The relationship between narcissism and landmark check-in behaviour on social media

Abstract

ABSTRACT Landmark check-in behaviour, the ritualistic uploading of a picture or video from a photogenic spot by tourists to social media, is common at tourist destinations. This study considers the effect of narcissism on positive situations of tourism-related activities. Using perceived enjoyment and subjective norm, this study examines the relationship between narcissism and landmark check-in behaviour. Partial least squares analysis with 360 respondents reveals that grandiose narcissism influences perceived enjoyment and subjective norm positively, while negatively affecting check-in behaviour for non-natural, cultural, historical, and wenqing landmarks. Wenqing landmarks are those that appeal to the wenqing, or cultured youth (i.e. akin to ‘hipster’ in English), and can include landmarks related to arts and culture. Furthermore, vulnerable narcissism influences subjective norm positively. Perceived enjoyment positively influences the non-natural, cultural, historical, and wenqing landmarks as well as natural landmarks, but subjective norm positively influences only the wenqing landmarks. Thus, by viewing narcissism not as a unitary construct but including the dual dimensions of grandiosity and vulnerability, this study reveals the impact of the separate, and sometimes opposing, forces leading to grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in the current context and tourist preferences regarding checking in at different landmarks.