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Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale (MCBS)

Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale (MCBS) Test

Understand how likely someone is to use creativity to harm or manipulate others in about 3 minutes. This 12 item check gives fast, actionable insight for risk awareness in teams and research.

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Questions: 123 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

21,903 views

1,270 completions

1,020 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

2/4

Malicious Jokes (MJ)

Measures how often a person uses jokes or humor in ways that are intended to demean, hurt, or manipulate others.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional use of humor that may be sarcastic, cutting, or socially undermining.

example score

2/4

Lie (L)

Measures the tendency to use creative tactics to deceive or mislead others to achieve goals.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional use of creative deception in pursuit of objectives.

example score

1/4

Inflicting Harm (IH)

Measures the tendency to apply creative ideas or strategies in ways that intentionally cause harm to others.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4: High

A score of 1 falls in the Low range, suggesting limited endorsement of creatively harmful actions or strategies in this assessment.

example score

2/4

Antisocial Creativity (AC)

Measures the tendency to use creative thinking to pursue goals that violate social norms or involve manipulation.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional endorsement of creatively rule-bending or manipulative strategies rather than a consistent pattern.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Researchers in dark creativity

41%OF USERS

Academic and applied researchers use it to measure how people might channel creativity into harmful or manipulative actions for studies and screening protocols.

HR and people leaders

34%OF USERS

Managers and HR teams take it to gauge risk signals in hiring, team dynamics, and conflict situations where manipulation or sabotage is a concern.

Clinicians and counselors

25%OF USERS

Mental health and forensic practitioners use it as a quick check for antisocial behavioral tendencies that may affect treatment planning or risk management.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Mean jokes (Mj)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.7 — 2.9

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Lie (L)

Average

1.5

Normal range

0.8 — 2.2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Causing Harm (CH)

Average

1.7

Normal range

1 — 2.3

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Antisocial Creativity Scale (ACS)

Average

1.9

Normal range

1.4 — 2.5

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It assesses behavioral tendencies to use creative thinking in ways that could harm, exploit, or manipulate others. It focuses on practical action choices rather than abstract attitudes.

How long does it take to complete and how many items are included?

Completion typically takes about 3 minutes. The questionnaire contains 12 items.

What type of items are presented?

Items describe situations with response options that reflect different strategies, including potentially harmful or manipulative approaches. Responses indicate the likelihood of selecting those approaches.

How should items be answered?

Select the response that most closely matches what would be done in the described situation. Answer based on typical behavior, not on what seems socially acceptable.

How should results be interpreted?

Scores indicate the relative strength of antisocial creative tendencies and support risk screening or research comparisons. Results should be interpreted with other available information and not used as a standalone diagnosis.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Behavioral Features of Antisocial Creativity, MCBS Test

Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale (MCBS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

dark qualities of creativity

This brief self-report measure assesses behavioral tendencies to apply creative thinking in ways that may be harmful or manipulative toward others. The Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale (MCBS) is intended to support research and clinical screening of antisocially oriented creative behaviors in non-forensic and applied settings.

The instrument includes 12 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete. Items ask respondents to endorse the likelihood or frequency of specific behaviors reflecting creative but socially inappropriate strategies; scores are interpreted as an index of propensity for malevolent creative behavior rather than as a diagnostic indicator. The Malevolent Creativity Behavior Scale (MCBS) was developed by Todd I. Lubart.

Author: robert-j-sternberg, Todd I. Lubart

Literature: Lee, S. A., Dow, G. T., & Gino, F. The dark side of creativity: Original thinkers can be more dishonest. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2014.

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