Machiavellianism and psychopathy.

Abstract

An integration of the Machiavellianism (MACH) and psychopathy constructs based on a dimensional view of personality and personality disorders and a recognition of B. Karpman's (1941Karpman's ( , 1948 conceptual distinction between primary and secondary psychopathy is presented. Positive associations between MACH and both primary and secondary psychopathy were found. It is concluded that the Mach-IV is a global measure of psychopathy in noninstitutionalized populations (i.e., one that assesses but confounds both primary and secondary psychopathy) and that the primary differences between MACH and psychopathy are not traceable to substantive theoretical issues but to the different professional affiliations they are associated with: personality and social psychology and clinical psychology, respectively.Although the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) identifies personality disorders as taxonomies, numerous authors have argued for a dimensional approach to the classification of personality disorders and psychopathology in general (

Belief in a Just World and Commitment to Long-Term Deserved Outcomes

“…This instrument was developed with undergraduate students and shows coefficient α's between about .73 and .88 for primary psychopathy (see Elwood et al, 2004). Studies have shown evidence of good validity (e.g., Levenson et al, 1995;McHoskey et al 1998). In the present study, coefficient α for Levenson et al's (1995) primary psychopathy scale was .80.…”

“…Primary psychopathy is that type or aspect of psychopathy characterized by such tendencies as callousness, manipulativeness, and untruthfulness (Harpur et al, 1989;Karpman, 1948). Primary psychopathy is related to antisocial behavior (e.g., Levenson et al, 1995;Lynam et al, 1999;McHoskey et al, 1998, Study 2), but is less associated with impulsivity than other similar constructs (such as secondary psychopathy; e.g., Harpur et al, 1989;McHoskey et al, 1998).…”

Relationships between the Dark Triad and Delayed Gratification: An Evolutionary Perspective

“…While there are many conceptual similarities between Machiavellianism and psychopathy (McHoskey et al, 1998), they may differ in terms of their strategies for goal attainment. Unlike psychopathy, Machiavellianism is predictive of one's ability to assess a given situation from an emotionally detached viewpoint and to apply cognitive heuristics to make accurate predictions about future rewards (Bereckzei et al, 2013).…”

“…Moderate to strong correlations have been reported between Machiavellianism and psychopathy (Jakobwitz & Egan, 2006;McHoskey et al, 1998;Paulhus & Williams, 2002). Nevertheless, they are considered distinct constructs.…”

“…Machiavellian individuals employ social tactics, such as charm and seduction, to exploit others for personal gain . There are many conceptual similarities between Machiavellianism and psychopathy (e.g., Smith & Griffith, 1978;McHoskey, Worzel, & Szyarto, 1998), such as disagreeableness, manipulativeness, and low empathy (Ali, Amorim, & Chamorro-Premuzic, 2009;Lee & Ashton, 2005).…”