An interactive model of narcissism, self-esteem, and provocation extent on aggression

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

To address gaps in understanding how narcissism and self-esteem influence aggression under low and high provocation, participants (N = 401) read vignettes depicting low or high levels of provocation and then indicated their aggression, negative emotionality, appraisals of the situation, and goals. As anticipated, at high vs. low self-esteem, narcissism related more weakly to aggression and hostile goals. These interactive effects of narcissism and self-esteem were present under conditions of low and high provocation, but they were generally accentuated under low-provocation conditions. Relations between narcissism and indicators of ego-threat (e.g., negative emotionality, ego-threatening appraisals, self-defense goals) were generally not modified by self-esteem. We surmised that self-esteem reduces tendencies for narcissistic individuals to activate hostile goals when provoked. Broadly, the findings are consistent with the presumption that self-esteem reduces narcissistic antagonism, and they present a novel and nuanced understanding of how self-evaluation constructs relate to provoked aggression.