Machiavellianism Test - Machiavellian Personality Scale (MPS)

Machiavellian Personality Scale (MPS)

Background

The Machiavellian Personality Scale (MPS) is a psychological self-report assessment developed by Jason J. Dahling, Brian G. Whitaker, and Paul E. Levy (2009) to measure Machiavellian personality traits. The scale evaluates manipulative tendencies, unethical decision-making, interpersonal control, status-seeking behavior, and distrust of others.

The MPS was designed to provide a multidimensional assessment of Machiavellianism and includes four primary domains: Amoral Manipulation, Desire for Control, Desire for Status, and Distrust of Others. Higher scores may indicate stronger tendencies toward manipulation, interpersonal cynicism, dominance, strategic exploitation, and self-serving behavior.

Procedure

Read each statement carefully and select the response that best describes your usual attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. Answer honestly and choose the option that most accurately reflects your experiences. There are no right or wrong answers.

Participation

This assessment is intended for educational, research, and self-reflection purposes only. It is not intended to provide a formal psychological or psychiatric diagnosis. Results should be interpreted within the broader context of personality functioning and interpersonal behavior.

Scoring & Interpretation

The MPS is scored using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree). Total raw scores are calculated by summing all responses, with the total score ranging from 16 to 80. Higher scores represent a greater concentration of Machiavellian personality traits. Scores are distributed across four distinct sub-scales (Amoral Manipulation, Desire for Control, Desire for Status, and Distrust of Others), which are standardized to a 0–100 scale for comparative profiling.

Machiavellian Personality Scale (MPS) Questionnaire

Instructions & Terms

Below is the Machiavellian Personality Scale (MPS), a digitally adapted 16- items self-assessment questionnaire. Please read each of the following 16 statements carefully. For each statement, choose the response option from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree" that best describes how accurately the statement reflects your typical thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors in daily life. Respond as honestly as possible.

Start Assessment

Sources

Dahling, J. J., Whitaker, B. G., & Levy, P. E. (2009). The development and validation of a new Machiavellianism scale. Journal of Management, 35(2), 219–257.

Version History

v1.0 – Initial MPS integration into Deenz Psychometric Scale Engine Pro. Added multidimensional scoring support. Added interpretation support for Machiavellian personality traits. Added dimensional psychometric profiling support.

Community Discussion

The following comments were shared by participants after completing this assessment.

Dom Extremely Helpful

Es la verdad, así funciona el mundo del poder.

2026-05-23

canttell Extremely Helpful

this is the right way to live otherwise is foolish and weak , this is the truth of the human natural core , if u don't be ahead in manipulating u will get manipulated or failed several times

2026-04-20