The latest scholarly investigation has probed the peculiar nature of Machiavellianism, a personality characteristic marked by cunning and emotional detachment, to understand why those who possess it often go unnoticed.
Christian Blötner along with his team at the University of Novo Sad presented their insights on this subject in the Journal of Personality Assessment.
Their research sought to dissect Machiavellianism into two fundamental aspects: the pursuit of acquiring resources and the prevention of losing them, which translate in psychological jargon to “approach” and “avoidance.” However, the challenge arose in devising a tool that could isolate Machiavellian traits from those of psychopathy, as they frequently overlap in behavior. Blötner and his group reported, “[Various insights] argue against a clear-cut distinction between Machiavellian approach tactics and subclinical psychopathy.”
Crafting the Machiavellian Approach and Avoidance Questionnaire
The formulation of the Machiavellian Approach and Avoidance Questionnaire (MAAQ) was an endeavor to merge statistical reliability with the conceptual clarity to craft an instrument distinct from measures of psychopathy. This tool underwent testing with German participants as well as an international cohort from Canada, Britain, and Serbia.
The MAAQ presented various statements for participants to rate on a scale from strong disagreement to strong agreement, such as “I tend to manipulate others to get my own way.” While the questionnaire made strides in segregating items into “approach” and “avoidance” categories, a complete distinction of Machiavellian characteristics from psychopathic ones was not fully met. The research indicated, “Promoted core features of Machiavellian approach and Machiavellian avoidance were not consistently validated.”
Findings from the international group showed more Machiavellian avoidance in Germany compared to Serbia, underscoring the need for cross-cultural corroboration. The study’s revelations also pointed to possible inaccuracies due to self-reporting biases as individuals who exhibit Machiavellian tendencies may underreport them because of social acceptability or unawareness of their own traits.
Nonetheless, the researchers still see value in the MAAQ, especially in the assessment of those around us. They propose that this tool might be particularly beneficial in recognizing manipulative behaviors in individuals who have previously been deceptive, with understanding possibly evolving through retrospective reflection.
With these insights, the study iterates the intricacies involved in the detection of Machiavellian attributes, emphasizing that continual alertness is the current best line of defense. As observed by Blötner and his associates, “The master manipulator has numerous ways to remain unseen, even to those specializing in personality study.”
