What is the emotional core of the multidimensional Machiavellian personality trait?

Emophilia: psychometric properties of the emotional promiscuity scale and its association with personality traits, unfaithfulness, and romantic relationships in a Scandinavian sample

Emophilia is a suggested stable phenomenon referring to how often and easily an individual falls in love (Jones, 2011). The current study investigated the psychometric properties of the Emotional Promiscuity Scale (EPS, i.e., a measure of emophilia) and its association with personality traits, romantic relationships, and unfaithfulness in a Scandinavian sample. The sample consisted of 2,607 participants, who were recruited through Norwegian and Swedish newspapers. Descriptive analyses of the EPS and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to verify the previously obtained two-factor structure were conducted. Correlations between emophilia and the Big Five and Dark Triad traits were calculated to investigate the discriminative validity of the EPS. Lastly, negative binomial regression analyses were run in which emophilia comprised the independent variable and the number of romantic relationships and number of times being unfaithful constituted the dependent variables. The EPS had satisfactory internal reliability and the responses to the items were normally distributed. The CFA indicated a two-factor structure, although the two factors correlated highly, justifying collapsing them into one dimension. Emophilia showed satisfactory discriminant validity (r < 00.40) against the personality traits included. Lastly, emophilia was positively associated with the number of romantic relationships and times being unfaithful. Future research should aim to improve our understanding of the psychological and behavioral aspects of emophilia.

Social appearance anxiety among the dark tetrad and self-concealment

This study analyzed the effects of the Dark Tetrad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism) and self-concealment on social appearance anxiety. Empirical investigations on which personality traits influence social appearance anxiety are yet missing. In this study, a sample of N = 1186 Chinese students performed a questionnaire-based survey assessing different personality facets and social appearance anxiety tendencies. Measures included the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, the Machiavellian Personality Scale, the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, the Self-concealment Scale, and the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale. The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that psychopathy, Machiavellianism, sadism, and self-concealment positively predicted social appearance anxiety and narcissism negatively predicted social appearance anxiety. Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism, and self-concealment were positive predictors of social appearance anxiety, whereas narcissism was a negative predictor. These findings provide insight into the complex nature of the Dark Tetrad and their influence on social appearance anxiety.

The Dark Tetrad: analysis of profiles and relationship with the Big Five personality factors

The Dark Tetrad (DT) is composed of the traits of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy, and Sadism. Most studies analyzing the DT have employed a variable-centered approach, analyzing the traits separately. In the present study, we treat DT as a whole, adopting a person-centered approach. We analyzed different homogeneous subgroups of individuals characterized by specific DT profiles, aiming to examine their relationship with Big Five personality factors. A sample of 1149 participants (50.1% women, 18-79 years) completed The Short Dark Triad and the Assessment of Sadistic Personality instrument to assess DT, while the Mini-IPIP was used to assess the Big Five personality factors. Cluster analysis yielded five groups: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Mean DT, Low DT, and High DT group. The main results showed that the High DT group was distinguished by higher levels of extraversion and lower levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness (compared with the Low DT group). Moreover, the Narcissism group was characterized by higher scores on emotional stability, openness to experience, and extraversion. Finally, distribution according to gender varied across DT groups (more men than women in the High DT group and the opposite in the Low DT group). Limitations and future lines of research are discussed.

Effective altruism and the dark side of entrepreneurship

Purpose

Effective Altruism (EA) has become one of the most prominent socio-philosophical movements of recent years. EA is also facing intense scrutiny due to the business practices of some of its most prominent adherents. On the other hand, the dark triad traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy have been getting increasing attention in entrepreneurship research. There is growing evidence that these traits can motivate entrepreneurial intention. We therefore sought to investigate if there was a connection between the entrepreneurship discourse in EA and traits corresponding to dark triad behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a discursive analytic method, we investigated the discursive threads on entrepreneurship in EA over a 10-year period.

Findings

While we believe EA brings a much-needed perspective to the overall debate on doing good, we found ample evidence that it might have promoted the sort of dark triad behavior which some evidence suggests can lead to financial success, but can equally lead to the type of morally bankrupt, unethical and even illegal practices of some entrepreneurs. We also discovered a somewhat temporal dimension in EA's discourse on entrepreneurship, beginning with discourse encouraging some risk taking and entrepreneurship, before moving on to discourses on the benefits of having a smart and illicit character, and ending with a focus on aggressive risk taking.

Originality

The findings contribute to the still nascent debate on dark personality traits in entrepreneurship, and enriches the theoretical advancement of the field. However, our research differs from prior studies which were almost exclusively focused on the firm. Instead, we examine this phenomenon within a highly influential belief system/philosophical movement.

Network Analysis of Dark Triad Traits and Emotional Intelligence in Peruvian Adults

Background

The study of Dark Triad traits and emotional variables has been conducted in numerous regions; however, there is a lack of research focusing on Latin American samples and considering variables such as sex and age. Incorporating these variables could enhance our understanding of underlying aversive patterns.

Purpose

This study aimed to analyze the associations between Dark Triad traits and emotional intelligence in Peruvian adults.

Methods

Data were collected in 2021 and 272 adults (M=31.8 years, 68% female) participated through online surveys via non-probability purposive sampling. Dirty Dozen and Trait Meta-Mood Scales were used. Two partial correlation network models were applied between the study variables with and without controlling for gender and age. Bridge-expected influence and predictability analysis were calculated to find interconnected traits and higher connections, respectively.

Results

Subclinical psychopathy primarily showed negative associations with emotional clarity (r=-0.17), followed by emotional attention (r=-0.08) and emotional repair in networks with and without age and gender variables. Machiavellianism consistently displayed a negative association with emotional repair (r=-0.13) in both estimated networks. Conversely, subclinical narcissism exhibited a positive association solely with emotional attention (r=0.15). Furthermore, younger age was linked to higher Machiavellianism (r=-0.23), females showed higher emotional attention (r=0.11), and narcissism connected intrapersonal emotional domains with Dark Traits (bridge expected influence >1.25) while Machiavellianism exhibited greater predictability (r2>0.45) due to reinforcement by other Dark Traits.

Conclusion

This study revealed negative connections between the Dark Triad and emotional intelligence traits, except for narcissism, which was positively associated with emotional attention and functioned as a "bridge" between all traits. However, relying solely on this single positive emotional aspect of narcissism may not be adequate to characterize it as possessing fully adaptive emotional traits. Findings suggest that detailed aspects of emotional intelligence and sociodemographic factors can provide valuable insights into the complex nature of aversive patterns and their broader impact on society.

[Alexithymia in Multiple Sclerosis - Narrative Review]

Alexithymia is a multidimensional construct of personality implicating difficulties in identifying and describing another's feelings, and externally oriented thinking. It is broadly reported in psychiatric patients but has gained little attention regarding its occurrence and pathophysiology in multiple sclerosis (MS). This narrative review aims to address prevalence, etiology, neurobiological, and clinical findings of alexithymia. The prevalence of alexithymia in MS ranges from 10 to 53%. There seems to be an association with anxiety, depression, fatigue, and some aspects of social cognition, while the relationship with clinical and classical cognitive variables was rarely evaluated. Only a few studies referred to its pathophysiology assuming an aberrant interhemispheric transfer or regional cerebral abnormalities. The prevalence of alexithymia in MS and the potential negative impact on quality of life and interpersonal communication could severely impact clinical MS management and a screnning for these factors should be mandatory. Thus, further evaluation is needed concerning its relationship with clinical, emotional, and cognitive confounders. Large-scale studies employing neuroimaging techniques are needed for a better understanding of the neural underpinnings of this MS feature.

Can Machiavellianism Not be Prosocial? Roles of Empathy and Death Anxiety

Machiavellianism has always been notorious, as it is egotistical and manipulative. This study aims to explore whether Machiavellian individuals would increase prosocial behavior to buffer death anxiety, based on Terror Management Theory. A total of 420 Chinese volunteers completed a survey regarding Machiavellianism, empathy (cognitive empathy, affective empathy), death anxiety, and prosocial behavior tendencies. The results indicated that affective empathy mediated the relationship between Machiavellianism and some types of prosocial behavior (total, altruistic, anonymous, compliant, dire and emotional), and the mediating effect was moderated by death anxiety. This finding revealed that although individuals with high levels of Machiavellianism were supposed to be callous, when suffering from death anxiety, they became more affective-empathetic, and thus more prosocial. Our study enriches the relationship between Machiavellianism and kindness.

“The Devil in Disguise”: A Test of Machiavellianism Instruments (the Mach-IV, the Machiavellian Personality Scale, and the Five Factor Machiavellianism Inventory)

The main aim of this study was to test the the convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity of the Serbian adaptations of three Machiavellianism instruments (Mach-IV, Machiavellian Personality Scale - MPS, and Five Factor Machiavellianism Inventory - FFMI) based on their relations with HEXACO traits, distress aspects (anxiety, depression, and stress), and emotion regulation strategies (supression and reapraisal). The sample included 195 participants (80% women). The results showed that the Mach-IV and the MPS are mutually more similar to each other and their main negative correlate is Honesty-Humility, while the FFMI appears as distant from the other instruments and its main positive correlates are Extraversion and Conscientiousness and a negative one is Emotionality. Furthermore, the Mach-IV and MPS showed positive relations with distress aspects and non-adaptive emotion regulation (supression), while the FFMI showed opposite patterns of relations. Since the FFMI captures the most items and facets, it explained the most variance of distress and regulation strategies, but the Mach-IV and the MPS, especially its amorality facet, showed significant incremental contribution in explanation of anxiety, stress, and suppression. The implications of the use of each of the three instruments are discussed.

Dark personality traits and entrepreneurial intentions among Pakistani university students: The role of executive functions and academic intent to entrepreneurship

This study examined the mediating role of core Executive Functions (EF: working memory and inhibitory control) and moderating role of Perceived Academic Intent to Entrepreneurship (PAIE) in relationship between Dark Personality Traits (SDT) and Entrepreneurial Intentions (EI) of university students. A sample of 539 university students enrolled in various undergraduate and postgraduate programs completed the Short Dark Triad-3 (SD3), Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI), and measures for assessing Entrepreneurial Intent and Perceived Academic Intent to Entrepreneurship. The results showed that of SDT, only Machiavellianism was significantly associated with EI. Both of the core executive functions and PAIE were also positively correlated with EI. Moreover, findings showed that EF positively mediated the relationship between Machiavellian disposition and entrepreneurial intention, while perceived academic intent to entrepreneurship moderated the relationship between executive functions and EI. A significant moderated mediation index was also reported. Findings offer useful insight to the interplay among above mentioned variables and guide educational and organizational psychologists to employ core cognitive strategies for promoting entrepreneurial thoughts and channelizing the productive energies of students with malevolent tendencies through academic coaching.

Theory of mind performance in depression: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Theory of mind (ToM) is a social-cognitive skill that involves the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. Evidence is mixed regarding the extent of ToM ability in individuals with depression.

METHODS

We conducted a meta-analysis of 43 studies to investigate the strength of the association between ToM and depression.

RESULTS

Results indicated significant, small- to moderate impairment in ToM with a medium overall effect size (g = -0.398) in individuals with depression. Moderator analyses compared effect sizes across groups for the following variables: ToM content, process, and sample type. Additionally, meta-regression analyses tested age and gender as continuous moderators.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional nature of included studies limits this meta-analysis from clarifying temporal or bidirectional relations.

CONCLUSIONS

We discuss findings in the context of the extant developmental, cognitive, social, and clinical literatures. We also suggest several possible explanations for these findings and offer implications for intervention.

The dark triad, love components, and attachment styles in romantic relationship experiencing during young adulthood

The aim of this research was to clarify the nature of experiencing relationships in connection with the dark aspects of personality—Dark Triad. The study was conducted on a sample of 293 young adults (M_age = 22.9, SD = 3.4), 53.6% of females and 46.4% of males. The Slovak version of Short Dark Triad—SD3, the Slovak version of The Sternberg Triangular Love Scale (STLS) and the Slovak version of Experience in Close relationship—Revised were administered. The model of complex relationships of the Dark triad, components of love and attachment style explained 83% of the variation of the attachment style in a close relationship. The Dark triad had a direct negative effect on the love components and a direct positive effect on the attachment style in a close relationship. The components of love had a direct negative effect on the attachment style in a close relationship. In the model, gender differences were found.

COVID-19 Pandemic, Personality and Geriatric Population: Proposed Pragmatism

The elderly population is a sensitive and delicate cohort of society who is being compelled to bear the significant smoulders of disruptive social behavior of humankind amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim for this review was (1) to find out the root of disruption of societal integrity and self-centeredness by analyzing the spokes of HEXACO; (2) to delineate their possible relationships with the formation of Neuroticism and eventually Psychopathy, which have endangered human civilization the most in this pandemic; and (3) to search for the potential ways to get rid of these dark times. The constellation of different negative human behaviors probably originate from the negative deflection of components of the HEXACO model of personality towards the genesis of the dark triad. COVID-19 pandemic and upsurge of the dark triad in the form of Neuroticism, Narcissism and Machiavellianism potentially portend major mental health threats. Cultivation and practice of positive emotions and triumph of honesty, humility and humanity are imperative to save the mankind from the savagery of this pandemic.

The relationship between alexithymia and theory of mind: A systematic review

Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to represent the mental states of oneself and others, is an essential social skill disrupted across many psychiatric conditions. The transdiagnostic nature of ToM impairment means it is plausible that ToM impairment is related to alexithymia (difficulties identifying and describing one's own emotions), as alexithymia is seen across psychiatric conditions. Whilst many studies have examined links between alexithymia and ToM, results are mixed. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review is to provide a taxonomy of ToM tests and assess their relationship with alexithymia. Tests are grouped according to whether they assess propensity to engage spontaneously in ToM or accuracy of ToM inferences, with tests further subdivided into those that do, and do not, require emotion recognition. A review of 63 suitable studies suggests that alexithymia is often associated with reduced ToM, and inaccurate ToM when tasks require emotion recognition. This latter finding appears due to impaired emotion recognition, rather than ToM impairment per se. Further directions and considerations for future research are discussed.

Psychometric Properties of the Slovak Version of Short Dark Triad

The Short Dark Triad is a scale used to capture three aversive personality traits—Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy on the subclinical level. The present study aimed to verify the psychometric properties of the Slovak version of the Short Dark Triad scale in three studies. The first two studies aimed to examine the reliability of the scale. The aim of Study 1 was to examine the factor structure of SD3. A three-factor model consisting of three latent intercorrelated factors in a unidimensional and bifactorial model were examined on a sample of 588 participants. Study 2 aimed to test the consistency of the results over time (test–retest reliability) on the sample of 117 participants. In Study 3, convergent and divergent validity was examined on the sample of 333 participants. For both kinds of validity examination, the Slovak version of NEO-FFI was used. The internal consistency of the subscales and test results, the same as the retest results, were satisfactory. The relationships between the scales were found to be significant. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results supported the original three-factor model. Significant interrelations have been established between Machiavellianism and openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness; narcissism and neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness; psychopathy and openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. The Short Dark Triad achieved satisfactory values of reliability and validity; therefore, it can be used on the Slovak population.

The Dark Triad of Personality's Relationship with Compliance towards COVID-19 Pandemic Recommendations along with Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Polish Citizens

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to comply with rules of a sanitary regime and social distancing on a daily basis. The aim of our research was to assess the differences in the levels of Dark Triad traits between people who obeyed and disobeyed the pandemic restrictions. Additionally, we considered the possible correlation between the Dark Triad and the intensity of symptoms of depression and anxiety. A total of 604 Polish participants, whose average age was 28.95 ± 11.27 years, completed an online survey which measured Dark Triad traits using the Polish version of the Dirty Dozen test. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The results revealed a possible relationship between personality traits and compliance with pandemic restrictions. Individuals with higher levels of psychopathy tended to disobey newly introduced rules. On the other hand, a higher level of subclinical narcissism might have contributed to a better civil compliance. The results showed a significant positive correlation between the intensity of the Dark Triad and the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, narcissism was linked to anxiety symptoms. These results can contribute to a better understanding of behavioural patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic within the group of individuals who exhibit the Dark Triad traits. Our conclusions might help to identify individuals who are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems.

Anhedonia in chronic pain and prescription opioid misuse

BACKGROUND

Both acute and chronic pain can disrupt reward processing. Moreover, prolonged prescription opioid use and depressed mood are common in chronic pain samples. Despite the prevalence of these risk factors for anhedonia, little is known about anhedonia in chronic pain populations.

METHODS

We conducted a large-scale, systematic study of anhedonia in chronic pain, focusing on its relationship with opioid use/misuse, pain severity, and depression. Chronic pain patients across four distinct samples (N = 488) completed the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), measures of opioid use, pain severity and depression, as well as the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM). We used a meta-analytic approach to determine reference levels of anhedonia in healthy samples spanning a variety of countries and diverse age groups, extracting SHAPS scores from 58 published studies totaling 2664 psychiatrically healthy participants.

RESULTS

Compared to healthy samples, chronic pain patients showed higher levels of anhedonia, with ~25% of patients scoring above the standard anhedonia cut-off. This difference was not primarily driven by depression levels, which explained less than 25% of variance in anhedonia scores. Neither opioid use duration, dose, nor pain severity alone was significantly associated with anhedonia. Yet, there was a clear effect of opioid misuse, with opioid misusers (COMM ⩾13) reporting greater anhedonia than non-misusers. Opioid misuse remained a significant predictor of anhedonia even after controlling for pain severity, depression and opioid dose.

CONCLUSIONS

Study results suggest that both chronic pain and opioid misuse contribute to anhedonia, which may, in turn, drive further pain and misuse.

The role of alexithymia in social cognition: Evidence from a non-clinical population

BACKGROUND

Alexithymia is a personality construct characterised by difficulty in identifying and describing one's emotions. We investigated whether people with alexithymia, who struggle with emotion-processing abilities, have diminished emotion-related social cognitive competencies, where social cognition encompasses the set of abilities that allows one to navigate one's social environment.

METHODS

We assessed alexithymia and four components of social cognition: recognition of others' emotions, representation of others' affective and cognitive mental states, empathy, and regulation of one's own feelings. We investigated whether alexithymia could significantly predict each of these components, beyond the effect of other individual difference variables (i.e., anxiety/depressive symptoms), which have been previously associated with both social cognition and alexithymia. Two hundred six participants were recruited. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses were performed to assess the possible relationships between alexithymia and social cognition skills.

RESULTS

Alexithymia significantly predicted emotion recognition, empathy, and emotional regulation, even after controlling for the effect of potentially competing factors (i.e., anxiety/depressive symptoms). Alexithymia did not predict representation of others' affective and cognitive mental states.

LIMITATIONS

The present study adopted a cross-sectional design, which does not permit us to draw firm conclusions about the causality of the emergent relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

These data provide support for the argument that recognising others' emotions and feelings relies on the ability to identify correctly one's own feelings. Our results also indicate the importance of taking into consideration individual differences in levels of alexithymia when investigating social cognition in non-clinical populations, as alexithymia appears to be clearly related to social cognitive functioning.

Psychosocial Underpinnings of Pain and Sleep Disturbance in Safety-Net Primary Care Patients

Objective

The aim of this study was to uncover possible psychosocial underpinnings of pain and sleep disturbance in a safety-net primary care sample.

Methods

Patients (n = 210) awaiting care in a safety-net primary care clinic waiting room completed measures of cynical hostility, social support, mental health, sleep disturbance, and pain. This study was cross-sectional and observational.

Results

A structural equation model suggested that higher cynical hostility was associated with lower social support, which in turn was associated with poorer mental health, which then corresponded with higher pain and sleep disturbance. All possible indirect (mediational) effects within this model were statistically significant, suggesting a possible route through which cynical hostility may shape pain and sleep, two common presenting problems in primary care.

Conclusions

These findings illustrate the interplay of psychosocial factors with chronic pain and sleep disturbance in a sample of low-income, predominantly African-American patients seeking care at a safety-net primary care clinic. The findings support integrated primary care as a way to target not only behavioral health issues but also the psychosocial factors entangled with physical health.

Relationship between the Dark Triad and depressive symptoms

The Dark Triad (DT) is composed of three closely related personality traits: psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism. These traits have been linked to emotional deficits. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between the DT traits, including sub-dimensions, and depressive symptoms in order to identify those factors most strongly associated with the development of depression in individuals scoring high on DT. For these purposes, a total of 791 adults (M = 35.76 years; 24.91% males) completed a questionnaire battery including DT traits and depression measures. A positive significant correlation was found between psychopathy and Machiavellianism traits (total score and all sub-dimensions) and depressive symptoms. For narcissism, the direction of the correlation was dependent on the sub-dimension assessed. A model explaining 26.2% of the depressive symptoms scores was composed of the callous affect and criminal tendencies sub-dimensions of psychopathy, cynical view of human nature, which is a sub-dimension of Machiavellianism, and entitlement and self-sufficiency, which are sub-dimensions of narcissism. In addition, some of the relationships found between DT sub-dimensions and depressive symptoms appeared to depend on gender. Our results could have implications for detection and intervention programs aimed at decreasing the negative emotional consequences suffered by individuals with high DT scores. Limitations and future lines of research are discussed.

Effect of Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Machiavellianism on Entrepreneurial Intention-The Mediating of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy

The driving factors behind the exploration and search for entrepreneurial intention (EI) are critical to entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial practice. To reveal in depth the influence of personality traits on EI, our study introduces the opposite of proactive personality-the dark triad that consists of narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism. Our study used the MBA students of Tianjin University as a sample to analyze the relationship between the dark triad, entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and EI. A total of 334 MBA students aged 24-47 years participated and the participation rate is 95.71%. The data collection was largely concentrated in the period from May 15 to June 5, 2018. From the overall perspective of the dark triad, the results show that the dark triad positively predicts EI, and ESE has a partial mediating effect on the dark triad and EI. From the perspective of the three members of the dark triad, the study found that narcissism/psychopathy has a negative effect on ESE and EI; narcissism/psychopathy has a non-linear effect on EI; Machiavellianism has a positive effect on ESE and EI; and ESE has a mediating effect on the three members of the dark triad and EI. In short, our research reveals that the three members of the dark triad have different effects on EI in different cultural contexts, and the research findings have certain reference value for further improvement of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial practice.

The Mediating Role of the Dark Triad Between Life History Strategy and Perceived Stress Factors

Life History Theory posits early-life adversities affect personality development partway through sensitizing individuals to certain environmental cues, thus influencing the person’s responses to different stressors. We therefore hypothesized that life history strategy affects perceived distress and self-efficiency in coping through certain personality traits. The concept of the Dark Triad describes specific forms of personalities found to be associated with faster life strategies and perceived stress. Hence, the aim of our study was to examine the possible mediator role of the Dark Triad traits on the relationship between life strategies and perceived stress. A sample of 432 (133 males) under- and postgraduate students (aged between 18 and 34 years, M= 23.4, SD = 3.9) answered the Short-Form of the Arizona Life History Battery, the Mini-K, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Short Dark Triad. Multiple linear regression and subsequent mediation analyses showed significant mediation effects of Dark Triad traits on both perceived distress and perceived coping. Our results indicate that these personality traits are part of the process in which faster life strategies predict higher level of perceived stress and lower levels of coping ability.

Stable self-serving personality traits in recreational and dependent cocaine users

Chronic cocaine use has been associated with impairments in social cognition, self-serving and antisocial behavior, and socially relevant personality disorders (PD). Despite the apparent relationship between Machiavellianism and stimulant use, no study has explicitly examined this personality concept in cocaine users so far. In the frame of the longitudinal Zurich Cocaine Cognition Study, the Machiavellianism Questionnaire (MACH-IV) was assessed in 68 recreational and 30 dependent cocaine users as well as in 68 psychostimulant-naïve controls at baseline. Additionally, three closely related personality dimensions from the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI)–cooperativeness, (social) reward dependence, and self-directedness–and the screening questionnaire of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II) were acquired. At the one-year follow-up, 57 cocaine users and 48 controls were reassessed with the MACH-IV. Finally, MACH-IV scores were correlated with measures of social cognition and interaction (cognitive/emotional empathy, Theory-of-Mind, prosocial behavior) and with SCID-II PD scores assessed at baseline. Both recreational and dependent cocaine users showed significantly higher Machiavellianism than controls, while dependent cocaine users additionally displayed significantly lower levels of TCI cooperativeness and self-directedness. During the one-year interval, MACH-IV scores showed high test-retest reliability and also the significant gap between cocaine users and controls remained. Moreover, in cocaine users, higher Machiavellianism correlated significantly with lower levels of cooperativeness and self-directedness, with less prosocial behavior, and with higher cluster B PD scores. However, Machiavellianism was not correlated with measures of cocaine use severity (r<-.15). Both recreational and dependent cocaine users display pronounced and stable Machiavellian personality traits. The lack of correlations with severity of cocaine use and its temporal stability indicates that a Machiavellian personality trait might represent a predisposition for cocaine use that potentially serves as a predictor for stimulant addiction.

[Power to the children? – Machiavellianism in children and adolescents]

The desire for power and social dominance plays a significant role in the development of social aggression. Although the construct of Machiavellianism reflects these aspects well, it has hardly been recognized in Germany. In this review article the construct of Machiavellianism will be presented. Previous research on the relationship between Machiavellianism and particularly aggressive behavior in children and adolescents are critically discussed and implications for future studies are derived.