Citation

Bianchi R, Mirkovic D. Pers. Individ. Dif. 2020; 152: e109594.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.paid.2019.109594

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The link between Machiavellianism and depression remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined the relationship between Machiavellianism and depression using both a variable- and a person-centered approach. A total of 675 university students anonymously completed an online survey. Depression was assessed with the PHQ-9 and Machiavellianism with the Machiavellian Personality Scale (MPS). The MPS was translated into French and Italian for the purpose of the study. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the translated versions exhibited the expected factorial structure. General health status and student satisfaction were additionally gauged using single-item measures. Machiavellianism was found to correlate positively with depressive symptoms, and negatively with general health status and student satisfaction. However, the identified correlations were generally of small magnitude. The Machiavellianism-depression association was primarily driven by the distrust and amorality components of Machiavellianism. Remarkably, cluster analysis showed that higher levels of Machiavellianism most often coexisted with low levels of depressive symptoms. On balance, our findings are not indicative of a substantial link between Machiavellianism and depression. Potential moderators of the Machiavellianism-depression relationship―such as intelligence quotient or empathic accuracy―may be worth examining in future research.

Language: en

Keywords

Cluster Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Depression; General Health Status; Machiavellian Personality Scale; Machiavellianism; Person-Centered Approach