Machiavellian beliefs and social influence

Abstract

Previous work (Hunter, Gerbing & Boster, 1982) determined that the MACH IV scale is not a unidimensional construct of Machiavellianism, but rather reflects a set of four beliefs about human nature: Deceit, Flattery, Immorality, and Cynicism. The present study replicated previous findings of separate Machiavellian belief constructs. Different constructs significantly predicted selection of compliance‐gaining strategies. For example, actors who were more Cynical used more distributive tactics on peers and coworkers than less Cynical actors, actors who scored high on Immorality used more referent influence on superiors, and actors who scored high on Deceit used fewer exchange tactics than their lower scoring counterparts. Implications of this study concerning a reconceptualization of the MACH construct and belief components are discussed.