Self-revelation as manipulation: The effects of sex and Machiavellianism on self-disclosure

Although self-disclosure is regarded primarily as an affiliative behavior, it has recently been proposed that disclosure may also function as an interpersonal manipulation strategy for females high in machiavellianism. A study was conducted to test this proposal, existing data being inconclusive. Groups of male (n = 29) and female (n = 27) subjects completed measures of machiavellianism and of willingness to self-disclose to the target of an experimental influence attempt. A significant positive correlation between machiavellianism and disclosure was found for female subjects; no relationship between the variables was evident for males. These findings suggest that machiavellian females may indeed use self-disclosure as a means of manipulating others in interpersonal control attempts. Theoretical and research implications are discussed.