Intelligent grandiose narcissists are less likely to exhibit narcissistic rivalry

Abstract

Grandiose narcissism is considered a multidimensional construct that consists of admiration (self-promotion tendencies) and rivalry (self-defensive tendencies) subdimensions. It has been suggested that admiration is a default narcissistic mode, whereas rivalry is more reactive. Based on two samples, a previous moderation investigation found that at lower levels of objective (sample 1) and subjective (sample 2) intelligence, the association between narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry was stronger, in comparison to at higher levels of intelligence. Given the positive correlation between objectively and subjectively measured intelligence, it remains to be determined if both effects are statistically significant moderators of the association between admiration and rivalry. Based on a mixed sample of undergraduates and community members (N = 422) who completed both the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire, as well as a battery of intelligence measures and subjective indicators of intelligence, we found that only objectively measured intelligence moderated negatively (semi-partial r = −0.23) the association between admiration and rivalry. We conclude that beyond an IQ of approximately 115 to 120, the association between narcissistic admiration and rivalry is greatly diminished, suggesting that higher levels of objective intelligence (through greater life achievements) may mitigate the development of narcissistic rivalry in grandiose narcissists.