Predictors of Negative Creativity in Adults on the Example of Cadets

Abstract

The work is aimed at clarifying the contribution of moral identity and Machiavellianism as predictors of negative creativity. Negative creativity is the solution of a legitimate task, as a result of which unintentional harm was inflicted on others. To prevent such an impact on others, it is important to understand which personal characteristics are predictors of behavioral manifestations of negative creativity. The materials of an empirical study obtained on a sample of cadets of one of the universities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (N=277 people, 200 of them men, the average age is 20 years) are presented. We used questionnaires adapted from the Russian sample of Mac IV and NEO-FFI; as well as moral ideality (K. Aquino and A. Reed, II). To diagnose negative creativity, the scales ‘Lies’ and ‘Evil Jokes’ of the questionnaire ‘The Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale’ (Hao et al.) were used. Research hypothesis: the key characteristics of the negative creativity profile of adults (on the example of cadets) are Machiavellianism and low values of moral identity. According to the results, the ability to control one's own impulses and the internalization of moral qualities developed at the average level, as well as high Machiavellianism and average self-control ability, are predictors of negative creativity and risk components. The novelty of the results obtained is that in the case of negative productivity, it is important to take into account not the low development of positive characteristics (conscientiousness and moral identity), but the average values.