Relationship Between Machiavellianism And Adolescent Pro-social Behavior:One-year Follow-up Study

Objective: Using Horizontal Data in Adolescents to Demonstrate the Impact of Machiavellianism on Pro-social Behavior,and verify the multiple intermediary role in which empathy and moral detachment play.And use longitudinal data analysis to verify the vertical multiple intermediary role in which empathy and moral disengagement play.Methods: A total of 541 middle school students from two secondary schools were sampled by random cluster sampling in Zhengzhou City.Kiddie Machiavellianism Scale(KMS),Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire(SDQ),Moral Disengagement Scale(MDS)and Basic Empathy Scale(BES-C)were measured,which lasted one year,followed up twice,time were in October 2014(Time 1)and October 2015(Time 2)and collected and sorted out valid data.Use SPSS21.0 for statistical data analysis,The main statistical methods used include t test,Pearson correlation analysis,Stratified regression analysis and mediation effect test.Result:(1)Male's Machiavellianism scored higher than women in both time periods,but the difference was not significant,Female empathy,cognitive empathy and emotional empathy score higher than men,the difference was significant(p < 0.01);Male ethical detachment score was higher than female,but T1 was not significantly different(t = 0.66,p > 0.05),T2 was significantly different(t = 2.83,p < 0.01);In both time periods,female pro-social behavior scores higher than women,the difference was significant(T1:t =-2.60,p < 0.05;T2:t =-4.52,p < 0.01).(2)T2 Ranks of machiavellianism score were significantly higher than T1(t =-2.88,p < 0.01);T2 empathy score was significantly higher than T1(t =-5.46,p < 0.01);T2 cognitive empathy score was significantly higher than T1(t =-2.44,p < 0.05);The score of emotional empathy was significantly higher than that of T1(t =-4.42,p < 0.01),while the score of moral detachment was higher than that of T2(t = 0.52,p > 0.05),But the difference is not significant(t = 0.02,p < 0.05).(3)In the female group,machiavellianism was positively correlated with moral detachment of T1 and T2,and negatively correlated with the pro-social behavior of T1 and T2;T1,T2 moral detachment scores were negatively correlated with the pro-social behavior;There was no significant correlation between T1 Machiavellian score and empathy of T1 and T2.There was a significant negative correlation between T2 machiavellianism and T2 empathy and affection empathy;Empathy and pro-social behavior were significantly and positively correlated in two time periods,and there was no significant correlation between empathy and moral detachment.(4)In the male group,machiavellianism has significant negative correlation with empathy,cognitive empathy,emotional empathy and pro-social behavior in two periods of time,and is positively correlated with moral detachment in two time periods.T1,T2 empathy,cognitive empathy,emotional empathy scores and T2 moral detachment showed a significant negative correlation;there was a significant negative correlation between T2 ethical detachment and T2 pro-social behavior.(5)Cross-lag analysis shows that in the male population,T1 machiavellian predicts T2 pro-social behavior,T1 empathy predicts T2 pro-social behavior.(6)Hierarchical regression analysis and Bootstrap method showed that T1 empathy played a part of the intermediary role between T1 machiavellian and T2 pro-social behavior,with mediation effect of 16.49%.T2 Empathy played a part of the intermediary role between T1 machiavellian and T2 pro-social behavior,with an intermediate effect value of 26.4%.T1 ethical detachment mediates between T1 machiavellian and T2 pro-social behavior with an intermediate effect of 10.4%;T2 moral detachment played a part of the intermediary role between T1 machiavellian and T2 pro-social behavior,with an inter-medial effect of 17.2%.(7)In the process of the influence of machiavellianism on pro-social behavior,empathy and moral disengagement play the role of multiple intermediaries in the vertical direction.Conclusion:(1)High Machiavellians,because of their ruthlessness,manipulation,embarrassing personality traits and unique beliefs,are very unlikely to implement pro-social behavior.However,there are also gender differences.(2)For men,the high machiavellian activist cannot experience other people's emotional emotions cognitively and emotionally.It seems to provide a good precondition for manipulating others and implementing deceptive tactics.(3)Machiavellian traits mean less pro-social behavior,and empathetic traits are proponents of pro-social behavior.(4)Machiavellian traits can make less pro-social behaviors through the function of the sentimental nature and the role of moral disengagement.(5)Machiavellian traits can have a negative effect on pro-social behaviors through the effects of emotional and moral disengagement.