Abstract

Mimicry Deception Theory (MDT) argues that deception varies along a long- to short-term continuum. Long-term deception involves complex deception, community integration, slow resource extraction, and low detectability, whereas short-term deception is the opposite. To date, no self-report scale exists that assesses a dispositional orientation toward long-term deception. Across four studies, we developed and validated a Mimicry Deception Scale (MDS) to assess individuals’ dispositional orientation toward long-term deception. Using theoretically driven items, we found a reliable four-factor structure through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Further, MDS components were strongly correlated and had acceptable internal consistency. For convergent validity, long-term MDS positively correlated with Machiavellianism, conscientiousness, and planning. Finally, the test-retest reliability of the MDS was acceptable, and the complexity facet of the MDS predicted successful lying over time. The findings have implications for how to profile, identify, and recognize patterns of deception, especially with respect to long-term patterns using self-report.

摘要

模仿欺骗理论 (MDT) 认为，欺骗会随着长期到短期的连续性而变化。长期欺骗涉及复杂欺骗、社区整合、资源提取缓慢、可检测性低，而短期欺骗则相反。迄今为止，不存在评估长期欺骗倾向的自我报告量表。在四项研究中，我们开发并验证了模拟欺骗量表 (MDS)，以评估个人对长期欺骗的倾向性。使用理论驱动的项目，我们通过探索性和验证性因素分析找到了可靠的四因素结构。此外，MDS 组件之间具有很强的相关性并且具有可接受的内部一致性。对于收敛效度，长期 MDS 与马基雅维利主义、责任心、和规划。最后，MDS 的重测信度是可以接受的，而且 MDS 的复杂性方面预测的成功是随着时间的推移。这些发现对如何描述、识别和识别欺骗模式有影响，特别是在使用自我报告的长期模式方面。