Topography of dishonesty: Mapping the opposite pole of honesty-humility personality domain

Abstract

Recent emic research of personality structure has revealed a broad and comprehensive trait not found in previous studies: the Honesty- Humility trait. The present research is an exploratory study, conducted in an attempt to investigate the opposite pole of the Honesty factor. A broad set of measures that are conceptually linked to amoral and dishonest behavior (Amorality, psychopathy, Disintegration, Negative Valence and Militant Extremism Mind Set), together with the facets of the Honesty factor, was administered to a sample of students (N = 345, 65% females). Maximum likelihood factor analysis clearly isolated a latent Honesty-Dishonesty dimension. Dishonesty is best described by the manipulative and Machiavellistic traits, followed by resentment, brutality and sadism. Disintegration modalities are not part of the Dishonesty space, but they are correlated with it. The results of cluster analysis indicate that there is a discontinuity between the group of honest and dishonest individuals. Those two groups differentiate on their scores on the traits of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness from the Big Five personality model. The results of the research contribute to a more precise and accurate understanding of the morally relevant personality dispositions.