Machiavellianism (psychology)

# Machiavellianism (psychology)

## Abstract

In the field of personality psychology, Machiavellianism (sometimes abbreviated as MACH) is the name of a personality trait construct characterized by interpersonal manipulation, indifference to morality, lack of empathy, and a calculated focus on self-interest. Psychologists Richard Christie and Florence L. Geis named the construct after Niccolò Machiavelli, as they used truncated and edited statements similar to his writing style to study variations in human behaviors. Their Mach IV test, a 20-question, Likert-scale personality survey, became the standard self-assessment tool and scale of the Machiavellianism construct. Those who score high on the scale (High Machs) are more likely to have a high level of manipulativeness, deceitfulness and a cynical, unemotional temperament. Though the construct is named "Machiavellianism", it does not refer to the eponymous political doctrine.

It is one of the dark triad traits, along with the subclinical versions of narcissism and psychopathy.

## Origin of the construct

### Adapting Machiavelli for psychometric use

In 1955, psychologist Richard Christie set out to study the thought processes and actions of those who manipulated others, such as political ideologues and religious extremists. He found that there was much literature on those who followed organizations and movements, but very little on those who led them. As Christie was developing a psychometric model for interpersonal manipulation, he was reminded of his encounter with Machiavelli's writings as an undergraduate, and wanted to use them in his research. In the 1960s, Christie and his colleagues would then develop a test using a selection of statements, including truncated and edited sentences that were similar to certain phrases found in Machiavelli's works such as The Prince and The Discourses on Livy as test items, naming the construct "Machiavellianism" after him. They wanted to assess whether or not those who were in agreement with the statements would behave differently than others who disagreed, specifically in regards to manipulative actions. Christie and his research partner Florence L. Geis published their results in their book, titled " Studies in Machiavellianism ", in 1970.

Christie made light of the difficulty in adapting Machiavelli's writings into a non political test, joking that his advice was "better suited for Renaissance princes" than for college undergraduates. Christie used more colloquial, everyday wording when creating the scale items, as most taking the test would have difficulties understanding the questions in their original prose. Thus Christie used test items that were "theoretically congruent with" or loosely based on Machiavelli's tone, instead of literal, direct statements from his works.

### On the name of the scale

While the construct is named "Machiavellianism", it does not refer to the political theory espoused in Machiavelli's books. Because the two concepts share the same name, they can be confused for one another, even though his political ideas are not relevant to psychology. Out of all 20 items on the MACH IV, only one item (Item 20) has a more direct relation with Machiavelli's writings, yet it is also removed from its original political context. In fact, some questions on the MACH-IV are not from Machiavelli at all. For example, two of them reference P.T. Barnum (born 1810) and voluntary euthanasia, both of which are unrelated to Machiavelli's ideas. The MACH-IV (and other Machiavellianism tests) also feature questions partially based on statements by other thinkers such as Chinese political authors, not just Machiavelli. In light of this, scholars often claim that the scale has no relation to Machiavelli outside of bearing his name. Researchers have commented that despite the name, the personality construct has nothing to do with Machiavelli's politics. Christie himself makes clear that he used sentences inspired by Machiavelli's works only as a sort of litmus test to study deceptive and manipulative behavior, and that his concern was not with Machiavelli's historical or political influence, stating specifically that:

Historians disagree as to whether Machiavelli was a cynic who wrote political satire, a patriot, or the first modern political scientist. The present concern is not with Machiavelli as an historic figure, but as the source of ideas about those who manipulate others.

Researcher and Psychology Today author Dale Hartley made this point more clear in his book, Machiavellians: Gulling The Rubes:

When psychologists refer to the terms, Machiavellian or Machiavellianism, they do not mean Machiavelli's political advice. They refer instead to the underlying personality traits of cynicism, duplicity and scheming by which master manipulators conceive and execute their agendas.

Christie stated that he chose the name "Machiavellianism" out of convienence seeing as other names such as "M scale" (M for manipulation) and "Ma scale" (which was used by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for hypomania) were taken.He also wanted to name the scale the "manipulator" or "operator" scale, but these terms had issues regarding behavioral validity. He also admits that by using the name "Machiavellianism", the scale would "create problems of public misunderstanding" due to the existing political meaning of the term. In a later essay, Christie even states that some have viewed the name problematic and that "the use of the word Machiavellianism to describe the content of the scales has been questioned". Indeed, recent scholars have stated that the majority of items on the scale were wrongly attributed to Machiavelli.

### Mach IV

Christie and Geis's Mach IV test, a 20-question, Likert-scale personality survey, became the standard self-report tool to measure one's level of Machiavellianism. Those who score highly on the scale are classified as high Machs, while those who score low are classified as low Machs. Using their scale, Christie and Geis conducted multiple experimental tests that showed that the interpersonal strategies and behavior of "high Machs" and "low Machs" differ. People scoring high on the scale tend to endorse manipulative statements, and behave accordingly, contrary to those who score lowly. People scoring high on the scale tend to endorse statements such as, "Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless it is useful to do so," (No. 1) but not ones like, "Most people are basically good and kind" (No. 4), "There is no excuse for lying to someone else" (No. 7) or "Most people who get ahead in the world lead clean, moral lives" (No. 11) Their basic results have been widely replicated. Measured on the Mach IV scale, males score, on average, slightly higher on Machiavellianism than females.

The Mach IV test influenced the creation of an assessment called the Dirty Dozen, which contains 12 items, and the Short Dark Triad, composed of 27 items.

High vs Low Machiavellianism

Like all personality traits, Machiavellianism is a characteristic that exists on a spectrum or continuum. Christie and others noted that High Machs were more likely to cheat in experimental games, manipulate others around them, and were generally detached in their interactions. This was opposed to the behavior of Low Machs, who found such behaviors immoral, and refrained from them.

The higher a person is on the Machiavellianism scale, the more likely they are to deceive and exploit at the expense of someone else, engage in unprincipled behavior, and have a lack of empathetic feelings.

## Core features

In developing the construct studying manipulators, Christie theorized that they would possess the following characteristics:

1. A relative lack of affect in interpersonal relationships: Manipulators do not empathize with their victims. The more empathy one has, Christie says, the less likely one will manipulate a person to do their bidding.

2. A lack of concern for conventional morality: Christie asserts that the manipulator is not concerned with the morality of behaviors such as lying and cheating.

3. A lack of gross psychopathology: Christie states that manipulators usually have an instrumentalist view of the world, which shows a lack of psychosis or other mental impairments.

4. Low ideological commitment: Manipulators prefer to focus on getting things done pragmatically rather than focus on ideological allegiances. Christie states that while manipulators are to be found in organizations of differing ideals, they are more likely to be interested in tactics that achieve individual ends than inflexible idealistic ones.

### Five-Factor Model

Under the recently devised Five-Factor Model of Machiavellianism, three characteristics underlie the construct:

- Antagonism: manipulativeness, cynicism, selfishness, callousness, and arrogance.

- Planfulness: deliberation and orderliness.

- Agency: achievement-striving, assertiveness, self-confidence, emotional invulnerability, activity and competence.

## Causes

### Genetic and environmental

Several behavioral genetics studies on the dark triad have shown that Machiavellianism has both significantly genetic and environmental influences. Researchers have noted that while Machiavellianism is heritable to a substantial degree, it can also be influenced by the shared-environment (i.e. sibling groups) slightly more than narcissism and psychopathy. Other traits associated with machiavellianism are influenced by genetics as well, as one study notes that "The co-occurrence of alexithymia and Machiavellianism was most heavily influenced by genetic factors, and to a lesser but significant extent by non-shared environmental factors." Machiavellianism is also heavily correlated with primary psychopathy which is itself strongly heritable. A study on the "core" of dark triad traits also emphasized that the residual traits of Machiavellianism had "significant genetic components". One particular study found a gene responsible for dopamine reception was positively associated with individuals who scored high on the MACH IV, but it is unclear what specific mechanisms cause this effect. A study noted that the emotionality of Machiavellianism may also be genetically determined, with the authors stating that "it can be expected that in the case of Machiavellianism, the genetic influence may manifest itself by affecting the emotional sphere. That affective insensitivity – as McIlwain (2003) designates it--makes Machiavellians similar to psychopaths. In the study by Vernon et al (2008), genetic factors for Machiavellianism and psychopathy were correlated, which suggests that the variability of both qualities is greatly affected by the same genes. The genetically determined “cool syndrome” makes it easier for the child to use effective manipulation, leading to the development of a permanent behaviour strategy, at the same time protecting the child from internal punishments such as shame or guilt."

Studies have found a link between Machiavellianism and a blunted cortisol awaking response (CAR). A person's cortisol awaking response has been associated with a lack of affective empathy, and is highly heritable.

Environmental causes

The environmental causes (such as shared, and non-shared environment) that contribute to the development of machiavellianism were childhood maltreatment and neglect, social reinforcement of manipulative behaviors from an early age, and poor family functioning. One study even stated that "the etiology of Machiavellianism, similarly to the development of a dismissing-avoidant pattern, partly originates from childhood experiences obtained in relationships with unexpressive, less understanding, highly punitive or restrictive caregivers". In many studies, Machiavellianism has been heavily correlated with negative home atmospheres, loneliness, and adverse parental experiences. One study noted that punishment specifically led to the "emergence of deceitful and exploitative interpersonal tactics." The authors of the study concluded that these results "might give further support for the idea that Machiavellian personality traits are possible strategic responses to childhood adversities". Another study found the traits of Machiavellianism to be a response to early maladaptive schemas (EMS), essentially coping mechanisms for emotional deprivation, mistrust, abuse, and caregiver rejection. Irregular parent care, such as a mother being neglectful and a father being overprotective, has also been correlated with Machiavellianism. The hereditary influence on Machiavellianism may make it challenging to disentangle the genetic underpinnings from the effects of parental upbringing and environmental factors.

In general, Jones (2020) asserts that "there may be a myriad of reasons, including some environmental reasons, as to why someone would become cynical, habitually ignore morality, or use manipulative persuasion. There may be others who are born cynical, manipulative, and amoral. Thus, there may be differences in etiology that lead to differences in how fixed the trait is, and how it is expressed".

### Machiavellianism in children

Ever since the creation of the construct in the 1960s, there has been extensive research on Machiavellianism in young children and adolescents, via a measure dubbed the "Kiddie Mach" test. The first study was done in 1966 as a part of Dorothea Braginsky's doctoral dissertation, with the subjects being as young as 10 years old. Studies have shown that traits of Machiavellianism and other dark triad traits were already present in preschool children, and more pronounced in adolescents aged 11–17. There have been studies to measure Machiavellianism in 6 year olds using adult informants to analyze the child's behavior. Deceptive behaviors by children even as young as 3 were also investigated heavily. Peer reports suggest that children higher in Machiavellianism exhibit behaviors such as using both prosocial and coercive strategies based on how much is to be gained in a situation, and they tend to manipulate indirectly. Children who score highly on the Machiavellianism scale tend to be more successful in manipulation, do it more frequently, and are judged as better at manipulation than those who score lower. Parental levels of Machiavellianism seem to have a slight effect on the child's own level. Machiavellianism levels in fathers was positively correlated with the Machiavellianism levels of their children, but the mother's level had no significant effect. One study concluded that "parental Machiavellianism is a predictor and perhaps a cause of children's Machiavellian beliefs and their manipulative success". Machiavellianism is also correlated with childhood aggression, especially concerning the control of social hierarchies. One study found a trend upwards with respect to Machiavellianism from late childhood to adolescence, when levels of Machiavellianism are thought to peak. From adolescence throughout adulthood there is a significant and steady downward trend with regard to levels of Machiavellianism, until the age of 65 where an overall lifetime minimum is reached.

Peer ratings of children high on Machiavellianism are inconsistent, with some researchers reporting that juvenile High Machs are rated as popular, and some reporting that they are less well liked by peers. A study involving Greek children ages 8–12 noted that the children highest in Machiavellianism showed aggressive tendencies and were more likely to bully others, though the tactics varied by gender.

## Dark triad

In 1998, John McHoskey, William Worzel, and Christopher Szyarto proposed that narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy are more or less interchangeable in normal samples. Delroy L. Paulhus and McHoskey debated these perspectives at an American Psychological Association conference, inspiring a body of research that continues to grow in the published literature. Delroy Paulhus and Kevin Williams found enough differences between the traits to suggest that they were distinct despite their similarities, thus the concept of a "triad" of offensive personality traits was conceptualized. There has been research on Machiavellianism using various dark triad measures, including the Short Dark Triad (SD3), and the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen test.

### Psychopathy

Many psychologists consider Machiavellianism to be essentially indistinguishable from psychopathy, as they both share manipulative tendencies, disregard for morality, and cold callousness as their primary attributes. There is an immense and ongoing debate amongst researchers as to whether or not Machiavellianism and psychopathy should be treated as the same construct, or at least view Machiavellianism as a trait of psychopathy. When tested, High Machs scored consistently high on measures of psychopathy, more than Low Machs. Primary psychopaths also scored higher on the Machiavellianism scale than secondary psychopaths. According to John McHoskey, the MACH-IV test is merely "a global measure of psychopathy in noninstitutionalized populations", and that this is a result of the disconnect between clinical and personality psychology. Many have stated that the Machiavellianism scale measures nothing more than "successful" psychopathy, or psychopathy without the extreme clinical characteristics. Even compared to other "dark" traits, research has shown that Psychopathy correlates with Machiavellianism far more than it correlates with narcissism. Some authors have stated that Machiavellianism and psychopathy represent the issue of a jangle fallacy, as both constructs are named differently yet describe the same concept. A recent paper published in 2022 stated that Machiavellianism "is theoretically distinct from psychopathy, but empirically they are nearly indistinguishable". Beverly Fehr even suggested that psychopaths may be simply "High Machs who have had run up against the law". Robert Hare, author of the Psychopathy Checklist, stated that Machiavellianism is more closely related to PCL Factor 1, affective detachment, than to Factor 2, an antisocial lifestyle. According to Christopher Patrick, high Psychopathy Checklist scores correlated with much higher Machiavellianism scores, as well as higher scores on boldness and aggressiveness.

Researchers note that Machiavellianism is well represented in every measure of psychopathy, such as the Factor 1 characteristics on the Psychopathy Checklist, more specifically traits such as "conning/manipulative", "pathological lying,” "callous/lack of empathy", and “glibness/superficial charm”. Donald Lynam and others noted that Machiavellianism is also represented in the "Interpersonal Manipulation" factor in Hare’s Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-III and in the "Manipulation" scale in the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment. The researchers state that "ultimately, measures of psychopathy and MACH appear to be measuring the same construct, and MACH assessments fail to capture the construct as articulated in theoretical descriptions". Michael Levenson, author of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale disagreed with the notion of distinguishing machiavellianism from psychopathy, stating that it "does not accord" with empirical research which shows Machiavellianism being heavily related to primary psychopathy. Machiavellianism has a strong relationship with both primary and secondary psychopathy on Levenson's self report test. In experiments High Machs also scored highly on the Psychopathic Deviate subscale on the MMPI. On the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, created by Scott Lilienfeld and Brian Andrews, there is even a subscale similarly named "Machiavellian Egocentricity". The subscale is said to assess a "ruthless and self centered willingness to exploit others". Machiavellianism and psychopathy have both been negatively correlated with the recognition of facial emotions, with one study stating that "if the ability to recognise facial expressions is exclusively an affective empathy task, it indeed accounts for the facial recognition deficits found in primary psychopathy and Machiavellianism." High scores on the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure questionnaire strongly correlated with Machiavellianism.

Machiavellianism and psychopathy overlap so heavily that researchers have proposed merging the two traits into each other, preferably Machiavellianism as a facet of psychopathy. There have been attempts to combine Machiavellianism and psychopathy into one construct, such as the creation of a "Dark Dyad" as opposed to a "Dark Triad", with the exclusion of narcissism.

A recent study done on criminal psychopaths noted that Machiavellianism showed the strongest association with the affective aspect of psychopathy.

#### Difference between constructs:Impulse control

Many other psychologists state that while Machiavellianism and psychopathy overlap heavily, there is much evidence to suggest that they are distinct personality constructs. Psychologists who stress the differences between Machiavellianism and psychopathy state that, in total contrast to high Machs, psychopaths are impulsive, tend to be reckless, and lack long term planning skills. Delroy Paulhus and others have stated that this difference between the two traits is often underappreciated. Scholars also note that those high on Machiavellianism can delay gratification, and have more sensitivity to punishment and awareness of consequences than psychopaths. Though both traits have a heritable basis, Machiavellianism is more influenced by the environment than psychopathy. High Machs have been described as "master manipulators" and far better at manipulation than psychopaths and narcissists.

Daniel Jones notes that even though both psychopaths and High Machs share a manipulative and callous nature, the difference between Machiavellianism and psychopathy lies in the type of manipulation employed by the two constructs. Machiavellianism is marked by calculated planning, and manipulating only when something is to be gained, while psychopathy is marked by rashness, and manipulating regardless of situation. O'Boyle and others found however that the notion that Machiavellianism is marked by cautiousness does not match empirical research which shows that it can be correlated with reckless behavior in certain situations.

### Narcissism

Individuals high in Machiavellianism and narcissism both manipulate to improve their reputations, and how they appear to others. Individuals high in the two traits do this as a form of self aggrandizement to help their chances of success in a given situation. Machiavellianism scores were positively associated with aspects of narcissism such as entitlement and exploitativeness, and inversely associated with adaptive narcissistic tendencies, like self-sufficiency. Studies have also shown that those higher on Machiavellianism are more realistic about their character, while narcissists are less realistic about theirs. Compared to High Machs, narcissists are less malevolent and show a more socially positive personality. They also have higher levels of self-rated happiness.

Machiavellianism and narcissism both share a lack of empathy and a focus on self-interest, though the two traits differ in how they manifest in people, and what their motivations are. High Machs have tendencies to be driven by personal gain, whereas narcissists are driven by a need for validation and admiration. Opposed to those high on narcissism, High Machs tend to be more strategic and calculating in their interpersonal interactions, while narcissists may be more impulsive and attention-seeking.

In terms of social relationships, High Machs are more likely to be more exploitative towards others, while narcissists may be more likely to seek out relationships that serve to bolster their self-esteem and provide them with the admiration they desire.

Compared to subclinical narcissists, High Machs exhibit a greater lack of empathy, because of the emotional deficiencies inherent within Machiavellianism.

### White collar crime

Research has shown that individuals high in Machiavellianism may be more willing to engage in white collar crimes. Psychologist Daniel Jones has stated that "individuals higher on Machiavellianism are well suited for crimes in the financial world, especially crimes that skirt the legal system". Delroy Paulhus has stated that Machiavellianism is the main trait for white collar criminals and con artists, and not psychopathy, stating that:

Although direct research on this topic is difficult, it seems clear that malevolent stockbrokers such as Bernie Madoff do not qualify as psychopaths: They are corporate Machiavellians who use deliberate, strategic procedures for exploiting others. A genuine psychopath, even at the subclinical level, lacks the self-control to orchestrate the schemes of a shrewd stockbroker.

In a research paper, Daniel Jones and others stated that a person high on Machiavellianism would also be possibly drawn to cybercrime, noting that "although we did not directly assess crimes, we did find patterns of system infiltration that were different among the three traits, with Machiavellianism being associated with the stealthiest approach among the three traits." They also stated that Machiavellianism would only be associated with crime if the "benefits outweighed the risks". They went on to clarify that this is opposed to individuals high in psychopathy, whom are prone to crime regardless of the situation.

### Other "dark" groupings

Machiavellianism has been featured in many other groupings of dark traits, such as the dark tetrad, which adds sadism to the dark triad traits.

The paper titled "The Dark Core of Personality" introduced a theoretical framework to understand various "dark traits" in personality as manifestations of a single underlying factor called the Dark Factor of Personality. This factor represents a general dispositional tendency where individuals prioritize their own utility (self-interest) at the expense of others, often justifying their actions through certain beliefs. The concept of D encapsulates all of the main "dark traits", with the addition of Spitefulness, Egoism, Moral Disengagement, Entitlement, and Self-interest. The authors of the study argued that while Machiavellianism, along with other dark traits like Narcissism and Psychopathy, has its unique features, it also shares a common core with these traits, which is encapsulated in the D factor. This means that people who score high in Machiavellianism tend to exhibit behaviors that prioritize their own benefit over others' which correlate with characteristis that align with the D factor. It is said that manipulativeness and callousness is responsible for the covariances among the dark personalities in general.

The light triad is a personality model that contrasts the dark triad, which comprises Kantianism, faith in humanity, and humanism. Kantianism was compared to Machiavellianism as it's opposite. Both Kantianism and Machiavellianism are traits which are tongue in cheek references to philosophers. The "Light Triad" and its characteristics were most strongly negatively correlated with Machiavellianism.

## DSM: Trait, not disorder

Machiavellianism has never been considered a disorder, nor has it been referenced in any version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It has been treated as strictly a personality construct. It is primarily studied by personality psychologists, as it is a non-clinical personality style.

## Relations with other personality traits

There is immense literature concerning the relationships between Machiavellianism and other personality dimensions, such as the traits in the Big Five trait model. Machiavellianism has also been related to interpersonal aggression and hostile behavior.

### Big Five

Mach-IV scores are negatively correlated with agreeableness (r = −0.47) and conscientiousness (r = −0.34), two dimensions of the Big Five personality model (NEO-PI-R). The FFMI corrects for this by including aspects of high conscientiousness in the scale (e.g. order, deliberation). Additionally, Machiavellianism correlates more highly with the honesty-humility dimension of the six-factor HEXACO model than with any of the big five dimensions. Machiavellianism has also been located within the interpersonal circumplex, which consists of the two independent dimensions of agency and communion. Agency refers to the motivation to succeed and to individuate the self, whereas communion refers to the motivation to merge with others and to support group interests. Machiavellianism lies in the quadrant of the circumplex defined by high agency and low communion. Machiavellianism has been found to lie diagonally opposite from a circumplex construct called self-construal, a tendency to prefer communion over agency. This suggests that people high in Machiavellianism do not simply wish to achieve, they wish to do so at the expense of (or at least without regard to) others.

### Hot and cold empathy

There are two distinct types of empathy which people use to relate to each other which are referred to as hot and cold empathy. Cold empathy (or cognitive empathy) refers to the understanding of how others might react to one's actions or a certain event. Hot empathy (or emotional/affective empathy) refers to the emotional reaction others might have to the emotions of another person. Machiavellianism was consistently negatively correlated with affective empathy in nearly every study. Machiavellianism was also negatively correlated with affective resonance (feeling good when others feel good) and positively associated with affective dissonance (e.g. feeling happy when others are sad). People high in Machiavellianism tend to have a better understanding of cold empathy and do not feel hot empathy which explains why they seem cold and uncaring. Research results have also suggested that High Machs are deficient only at the level of affective empathy (sharing of emotions), whereas their cognitive empathy is intact, even high. Another study suggested that high Machs are deficient at both kinds of empathy. Studies also assert that high Machs do not feel guilt or remorse over the consequences of their manipulations. High Machs are less likely to be altruistic, and they are less likely to be concerned with the problems of others. High Machs are also less emotionally expressive and have a hard time recognizing and understanding the emotional states of others. One study proposed that High Machs have more automatic (that is, un-conscious) recognition of other's negative emotions more than low Machs, and though they don't internalize these feelings, the understanding of those emotions may in fact aid in the manipulation of others. Children who scored higher on Machiavellianism showed a lack of empathy and more delinquent behaviors compared to those who scored lower, such as a lack of guilt, lying, cheating, and truancy.

Some authors have stated that since Machiavellianism is so diametrically opposed to empathy, it should be included in empathy scales as the polar opposite. Total scores on Machiavellianism and empathy were "significantly negatively correlated".

### Unemotionality

One of the primary traits of machiavellianism is a detached, unemotional attitude and lack of affect in regards to others. Christie and Geis noted that the primary difference between high machs and low machs was the degree of emotion invested in interpersonal relations, with those scoring high having the lowest. Research has been done on the extent of the low emotionality of those who score high on the Machiavellianism scale. Doris Mcllwain noted that "Machiavellians do not inhabit the realm of emotion in the same way as others, yet they use it to manipulate others. They do not experience feelings, empathy, or morality in normative ways. yet they are consummate manipulators and deceivers precisely by playing upon these sentiments and convictions in others. Thus they induce in others the guilt they hardly feel themselves." A study done by Farah Ali and others noted that Machiavellianism seems to have emotional reactions to stimuli similar to primary psychopathy, differing only in higher levels of anxiety, which those who score highly on machiavellianism may be prone to. Machiavellianism has an unclear relation with anxiety levels, some researchers have found positive correlations, while some have found no relation at all. High Machs demonstrate reduced skills in expressing their emotions.

A recent analysis discovered that, in addition to acting for mostly self interest and profit, High Machs used significantly less words when referring to emotional involvement. They concluded that "this study confirmed previous findings that High Machs have a cool and rational character and a pro-self orientation and showed that their lack of group orientation may account for their low cooperation in social dilemmas."

Alexithymia is also considered a key trait that is correlated heavily with Machiavellianism. It is the lack of awareness of one's own emotions as well as the emotions of others. When tested, healthy alexithymic individuals have been found to obtain high Machiavellianism scores. This was not surprising to researchers, seeing as the unemotionality of Machiavellianism shows similarities to what alexithymics experience. One study examined the relationship between alexithymia and endorsement of beliefs associated with Machiavellianism amongst university students. Results showed a positive correlation between alexithymia and exploitative beliefs, suggesting those with higher levels of alexithymia were more likely to endorse the view that manipulating others is an effective strategy.

### Neuroticism/Depression

Researchers have often debated the potential links between Machiavellianism and a neurotic, anxious disposition. In a study done by psychologists Hans Eysenck, his wife Sybil, and John Allsopp, they note that they found "virtually no relationship" between Machiavellianism and neuroticism, unlike the relationships they found with Machiavellianism and Extraversion - Psychoticism respectively. However John McHoskey found links between Machiavellianism and neuroticism, along with the other personality traits popularized by Eysenck. Studies using measures of the Big Five personality traits have variously found positive or no correlation between Machiavellianism and Neuroticism.

Machiavellianism has very scant correlations with depression, and the higher one's Machiavellianism score was, the lower their depression level was. One study even noted that depressed males "were significantly less Machiavellian than were nondepressed males". They then estimate that "depression in males, then, may be of a more self-aggressive, self-destructive nature". High Machs who have higher levels of emotional intelligence scores show less depressive symptoms.

### Motivation

A 1992 review described the motivation of those high on the Machiavellianism scale as related to cold selfishness and pure instrumentality, and those high on the trait were assumed to pursue their motives (e.g. sex, achievement, sociality) in duplicitous ways. More recent research on the motivations of high Machs compared to low Machs found that they gave high priority to money, power, and competition and relatively low priority to community building, self-love, and family commitment. High Machs admitted to focusing on unmitigated achievement and winning at any cost.

The research on behaviors which high Machs engage in suggest that they are willing to achieve their goals by bending and breaking rules, cheating, and stealing. People high in Machiavellianism are able to easily switch between working with others to taking advantage of others to achieve their goals, and they are more willing to do things others see as terrible or immoral.

### Intelligence and other cognitive skills

Due to their skill at interpersonal manipulation, there has often been an assumption that high Machs possess superior intelligence, or ability to understand other people in social situations. Recent research provides some support for this assumption. However, other research has established that Machiavellianism is unrelated to IQ. Paulhus and Williams found "significant associations of psychopathy and Machiavellianism with a relatively higher nonverbal to verbal IQ score".

Studies on emotional intelligence have usually found that high Machiavellianism is associated with low emotional intelligence as assessed by both performance and questionnaire measures.

Research has examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (EI), Machiavellianism, and the personality trait of agreeableness. The findings of one paper revealed that while trait EI and the ability to manage others' emotions were negatively correlated with Machiavellianism, this relationship was mediated by agreeableness. Specifically, those high in trait EI tended to be low in Machiavellianism primarily because they were high in agreeableness, reflecting a cooperative and prosocial nature. One study found that Machiavellianism was negatively associated with most facets of socio-emotional intelligence (SEI), including social expressivity, social sensitivity, emotional expressivity, and emotional sensitivity. However, Machiavellianism showed no significant relationship with emotional control, which involves regulating one's own emotional displays. Machiavellianism was positively associated with emotional manipulation, the tendency to strategically influence others' emotions. Despite this association, Machiavellianism did not moderate the relationship between any facet of SEI and emotional manipulation. This suggests that while High Machs have a propensity for emotionally manipulative behavior, they may not be utilizing socio-emotional skills towards that end. The authors propose this could be due to the High Mach's externally-oriented and unemotional perspective.

Both emotional empathy and emotion recognition have been shown to have negative correlations with Machiavellianism. Additionally, research has shown that Machiavellianism is unrelated to a more advanced theory of mind, that is, the ability to anticipate what others are thinking in social situations. However, research results have suggested the contrary viewpoint that high Machiavellianism is associated with excellent theory of mind skills.

When it comes to manipulation, individuals high in Machiavellianism may, according to Bereczkei, "have certain cognitive and social skills that enable them to properly adapt to the challenges of environmental circumstances". They also are incredibly perceptive to the presence of others, and are able to feign altruism to enhance their reputation. A recent study investigated whether Machiavellianism is associated with the production of "bullshit" - inaccurate or meaningless information intended to impress, persuade or mislead. The researchers found that the manipulative aspect of Machiavellianism (Machiavellian approach) was linked to "persuasive bullshitting", aimed at gaining desired resources. The distrustful aspect (Machiavellian avoidance) was associated with "evasive bullshitting", spreading vague information to prevent disadvantages. Those high in Machiavellian avoidance were even better at distinguishing misinformation from valuable information.

### Neurological studies

There have been few studies on the neural correlates of Machiavellianism. Research has shown that Machiavellianism has been correlated with changes in gray matter in the areas of the basal ganglia, left prefrontal cortex, bilaterally in the insula, and in the right hippocampus and the left parahippocampal gyrus. Researcher Tamas Bereczkei stated that the manipulation skill in High Machs is associated with neural correlates that are responsible for decision making. He also noted that behaviors associated with Machiavellianism need to "recruit more neural resources than a honest behavior, especially when manipulators face a cooperative partner as a potential victim. Machiavellians have to inhibit the norm of reciprocity and, additionally, generate an opposite response." Machiavellianism has also been linked with lesions in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Frontal dysfunction was also linked with Machiavellianism. Daniel Jones also concluded that those who score high on Machiavellianism have the "neurological structure of a strategic manipulator". The activation of the task-positive network (TPN) and the default mode network (DMN) have also been associated with a lack of genuine empathy, and also have been observed in Machiavellianism. A recent study linked regional gray matter volume in the left superior frontal gyrus to both Machiavellianism and social aggression, which is "intentional antisocial behavior directed to damage others’ social reputations or interpersonal relationships through socially manipulative tactics".

## Social relationships

The effects that one's level of Machiavellianism has on a person's socialization and interpersonal relationships, such as friendships and romantic relationships, has been studied extensively. High Machs are highly likely to ingratiate themselves within social groups via compliments and conforming their opinions to those around them. High Machs are more than likely to choose better quality friends, as they have a better time at guessing who is a good person and thus more pliable for manipulation. Machiavellianism was also correlated with withdrawal and avoidance in romantic relationships. Individuals high in all dark triad traits find it easy to end relationships, and tend to prefer short-term relationships over long term ones. Studies done on courtship showed that women higher on machiavellianism tend to go on dates not for sexual reasons but for free food, a phenomenon known as a "foodie call". Because a lack of empathy and affect with regards to others is one of the main features of Machiavellianism, individuals high on the trait tend to act in a utilitarian, self interested manner, prefer emotionally detached relationships, and are not concerned with the other person's needs. High machs report lower relationship satisfaction than those lower on the scale. Though there has been research on the potential "attractiveness" of the dark triad traits, out of all of the traits in the dark triad, Machiavellianism was the least attractive to the opposite sex. One of the studies concluded that "The third DT trait, Machiavellianism, was significantly negatively associated with being chosen and mate appeal for STR in women." Another study claimed that this was because high Machs tend to be way less extroverted than narcissists and psychopaths, and that "it is possible that individuals do not like cynical, manipulative, aggressive, remorseless, and duplicitous people such as Machiavellians and psychopaths".

Like the other dark triad traits, those high on Machiavellianism have been reportedly more willing to troll or flame others on the internet, however a 2021 study found no particularly strong connection between trolling and dark personality traits. Machiavellianism has also been correlated with a higher than average belief in conspiracy theories. Because of their emphasis on hierarchy, high scorers in Machiavellianism were also found with higher levels of prejudice, and higher social dominance orientation scores.

### Gender differences

Research has consistently shown that men score higher than women in Machiavellianism. There is evidence to suggest that Machiavellianism is represented differently in both sexes, with men being more opportunistic, self confident, and willing to take risks, while women higher in Machiavellianism are more likely to be avoidant and have anxious features. While only psychopathy was an indicator of future infidelity amongst men, both psychopathy and Machiavellianism were predictors amongst women. The findings of one research paper showed that men, but not women, high in Machiavellianism were non-impulsive and high in planning, which suggests that the apparent impulsivity of Machiavellianism may be a question of gender. Peter Jonason suggested that the reason why men score much higher than women in dark triad traits is because men require less emotional connection in order to get ahead in life.

### Cross-cultural studies

There have been many studies on how Machiavellianism is presented in people from different countries and with different cultures. Multiple studies found that in nearly all countries, men scored higher than women in Machiavellianism, and that the gender differences were notable. The populations of many other countries varied from their western counterparts in their levels of dark triad traits overall, which the authors of one study attributed to sociopolitical factors and levels of economic engagement. In another cross cultural study, Machiavellianism also showed associations with limited interactive or normative values. A study investigated the relationship between emotion recognition and dark personality traits (including Machiavellianism) across cultures. The effects were gender and culture-dependent. Among both German males and females, Machiavellianism showed strong positive associations with emotionally manipulative tactics. Some scholars noted an issue with many cross cultural studies on machiavellianism, primarily that "researchers have used measures of Machiavellianism (Mach IV) which were derived from Western concepts and which may not have similar meanings when applied to non-Western groups."

### Aggression and antisocial behavior

Machiavellianism has little association with the outright display of overt aggression. Those high in Machiavellianism tend to be more more aggressive to short term as opposed to long term partners. While Machiavellianism is associated with hostility, those high on the trait may mask it depending on the manipulation tactic used. Machiavellianism also is associated with the tuning of aggression to the benefit long term objectives, only engaging in antisocial behavior when the stakes are low and it proffers benefits, unlike psychopathy and narcissism. In a study by Delroy Paulhus and Daniel Jones, High Machs were found to refrain from cheating under risky situations, preferring to sustain their reputation for the long term than to engage in short term financial gain. The authors then state that High Machs may cheat under high risk scenarios, but only when "ego-depleted", which then makes their behavior appear similar to those of psychopaths. McHoskey found that MACH is associated with "cheating, divulging intimate sexual secrets to third parties, and both feigning love and inducing intoxication to secure sex". He also suggested that Machiavellianism is correlated with an extensive focus on financial gain, and is also correlated with antisocial behaviors such as stealing, vandalism, and cheating as opposed to prosocial actions like helping others.

## In the workplace

Machiavellianism is also studied by organizational psychologists, especially those who study manipulative behaviors in workplace settings. Workplace behaviors associated with this concept include flattery, deceit, coercion, and the abuse of others through one's position of leadership. These behaviors in the workplace are ultimately done to advance personal interests. Research has shown that one's level of Machiavellianism can be a major factor in situations where workplace manipulation is involved because this trait can have an effect on the ability for an individual to "fit" into a highly political work environment. Research has found individuals with Dark Triad traits are drawn to entrepreneurship. Certain qualities found in the Dark Triad are similar to traits needed for effective entrepreneurship, such as confidence, charisma and risk taking.

### Career choice and advancement

Individuals high in machiavellianism tend to gravitate towards particular careers, especially those that require a high degree of competitiveness needed to succeed. High Machs are ambitious enough to cut corners and use aggressive means if it is necessary to get ahead in their careers. One study found that "Machiavellianism was positively related to leadership position and career satisfaction". Individuals high in machiavellianism are especially drawn to leadership and management positions, which became an important subject in the primary literature. Sales careers also attract dark triad individuals, with one study stating that such individuals are "prevalent" in the industry. One study noted that those who possess high Machiavellianism levels "are more productive but received lower overall managerial ratings", and that "Machiavellianism may in certain circumstances, be somewhat advantageous for long-term sales performance." Machiavellianism was also associated with the use of "hard" (i.e. aggressive and hostile behavior) and "soft" (i.e. joking/kidding, offering compliments) tactics in the workforce. One's political skill in the workplace and elsewhere may even mask the behaviors and characteristics associated with machiavellianism.

It was shown that those high on Machiavellianism are more drawn to academic majors like economics, law, and politics, as opposed to the "person-oriented" majors like education, nursing, and social work that were associated with lower Machiavellianism scores.

## Scale Evaluation

### Dimensions of the MACH scale

Although there have been a myriad of proposed factor structures, two dimensions emerge most consistently within factor-analytic research which separates the views from the behaviors in Machiavellianism. Although many posit that the Mach IV scale is unable to reliably capture the two dimensions, a 10-item subset of the scale known as the "two-dimensional Mach IV" (TDM-V), reproduces the views and tactics dimensions across countries, genders, sample types, and scale category length. The "Views" dimension appears to capture the neurotic, narcissistic, pessimistic, and distrustful aspects of Machiavellianism, while the "Tactics" component captures the more unconscientious, self-serving, and deceitful behavioral aspects. More recently, in response to criticisms of the Mach-IV, researchers developed the Five-Factor Machiavellianism Inventory (FFMI), which attempts to include concepts (like being calculated and planful) that are not adequately captured by the Mach-IV.

### Construct validity and criticism

There has been debate on how valid scales of Machiavellianism are in tapping the construct. It is often stated by those critical of Machiavellianism scales that it does not actually measure the theoretical trait, but something nearly identical to psychopathy and narcissism. For example, it is often stated that Machiavellianism is marked by less impulsivity and better long term thinking as opposed to psychopathy, but some empirical research shows that even High Machs can act impulsive in certain scenarios. Lynam and others stated "we suggest that existing measures of Machiavellianism are functioning as proxy measures of psychopathy." Psychologist John Rauthmann viewed the MACH-IV as more of a measure of cynicism, and that it doesn't really capture other qualities of Machiavellianism.

Most of the research done on Machiavellianism has been done with either the Mach IV or Mach V, though the Mach V is no longer in use due to psychometric issues. Many have expressed concerns with the reliability of the Mach IV scale to capture all of the features of Machiavellianism, thus many proposals have been made in favor of other Machiavellianism scales.

John Rauthmann and others have stated that, while the MACH-IV is "a generally reliable and valid scale", it has its shortcomings. These include the response styles of the test takers, the varying factor structures, and "insufficient content and construct validity". The researchers developed their own scale instead to study Machiavellianism multidimensionally instead of unidimensionally to prevent the construct from becoming hard to study effectively. Psychologist Jason Dahling and others have created another measure of Machiavellianism, dubbed the Machiavellian Personality Scale (or MPS for short).

Daniel Jones has stated that the MACH IV, despite all of its merits, is an "outdated instrument" and "is not helping the field with precision". He ultimately states that it "should be replaced by assessments that are more precise reflections of the construct."

### Application of the scale in other research

In 2002, the Machiavellianism scale of Christie and Geis was applied by behavioral game theorists Anna Gunnthorsdottir, Kevin McCabe and Vernon L. Smith in their search for explanations for the spread of observed behavior in experimental games, in particular individual choices which do not correspond to assumptions of material self-interest captured by the standard Nash equilibrium prediction. It was found that in a trust game, those with high Mach-IV scores tended to follow Homo economicus ' equilibrium strategies while those with low Mach-IV scores tended to deviate from the equilibrium, and instead made choices that reflected widely accepted moral standards and social preferences.

A study done by David Wilson and other researchers noted that while High Machs tend to defect from their groups, they are also unlikely to succeed in the long term simply by manipulating others, and that some cooperation is necessary for further success and to avoid a situation in which they are retaliated against. Wilson also noted that since those who are high in Machiavellianism often come across as charming and attractive in brief social encounters, it is unclear whether they are being deceitful or just very skilled socially. The researchers had people who scored high and low on Machiavellianism write first-person stories. Other participants then evaluated these stories. The results showed that people with low Machiavellianism tended to be more cooperative, while those with high Machiavellianism were more exploitative. Based on these stories, high Machs were generally rejected as social partners, except when their manipulative skills could be used against members of other groups.

## Sources


Xavier Dablemont

# Xavier Dablemont

## Abstract

Xavier Dablemont (born 10 June 1975) is a French former footballer who played as a midfielder.


Phil Edwards (runner)

# Phil Edwards (runner)

## Abstract

Philip Aaron Edwards, MD (September 23, 1907 – September 6, 1971) was a Canadian and Guyanese track and field athlete who competed in middle-distance events. Nicknamed the "Man of Bronze", he was Canada's most-decorated Olympian for many years. He was the first-ever winner of the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete. He went on to serve as a captain in the Canadian army and as a highly regarded physician and expert of tropical diseases.

## Early life

Edwards was born in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana), to a family of thirteen children. His father was a magistrate, and the family was part of the Afro-Guyanese elite in the colony. Edwards' father was one of eighteen children and was originally from Barbados. Less is known of his mother, but it is thought that she may originally have been from Trinidad. In a 1928 New York Daily News article, it was stated that Edwards' paternal grandmother was East Indian and his maternal grandfather was Scottish and that fellow Olympian Jack London was a classmate of his at Queen's College in Georgetown. Growing up in what Edwards called 'a country district', he practiced sprinting by racing an angry cow, according to the article.

## Athletics career

### New York University

By the age of 16, Edwards dominated track events at his school. After graduating, he left British Guiana and moved to the United States, enrolling at New York University (NYU) in 1925, where his elder brother “King” Edward was already a great student athlete. Edwards’ parents and several of his siblings also emigrated to New York, where they founded a law and real estate firm in Harlem. Under the guidance of NYU coach Emil Von Elling, Edwards steadily improved really great as a runner, particularly in 880-yard races or more. In 1927 he narrowly missed winning the US national title in the 880 yards event. Then in 1929, two years later, he won that same race.

### Olympics and British Empire Games

While Edwards' performances at New York University clearly established him as an Olympic-calibre athlete, he was not eligible to compete for the United States as he was not an American citizen. However, as a British subject, Edwards was eligible to compete for another country within the empire. In 1927 he was invited by Melville Marks (Bobby) Robinson, manager of the Canadian Olympic track and field team, to compete for Canada in the 1928 Summer Olympics, where Edwards won a bronze medal as part of Canada's 4 × 400 metre relay team.

Following Amsterdam, Edwards left New York University to attend Montreal's McGill University as a medical student, where he also competed with the university's track team. Edwards also continued his association with Bobby Robinson there, competing for British Guiana in the first-ever British Empire Games which were created largely due to Robinson's efforts, held in Hamilton, Ontario in 1930. He finished fifth in the 880 yards event as well as in the 1 mile competition. In the 440 yards contest he was eliminated in the heats. He would go on to compete once more for British Guiana in the 1934 British Empire Games in London where he became the first black man to be awarded a gold medal in what are now the Commonwealth Games by winning the 880 yards race.

At McGill, Edwards captained the university track team from 1931 to 1936, leading the team to six consecutive championships. At the international level, Edwards went on to compete in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and in the infamous 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where he was one of a number of black athletes, including American runner Jesse Owens, to compete before the Hitler regime. Edwards earned bronze medals in 1932 in the 800 metres, 1500 metres, and 4 × 400 metre relay event, and in 1936 in the 800 metres event. On the way back from the 1936 games, Edwards was refused lodgings in the London hotel at which the team was booked on account of his race; the full team cancelled their stay at the hotel as a result, preferring to accompany him elsewhere.

### Post-Olympics

While serving as resident house surgeon at the General Hospital in Barbados, Edwards was approached by British Guiana officials with a proposal to run for the colony at the 1938 British Empire Games. Edwards was either not interested or could not take the necessary time off. However, in 1939 an untrained and semi-injured Edwards was persuaded to compete in a British Guiana “Olympiad”, ending up fifth in the 880 yards.

Edwards' appearance at the event in British Guiana may have given rise to a report in the Indianapolis Recorder, a Black American newspaper, that the runner ("prominent in medical circles now"), is "training in British Guiana with an eye towards the 1940 Finland games in Helsinki ". The 1940 Olympics were soon cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II

In 1957, Edwards and James Worrall were involved in developing Canada's first international sport effort, which assisted young athletes in the Eastern Caribbean.

### Recognition

The five bronze medals gave Edwards the nickname 'Man of Bronze', and made him Canada's most prolific Olympic medal-winner; he would be joined in 2002 by Marc Gagnon and later François-Louis Tremblay and eventually surpassed by Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes. Edwards was among the first black athletes to earn an Olympic medal and, along with Hamilton runner Ray Lewis, Toronto's Sam Richardson and Vancouver's Barbara Howard, one of only a handful of black athletes to represent Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. Edwards was named the inaugural Lou Marsh Trophy winner in 1936 as Canada's top athlete.

Edwards was inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. An annual award in his name, the Phil A. Edwards Memorial Trophy, has been presented to Canada's outstanding track athlete annually since 1972.

He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at New York University.

## Medical career

Edwards became the first black person to graduate from McGill University's medical school in 1936, immediately before competing in the 1936 Olympic Games and being named Canada's top athlete. He then accepted a three-year position at the General Hospital in Barbados as resident house surgeon. Interrupting his medical career to serve with the Canadian army, Edwards rose to the rank of captain during World War II before returning to Montreal. He earned a graduate medical diploma in 1945 and became a specialist in tropical diseases, joining the staff of Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital and participating in a number of international medical missions. In 1960, Dr. Edwards was a member of a Canadian Red Cross team of four doctors and six nurses working in Coquilhatville in Congo. Edwards' tenure at the Royal Victoria coincided with that of infamous psychiatrist Ewen Cameron; outside his tropical medicine work, Edwards was instrumental in rescuing at least one patient whose physical illness had been misdiagnosed and mistreated by Cameron as a psychiatric matter.

## Personal life and family

At the Amsterdam Olympics, Edwards met his first wife, Edith Margaret Oedelschoff, a native of the former German territory of Alsace-Lorraine and a resident of Weehawken, New Jersey. The couple was married in October 1929 at the Episcopal Church of the Crucifixion on 140th Street in New York City. The marriage appears to have broken up by the early 1940s.

Dr. Edwards was just a few days shy of his 64th birthday when he died of heart problems in 1971. He was survived by his widow Mrs. Diane Edwards and three daughters, Pamela, Dale and Gwendolyn. He is interred in the Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.


Mount Molar, Queensland

# Mount Molar, Queensland

## Abstract

Mount Molar is a rural locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Mount Molar had a population of 117 people.

## Geography

The Clifton - Leyburn Road forms the south-east boundary of the locality.

Mount Molar is a mountain in the south-east of the locality (27°54′30″S 151°51′24″E / 27.9083°S 151.8566°E) rising to 592 metres (1,942 ft) above sea level. The locality presumably takes its name from the mountain. There are 3 other unnamed peaks of 550 metres (1,800 ft) in the west of the locality.

The land use is predominantly crop growing on the lower elevations with grazing on native vegetation occuring on the higher elevations.

## Demographics

In the 2016 census, Mount Molar had a population of 115 people.

In the 2021 census, Mount Molar had a population of 117 people.

## Education

There are no schools in Mount Molar. The nearest government primary schools are Back Plains State School in neighbouring Back Plains to the west, Nobby State School in neighbouring Nobby to the north-west, and Clifton State School in Clifton to the south-east. The nearest government secondary school is Clifton State High School in Clifton.


Springfield, Ohio, cat-eating hoax

# Springfield, Ohio, cat-eating hoax

## Abstract

In September 2024, American right-wing politicians and media figures amplified baseless claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing people's pet cats and eating them. The claims began when a member of a local Facebook group shared a rumor about a neighbor's daughter's friend's cat having been butchered. It spread quickly among far-right and neo-Nazi groups and was amplified by prominent figures in the American right, most notably Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance, associate Laura Loomer, and X owner Elon Musk.

The Springfield police department stated there have been no credible reports or evidence to support the claims, and the city's mayor, the city manager, and the governor of Ohio have all spoken out against them. Fact-checking website Snopes called the claims unfounded, while others characterized the claims as a hoax. The claims have been widely described as racist, causing harm to a community of legal immigrants for political gain.

The pet-eating claims spread amidst existing racial tensions in Springfield, where a large number of recent Haitian immigrants reversed population decline but strained some public resources. Prior to receiving national attention, there was already hostility towards the Haitian community, including a series of neo-Nazi incidents. After the claims received heightened attention, there were race-based attacks on Haitian residents, and anti-Haitian messages accompanied bomb threats that forced Springfield officials to close several public buildings, including the city hall and elementary schools.

## Background

In 1983, Newsweek called Springfield one of America's "dream cities," but in 2011 Gallup referred to it as the "unhappiest city" in the country, due primarily to deindustrialization and with it substantial job losses and an exodus of residents. In 2014, the city began the "Welcome Springfield" initiative to attract immigrants in an attempt to improve the local economy. As city leadership and the Chamber of Commerce attracted new businesses, a labor shortage emerged. Haitian immigrants began arriving in Springfield in 2017 to work in local produce packaging and machining factories. Some thought that this would help the city "regain its former vigor as a manufacturing hub" and by 2020, Springfield had somewhat successfully rebounded with the new employers creating some 8,000 jobs and with it, more labor shortage.

Employers urged workers to encourage Haitians to join the existing community to fill the new labor demands. Haitians in U.S., Haiti and South America heard from family and friends about Springfield and its need for workers in warehouses, manufacturing and the service sector. The trickling immigration increased substantially after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with deepening political and economic instability in Haiti after the assassination of the president in 2021. Some 12,000 to 20,000 Haitian migrants have since moved to Springfield attracted by jobs and a low cost of living. In June 2024, ongoing crises and severe violence in the Caribbean nation of Haiti led the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to grant temporary protected status to Haitian immigrants, allowing the existing migrant population in the US to live and work without the risk of deportation.

While the migrants have had a positive economic impact on the city, the rapid growth of its immigrant population has strained public resources and fueled racial tension. This has led to a series of attacks on the Haitian community. In early 2023, a Springfield man committed several assaults and robberies on Haitian residents and was later sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. The local Haitian church was vandalized and broken into twice. US-born Black people of Springfield were verbally abused when mistakenly identified by strangers as Haitian immigrants.

In August 2023, a Haitian immigrant crashed into a school bus on State Route 41 northwest of Springfield, killing an 11-year-old boy. The driver was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide and sentenced to nine to thirteen and a half years in prison. The incident inflamed existing racial tensions in the area and increased hostility towards the Haitian community. In August 2024, the Springfield Jazz & Blues Fest was interrupted by neo-Nazis with rifles who performed Nazi salutes and held swastika flags. Local police called it "a little peaceful protest". Later that month, a member of the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe disrupted a Springfield city meeting, introducing himself with an anti-black slur and threatening that "crime and savagery will only increase with every Haitian you bring in". The Counter Extremism Project reports that on September 1, the white nationalist Patriot Front protested against the Haitian immigrants in Springfield.

## Origin and spread

### Facebook post

The cat rumor stemmed from a post made in early September to a private Facebook group called "Springfield Ohio Crime and Information". The user who made the post claimed that she heard from a neighbor that the neighbor's daughter's friend had "lost her cat" and then saw it "hanging from a branch, like you'd do a deer for butchering", insisting "they were carving it up to eat." The now-deleted post further asserted that the same was being done to dogs, ducks, and geese. The neighbor later admitted that she did not know the person who lost the cat and heard the story "from a friend, who heard it from another friend, who heard it from an acquaintance". The person who posted the original message later said it was not her intention for the rumor to be spread nationally and turned into hateful conspiracy theories.

### Official response

Springfield's police department issued a statement that "there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community". Springfield mayor Rob Rue said that there was no evidence to support claims that geese or ducks from parks were being killed and eaten, later telling an interviewer "All these federal politicians that have negatively spun our city, they need to know they're hurting our city, and it was their words that did it." City Manager Bryan Heck called the rumor " disinformation ". Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, rebuked the rumors, saying “This is a piece of garbage that is simply not true. There’s no evidence of this at all." He also emphasized that these "people are here legally."

### Other events

Other recent events unconnected to the original Facebook post contributed to the spread of disinformation. In July, a user posted a photo to Reddit of a man carrying two dead Canada geese in Columbus, Ohio. The post initially attracted relatively little attention. More than a month later, it was picked up by right-wing sites and influencers who falsely claimed that the photograph showed a Haitian immigrant in Springfield. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) was inundated with phone calls from people who said the photo was evidence of Haitians eating waterfowl. According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the geese were killed in a car accident and there is no evidence that the man intended to eat them, nor that he was Haitian or an immigrant.

In August, a 27-year-old U.S.-born woman was arrested in Canton, Ohio, on charges that she killed and ate a cat. Police body camera footage showing the arrest of the Canton woman was posted to social media spuriously labeled as an arrest in Springfield. Neither the Columbus man nor the Canton woman had any connection to Haiti or Springfield.

Before the pet-eating claims gained virality, there were unconfirmed rumors in Springfield of Haitians stealing waterfowl from city parks, which the city's Deputy Director of Public Safety and Operations denied, telling NPR "we haven't really seen any of that." On August 26, Clark County law enforcement dispatchers received a call saying Haitians had stolen geese from a Springfield park, but police found no evidence of it. Clark County Commission President Melanie Flax Wilt characterized the episode as a "literal wild goose chase", and Clark County officials said that a review of 11 months of records found no other calls regarding stolen animals. The following day, a Springfield resident commented at a city commission meeting, without providing evidence, that immigrants were "in the park grabbing up ducks by their neck and cutting their head off... and eating them". Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost cited the stolen-goose call as evidence that the media was ignoring evidence about the story.

### Amplification by Republican politicians and right-wing influencers

The initial claims based on the Facebook post went viral among American far-right and neo-Nazi groups and popular right-wing X accounts, which presented the claims as fact, and blamed Haitian Americans and the Biden administration.

On September 9, JD Vance, a U.S. Senator from Ohio and the 2024 Republican nominee for vice president, spread the claim in a post on X, writing: "Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio. Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country." Vance responded to criticism of his post the following day, writing: "In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who've said their neighbors' pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false." He also encouraged supporters to continue posting and "keep the cat memes flowing".

Right-wing influencers used X to spread the claims and related memes, with Laura Loomer posting about "20,000 cannibalistic Haitians" eating cats and dogs in Springfield and Elon Musk sharing a variety of memes and videos about eating pets and Haitian voodoo. Ted Cruz, a U.S. Senator from Texas, posted a widely criticized meme relating to the incident on X, showing two cats with the caption "Please vote for Trump, so Haitian immigrants don't eat us". The Arizona Republican Party put out twelve roadside billboards in the Phoenix metro area stating "Eat less kittens, Vote Republican!", spoofing Chick-Fil-A 's "Eat Mor Chikin" advertising campaign.

During the Harris–Trump presidential debate on September 10, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump claimed that: "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there." Moderator David Muir fact-checked Trump, stating that ABC News reached out to the city, whose spokesperson said there were no credible reports or specific claims of such activity.

Following the debate and a large volume of publications debunking or criticizing the claims, it continued to spread and expand. Loomer accused Haitian immigrants of eating humans, while sharing a video captioned "Cannibalism in Haiti". White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, herself the daughter of Haitian immigrants, responded to the comments, stating that "no leader should ever associate with someone who spreads this kind of ugliness, this kind of racist poison." Trump began alleging that Haitians are walking off with pet geese from the parks and lakes in Springfield.

On September 14, 2024, Donald Trump pledged to conduct mass deportations of Haitian immigrants from the city of Springfield, even though the majority of them are in the United States legally. Also that day, Vance again promoted similar claims that

Africans were eating cats in Dayton, Ohio by posting a dated video of cats roaming where skinned chickens were being grilled, which was refuted by both Dayton police and the mayor of Dayton.

On September 15, Vance both defended the claims, saying they were "the first-hand accounts of my constituents", while also acknowledging that they were false, calling them a meme: "The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."

## Subsequent violence and threats

On September 12, a bomb threat led to the closing of Springfield's City Hall, several Clark County buildings, and a local elementary school. The mayor said that the person making the threat "used hateful language towards immigrants and Haitians in our community". On September 13, more bomb threats caused several schools and municipal buildings to be evacuated and closed. On September 14, yet more bomb threats led to the temporary lockdowns of several other sites, including hospitals and medical centers. The bomb threats were sent via email "to multiple agencies and media outlets" according to the city commission office. In response the mayor of Springfield, Rob Rue made an appeal to Americans that "We need help, not hate". Wittenberg University in Springfield announced on September 14 that all activities on campus were cancelled for the next day after receiving an emailed threat of a potential shooting targeting Haitians.

Haitian Americans and Haitian immigrants have faced race-based attacks due to these claims. Haitian residents – some of whom have lived in the town for years – have since had windows broken and acid thrown on their cars as a result of the hoax.

Asked if he would denounce the bomb threats, Trump replied, "I don't know what happened with the bomb threats. I know that it's been taken over by illegal migrants and that's a terrible thing that happened."

## Reactions

The claims, variously described as debunked, false, or a conspiracy theory, have been widely characterized as a racist attempt to stoke fears or resentment of immigrants. Fact-checker Snopes rated the rumors as "unfounded". A White House spokesperson said that Republicans were making false claims "based on an element of racism", and an editor from the nearby Columbus Dispatch said these were "undeniably racist rumors." A local NAACP leader said she received a flurry of racist emails soon after JD Vance got involved.

The Columbus photographer who posted the photo to Reddit of the man carrying the dead goose told The Columbus Dispatch he regretted taking the picture, saying: "I wish I never took it, for sure. And I hate that the picture that I took is being weaponized to use against immigrants, or really, any other group. They always have to have somebody to use as a weapon. Some group to be the bad guy." The father of the 11-year-old boy who was killed in the 2023 accident accused several politicians of exploiting his son's accidental death for political gain and demanded an apology from Trump and Vance for furthering a false narrative using the tragedy as a "political tool" to spur hatred towards Haitians. Vance had falsely claimed that the boy's death was a murder rather than an accident, while the Trump campaign had used images of the boy and the driver in their campaign materials.

The Arizona Republic described the remarks as the "most laughable line out of Tuesday's debate", and humorists mocked the claims, at times citing the 1986 NBC sitcom ALF about a space alien who attempts to eat cats while Sky News called it "fantasy world stuff with real world consequences". According to the Los Angeles Times, Trump has placed a target on the back of a small group of immigrants by repeating racist disinformation which is disgraceful and deserves ridicule.

The German Foreign Ministry, in a rebuttal to Trump's attacks on Germany's Energy Transition in the debate, ended the post by stating that "We also don't eat cats and dogs" on X.

On September 13, during a "Celebration of Black Excellence" brunch event at the White House, President Joe Biden said that Haitian Americans were "under attack in our country right now", describing and denouncing the false rumors and how Trump was spreading them, although not addressing the presidential candidate by name. One of the prior speakers at the event was press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who has Haitian ancestry.

Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who is Haitian American, criticized Trump's comments, noting that Haitian immigrants contribute to the U.S. and are "committed to education, hard work, and building a better life, not just for themselves but for all of us". The National Haitian-American Elected Officials Network said that Trump's and Vance's "offensive statements" promoted "harmful stereotypes" and called on them to "engage in meaningful dialogue to address the harm caused". People in Haiti also condemned the baseless claims.

According to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (appearing on CNN in his personal capacity), Trump's amplification of the falsehood is a strategy to keep people talking about "the latest crazy thing that did" because "he cannot afford for us to be talking about his record (...) or his agenda", or Vance's ideas; a distraction technique that is "not harmless". Buttigieg linked it to other recent actions by Trump, such as inviting Loomer to a memorial ceremony for the September 11 attacks when she had previously spread conspiracy theories about the attacks.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned Trump and Vance, saying that when they "intentionally distribute incredibly malicious and disgusting claims like about eating pets, etc", they put people at risk of violence. After bomb threats explicitly mentioning the hoax prompted evacuations throughout Springfield, Hawaii senator Brian Schatz accused Trump of engaging in "racist stochastic terrorism ". Springfield law enforcement is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation 's Dayton office to investigate the threats.

## Analysis

According to MSNBC host Ana Cabrera, Trump is looking to strategically plant the seeds for a second-term immigration agenda, which would include the deportation of millions of illegal immigrants. Cabrera also said Trump is attempting to establish these American immigrants as the " other " – as people who are lesser than, despite the fact that Haitians, who are in Springfield legally, have played an important role in revitalizing Springfield's economy, reversing population decline and filling labor gaps there. According to NPR, citing a Stanford University study, Trump's pet-eating comments follow a trend of Republican Party messaging on immigration getting "more vitriolic".

False claims about immigrants stealing and eating household pets date back more than a century in the United States. In the late 19th century, around the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act, it was among several racist stereotypes and slurs used to demonize immigrants from Asia. Professor of Sociology Anthony Ocampo told The Guardian that the trope is "low-hanging fruit to rally xenophobia in a very quick way", making it "easier to scapegoat or enact harmful laws against" a community characterized as "savage or uncivilized". Binghamton University professor Robert Ku said the claim about Haitians was confusing because, whereas Asian immigrants were stereotyped because cats and dogs are eaten in some Asian countries, that is not true of Haiti. According to The Washington Post, "the goal in spreading such stereotypes is to portray newcomers as unfit for American society or invoke disgust toward them".

## In popular culture

Satirical music creator the Kiffness released a song parodying the hoax, titled "Eating the cats ft. Donald Trump (Debate Remix)", which quickly went viral. Dances based on the song have become viral on TikTok, which has led right-wing personalities like Charlie Kirk to mistakenly believe that the meme represents sincere support for Trump among members of Generation Z.


TK-3000 IIe

# TK-3000 IIe

## Abstract

The TK 3000 IIe is a personal microcomputer model manufactured by the Brazilian company Microdigital Eletrônica Ltda., compatible with the Apple IIe Enhanced. It was presented to the public at the V International Computing Fair in September 1985, and entered the market in April 1986 with a retail price of Cz$ 12,500.00 (approximately R$ 13,000.00 in updated values as of September 2023). In 1987 an updated version, the TK 3000 IIe COMPACT was released.

## Details

Due to Apple using dedicated integrated circuits (ASICs, called MMU (Memory Management Unit and IOU Input / Output Unit) in the Apple IIe, copying these became more complicated compared to the Apple II and Apple II Plus, which were based on off-the-shelf integrated circuits. For this reason, Microdigital had to reverse engineer these components to achieve compatibility with the Apple model. Microdigital designed two dedicated integrated circuits used in the TK 3000 IIe, the MC168300 and the MC168310, performing functions similar to the MMU and IOU integrated circuits, respectively.

A complete Zilog Z80 computer (CPU + RAM + ROM) is used for keyboard control replacing the AY-5-3600 keyboard controller integrated circuit used in the Apple model, adding some functional features like accented characters.

The TK 3000 IIe was sold with two different cover models: One simple, flat, like any Apple II case, and another with space for two slim 5.25″ disk drives, making them embedded in the case.

### Technical specifications

- CPU: WDC 65C02 (1MHz); Zilog Z80 (2MHz)

- Memory: 16KB ROM; 64 KB RAM

- Keyboard: 77 keys, QWERTY layout

- Video: up to 280x192, 6 colors; extra modes with memory expansions; PAL-M RF and composite out

- Expansion: 7 internal Apple II slots, 1 external Apple IIe slot;

- Peripherals: analog game port; cassette port

## TK 3000 IIe COMPACT

The TK 3000 IIe COMPACT, released in June 1987, had the same features as the TK 3000 IIe adding more memory, 80 column text display, printer interface, interface for two disc drives, but only had the single external expansion slot. The case was similar to the one used in the TK 2000.

### Technical specifications

- CPU: WDC 65C02 (1MHz); Zilog Z80 (2MHz)

- Memory: 32KB ROM; 64 + 64 KB or 64 + 256 KB RAM

- Keyboard: 77 keys, QWERTY layout, numeric keypad

- Video: up to 560x192, 16 colors; PAL-M RF and composite out

- Expansion: 7 internal Apple II slots, 1 external Apple IIe slot;

- Peripherals: analog game port; two Apple 5.25" disk drives; printer port


Matthew J. Finch

# Matthew J. Finch

## Abstract

Matthew J. Finch is an American writer, game designer, and artist, best known for his contributions to the Old School Renaissance movement. His work has been instrumental in reviving and popularizing a style of role-playing that emulates the early editions of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).

Finch co-created OSRIC, a retro-clone of the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). OSRIC serves as a rule set that emulates the mechanics of AD&D, allowing publishers to create new content compatible with the original rules. OSRIC is highly regarded as a cornerstone of the OSR movement, making it easier for new players and publishers to access and build upon classic RPG material.

Finch is also the creator of Swords & Wizardry, another significant retro-clone that simplifies the rules of the original 1974 edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The game captures the spirit of early D&D while offering streamlined mechanics, making it accessible to both new and veteran players. Swords & Wizardry has become one of the flagship games of the OSR movement, known for its flexibility and ease of use.

## Early life

Matthew J. Finch was born Sugarland, Texas, in November 15, 1967. He played Dungeon and Dragons, when he was young, which nurtured his love for games, which helped him create Swords & Wizardry later in life. Matthew did well in High school, and was accepted to Harvard and later Cambridge as well.

## Education

Matthew J. Finch went to Harvard College and Georgetown University Law Center to pursue become a practicing attorney.

## Career

Matthew Finch is a role-playing game designer associated with the Old School Renaissance movement.

Finch wrote the Swords and Wizardry Complete Rulebook, OSRIC, and other works, and is the founder of Mythmere Games. He maintains a YouTube channel, Matt Finch RPG Studio, where he talks about and plays retro games such as OSR and D&D. Since 2008 Finch has been active on his blog, Uncle Matt's Blog, where he writes about OSR, D&D and S&W.

Matt is an involved member of the community, given he still writes for and makes content for his game Swords & Wizardry. He is featured in many Gaming publications, He was featured on The Save or Die Podcast! to discuss OSR, and his kickstarter, for the Swords and Wizardry Complete box set which reached 50,000$ before the first 24 hours. Matt now lives in Central Texas with his family. He is an active Marathon Runner, and Smoke Jumper.

Matt Finch is a founding partner of Frog God Games, he is also the Creative Director for Frog God Games.

## Game philosophy

A 2023 PhD thesis by Scott Michael Bruner notes that Finch "argues that the contingent outcomes of actions in early TRPGs, such as D&D, are resolved through an uncertain dialog (between DM, players, and rules), rather than through a set of static rules" and that "Finch implies that modern TRPGs concede more authorial responsibility to their rules rather than through dialog during play. This may be true to make the modern TRPG more accessible to contemporary audiences used to videogames (with bounded mechanics) rather than the flexibility of classic wargames. There are many modern TRPGs which complicate Finch's generalization."


Vladimir Litvintsev

# Vladimir Litvintsev

## Abstract

Vladimir Andreyevich Litvintsev (Russian: Владимир Андреевич Литвинцев; born 18 February 2001) is a Russian - Azerbaijani figure skater who represents Azerbaijan in men's singles. He is the 2018 Volvo Open Cup champion, the 2019 Open Ice Mall Cup champion, and the 2018 Ice Star silver medalist. Litvintsev represented Azerbaijan at the 2022 Winter Olympics and finished 18th overall.

## Personal life

Litvintsev was born on 18 February 2001 in Ukhta in the Komi Republic in Russia. His family moved to Moscow when he was nine.

In 2020, Litvintsev began his studies at the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture.

His biggest inspirations from the world of figure skating are Guillaume Cizeron, Patrick Chan, and Nathan Chen. Besides skating, Litvintsev is passionate about music; he is a beatmaker and also learning to play the piano.

## Career

### Early years

Litvintsev began learning to skate in 2004 as a three-year-old. At that time, he was training together with his older brother Andrey and Dmitri Aliev at a local lake.

After moving to Moscow, Litvintsev trained at the CSKA Moscow sports club until January 2011 and then moved to Sambo 70, where he was coached by Alexei Chetverukhin, Vladimir Kotin, and Anastasia Kazakova.

He made no international appearances for Russia.

### 2018–2019 season

In October, making his international debut for Azerbaijan, Litvintsev finished 8th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Later that month, he made his first appearance in the senior ranks, winning the silver medal at the 2018 Minsk-Arena Ice Star, behind Latvia's Deniss Vasiļjevs and ahead of Armenia's Slavik Hayrapetyan. In November, he took gold at the 2018 Volvo Open Cup – his first senior title – by a margin of about nine points over silver medalist Mark Gorodnitsky. At his first Challenger series event, the 2018 CS Tallinn Trophy, he finished ninth overall after scoring personal bests in both the free program and overall.

In January 2019, Litvintsev was named to Azerbaijan's team for the 2019 European Championships in Minsk, Belarus. He placed fourteenth in the short program and advanced to the final segment. Appearing at his first World Championships, he placed seventeenth.

### 2019–2020 season

Litvintsev suffered a leg injury over the summer that forced him to withdraw from both of his Challenger series assignments, the 2019 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial and 2019 CS Ice Star. Making his Grand Prix debut at the 2019 Rostelecom Cup, he placed eleventh.

After a poor sixteenth-place showing at the 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb and a victory at the Toruń Cup, Litvintsev concluded his season at the European Championships, where he placed ninth. He had been assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but those were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

### 2020–2021 season

Litvintsev has been suffering from pain in both knees. This problem was exacerbated after he had spent around three months off the ice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect international travel, the ISU opted to run the Grand Prix based primarily on geographic location. Litvintsev was assigned to the 2020 Rostelecom Cup, where he placed tenth.

In January 2021, Litvintsev moved to Angels of Plushenko Figure Skating Academy to train with Sergei Rozanov. He placed twenty-seventh in the short program at 2021 World Championships and did not advance to the free skate competition.

### 2021–2022 season

Litvintsev and his coach Sergei Rozanov left Angels of Plushenko for Dynamo in the summer of 2021 and also spent seven weeks training in Italy and France. A foot stress fracture limited the intensity of Litvintsev's training. Later, during the season, Litvintsev returned to his former coaches at Koniok Tchaikovskoi club.

Litvintsev began the season at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy, where he placed first in the short program, but dropped to fourth overall after coming fifth in the free skate. At 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, he was sixth after the short program and overall, although he scored fifth in the free skate. This result qualified a place for Azerbaijan at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

At the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Litvintsev finished in the eighth place.

Litvintsev was a flag bearer for Azerbaijan's national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He achieved a new personal best of 84.15 in the short program of the men's event, finishing eighteenth in that segment and qualifying to the free skate. Nineteenth in the free skate, he remained eighteenth overall.

At the 2022 World Championships, Litvintsev achieved a new personal best in the short program and finished in sixteenth place overall.

### 2022–2023 season

Litvintsev won a bronze medal at the 2022 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge and the gold at the Bosphorus Cup. At the 2023 World Championships, Litvintsev finished in eleventh place overall, having earned new personal best scores in the free skate and total score.

### 2023–2024 season

Beginning the season on the Grand Prix, Litvinstev came eighth in the short program, but rose to fifth overall with a third-place free skate. He attracted notice for wearing a tiger print shirt for his The Lion King short program, remarking afterward that "it was not my idea, but we did it on purpose and now everybody is talking about it."

After winning medals at two minor events, Litvintsev placed sixteenth at the 2024 European Championships and twenty-fifth at the 2024 World Championships.

## Competitive highlights

- GP – Event of the ISU Grand Prix Series

- JGP – Event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series

- CS – Event of the ISU Challenger Series

- WD – Withdrew from competition

- C – Event was cancelled

## Detailed results


The D Train

# The D Train

## Abstract

The D Train (also known as Bad Bromance) is a 2015 American black comedy film written and directed by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel in their directorial debuts, and stars Jack Black and James Marsden. The film premiered at the 11th Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015, and was released in the United States on May 8, 2015, by IFC Films.

## Premise

Dan Landsman is the self-proclaimed chairman of his Pittsburgh high school's alumni committee. While planning the twenty-year reunion, Dan has the idea of convincing Oliver Lawless, the most popular guy in his graduating class (and now a TV-commercial celebrity) to return, thinking that this will make people want to attend.

## Cast

- Jack Black as Daniel Gregory Landsman (aka The D Train)

- James Marsden as Oliver Lawless

- Kathryn Hahn as Stacey Landsman

- Jeffrey Tambor as Bill Shurmur

- Russell Posner as Zach Landsman

- Kyle Bornheimer as Randy

- Mike White as Jerry

- Henry Zebrowski as Craig

- Denise Williamson as Alyssa

- Donna Duplantier as Taj

- Han Soto as Dale

- Dermot Mulroney as himself

## Production

On February 10, 2014, it was announced that Jack Black and James Marsden would star in a comedy film, directing debut of Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, which Black's Electric Dynamite produced with Mike White 's RipCord Productions and Ben Latham-Jones and Barnaby Thompson of Ealing Studios.

### Filming

According to a casting call, the shooting was set to begin on March 17, 2014, in Metairie, Louisiana. Later on March 19, Jack Black was spotted during the filming of The D Train in New Orleans. Due to Black's schedule, the film was shot in just 21 days.

### Music

In October 2014, Andrew Dost was hired to compose the music for the film.

A Pittsburgh sports radio segment playing when Dan arrives at a sports bar includes an audio cameo by John-Paul "JP" Flaim, Eric "EB" Bickel, Johnny "Cakes" Auville and Jason "Lurch" Bishop, the titular hosts of The Sports Junkies in Washington. The Junkies also released audio of them reading their lines in studio.

## Release

The D Train premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015. Shortly after, IFC Films acquired U.S. distribution rights for $3 million in a bidding war against studios including Lionsgate, Fox Searchlight, Broad Green Pictures and Alchemy. The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 8, 2015, by IFC Films.

### Box office

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $447,524 from 1,009 theaters ($444 per theater), which is the 15th worst opening for a wide release film of all time. In its second weekend, the film was pulled from 847 screens, and its weekend-to-weekend gross fell 96.5%, as it only earned $15,714 ($97 per theater). As of November 10, 2015, the film had grossed $771,317.

### Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 53% based on 134 reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10. The site's consensus reads, " The D Train offers Jack Black a too-rare opportunity to showcase his range, but its story and characters are too sloppily conceived to hold together as a film." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

The New York Post described the film as "cute, breezy fun".