and psychopathy stem from professional affiliations, not theory.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Personality Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Explores the integration of Machiavellianism (MACH) and psychopathy constructs.
  • Employs a dimensional perspective on personality and personality disorders.
  • Recognizes B. Karpman's distinction between primary and secondary psychopathy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To integrate Machiavellianism and psychopathy within a dimensional framework.
  • To examine the relationship between Machiavellianism and primary/secondary psychopathy.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a dimensional approach to personality and personality disorders.
  • Incorporated B. Karpman's conceptual distinction between primary and secondary psychopathy.

Main Results:

  • Found positive associations between Machiavellianism (MACH) and both primary and secondary psychopathy.
  • Indicated that the Mach-IV scale globally assesses psychopathy in non-institutionalized individuals.
  • Demonstrated that the Mach-IV confounds primary and secondary psychopathy.

Conclusions:

  • The Mach-IV serves as a global measure of psychopathy in non-clinical settings.
  • Differences between Machiavellianism and psychopathy are attributed to disciplinary affiliations (social vs. clinical psychology) rather than theoretical distinctions.

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