High Machs tend to take a more detached, calculating approach in their interaction with other people. They tend to believe most people are concerned only with their own well-being and to depend too much on anyone else is foolish. They believe the best way to get by is to use deception, rewards, promises, flattery, and even punishments to manipulate others into doing their bidding. To them, power may be more important than love.
In terms of big five personality traits, Machiavellians tend to be low on agreeableness and conscientiousness.
Some scholars and researchers have attempted to find a correlation between Machiavellianism and narcissistic personality disorder and psychopathy.
Robert Altemeyer found a correlation between Social dominance orientation and Machiavellianism.