Analysis

The Mach-IV scale, created by Richard Christie and Florence Geis, is a psychological test that measures an individual’s tendency toward Machiavellian behavior, namely the use of deception and strategy for personal gain. The test consists of 20 statements to which the respondent answers on an agreement scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The responses assess the individual’s tendency to act with cynicism, unethical strategies, and the desire to manipulate others in order to achieve their goals. The analysis of the results is based on the total score derived from the answers. A high score indicates that the individual has strong Machiavellian tendencies, while a low score shows that the person tends to be more honest and less manipulative. The Mach-IV scale has been widely used in psychological research to study the relationship between Machiavellianism and other psychological traits, such as morality, trust, and social intelligence.

Objective

The purpose of this questionnaire is to assess the extent to which a person exhibits Machiavellian tendencies, that is, the inclination to use deception, manipulation, and strategies to achieve personal goals. This assessment helps in understanding the individual’s psychological profile, especially regarding their behavior in social and professional contexts. By understanding these tendencies, researchers can examine the effects of Machiavellianism on various aspects of life, such as interpersonal relationships, professional success, and morality. Furthermore, this information can be used to develop strategies aimed at reducing the negative impact of Machiavellian tendencies, thereby improving cooperation and trust in different environments.

Scoring

The MTMI-20 questionnaire consists of 20 items that are rated as follows:
1 – Strongly disagree,
2 – Moderately disagree,
3 – Slightly disagree,
4 – Neutral,
5 – Slightly agree,
6 – Moderately agree,
7 – Strongly agree.

References

Christie, R., and F. L. Geis. (1970). How devious are you? Take the Machiavelli test to find out. Journal of Management in Engineering, 15(4), 17.
Christie, R., & Geis, F. (1970). Studies in Machiavellianism. New York: Academic Press.
Corral, Susana & Calvete, Esther. (2000). Machiavellianism: Dimensionality of the Mach IV and its Relation to Self-Monitoring in a Spanish Sample. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 3(1), 3-13.