Machiavellianism Scale IV – Mach IV
Measures Machiavellianism, specifically assessing how an individual deals with others and how manipulable they are in interpersonal relationships.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Machiavellianism Scale IV – Mach IV was developed by Richard Christie and Florence L. Geis (1970). It is designed to measure Machiavellianism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Duplicity, Negativism, Distrust of people.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicity | 2,3,6,7,9,10,15 | 7 |
| Negativism | 1,5,8,12,13,18,20 | 7 |
| Distrust of people | 4,11,14,16 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Disagree Strongly, 2 = Disagree Somewhat, 3 = Disagree Slightly, 4 = No Response / Neutral, 5 = Agree Slightly, 6 = Agree Somewhat, 7 = Agree Strongly.
The scale includes 10 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 40 to 160. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Machiavellianism (Low Mach): 40 – 99
- Neutral: 100 – 100
- High Machiavellianism (High Mach): 101 – 160
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.79.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.