TENDENCY TO DECEPTION AND SELF-DECEPTION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT CHARACTER ACCENTUATIONS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Abstract

The article presents results of an empirical study examining the relationship between character accentuation types and the tendency toward deception and self-deception. The theoretical basis includes the evolutionary-psychological concept of self-deception by W. von Hippel and R. Trivers, the social-cognitive approach of B.M. DePaulo and A. Vrij, and K. Leonhard's typological concept. Deception is viewed as a multicomponent phenomenon with cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and motivational dimensions; self-deception as a process of motivated distortion of self-perception beyond the subject's full awareness. Key forms of self-deception identified include denial, rationalization, positive illusions, projection, and motivated reasoning. The study involved 47 participants (aged 18–58). Three psychodiagnostic instruments were used: K. Leonhard–H. Schmieschek Character Questionnaire, O.Yu. Kosianova's «Types and Motives of Deception» questionnaire, and O.Yu. Kosianova's Ukrainian-language adaptation of the SDQ (2025). Statistical analysis employed descriptive statistics and correlational analysis (Spearman's coefficient, Shapiro-Wilk test) in SPSS. The reputation-preservation motive was found to correlate significantly and positively with five accentuation types: pedantic (ρ = +0.537), excitable (ρ = +0.523), hyperthymic (ρ = +0.491), anxious (ρ = +0.388), and emotive (ρ = +0.348); the manipulation motive showed inverse associations with dystyhmic (ρ = −0.457), excitable, pedantic, and hyperthymic accentuations. The most robust finding regarding types of deception is a negative correlation between «self-justification» and six accentuation types (hyperthymic, excitable, pedantic, emotive, anxious, and demonstrative), suggesting that carriers of these types rely on typologically conditioned defense mechanisms rather than overt self-justification. Associations between accentuations and SDQ self-deception scores were limited; elevated overall self-deception was found specifically among individuals with the exalted accentuation type. The findings expand knowledge of personality determinants of deceptive behavior and support the typological approach in psychodiagnostics and psychocorrection. A psychocorrective program «Authenticity Without a Mask» has been developed, targeting deceptive behavior correction in accordance with the individual's accentuation profile.