Child-rearing antecedents and the emergence of Machiavellianism.

Abstract

Previous studies have identified several psychological and social concomitants of Machiavellianism but relatively little is known about variables of socialization that determine individual differences in the trait. The present study examined two hypotheses: one relating the emergence of Machiavellianism to the acquisition of Machiavellian behaviors from parents, the second relating Machiavellianism to the acquisition of the same behaviors from sources outside the family. Reports of high and low scoring subjects on the Mach V, and reports of their parents, provided substantial support for the hypothesis that Machiavellianism emerges from sources outside the family and only minimal support was obtained for the hypothesis that children learn Machiavellian behaviors from parents or other family models. The results are consistent with Kelman's hypothesis that identification with others precedes the internalization of social norms and suggest that Machiavellianism might be viewed as a failure to establish identification with parents.