Synonyms
Definition
The construct of Machiavellianism, derived from the philosophy of Niccolo Machiavelli, refers to a personality type “characterized by cynicism, callousness, and skillful manipulation” (Sharpe et al., 2021). Individuals who exhibit Machiavellian traits prioritize goal achievement ahead of morality, often behaving strategically, using deceit, and manipulation to attain selfish interests (Jones, 2016).
Historical Context, and Construct Validation
Those who have Machiavellian personalities are of particular relevance with respect to sexual aggression considering their manipulative disposition toward self-interests. The empirical literature regarding the relationship between Machiavellianism and sexual aggression, however, has produced mixed findings.
Machiavellianism was originally coined as a psychological construct by Christie and Geis (1970). They noticed that individuals consistently agreed or disagreed with particular...
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References
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Chaves, C.A., Lamade, R.V., Okanlawon, A.G. (2023). Machiavellianism. In: Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08956-5_1364-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08956-5_1364-1
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