Grandiose Narcissism Research Articles

The relationship of narcissism with tendency to react with anger and hostility: The roles of neuroticism and emotion regulation ability

The present study examined the relationship of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism with dispositional anger and hostility. We investigated the roles of neuroticism, emotional intelligence, and gender in this relationship, using a sample of 405 participants. The results indicated that vulnerable narcissism was associated with a higher tendency toward anger and hostility, and that neuroticism accounted for a large part of this association. Poor emotion managing, known as strategic emotion regulation ability, also played a role in hostility related to vulnerable narcissism, especially among men. When emotional stability was controlled for, grandiose narcissism showed links to anger and hostility. We concluded that high neuroticism and poor emotion regulation abilities among vulnerable narcissists contribute to increased anger/hostility, whereas emotional stability likely protects grandiose narcissists against these internal aspects of aggression. The significant relationships between both forms of narcissism with aggression, remaining after neuroticism and emotion regulation were accounted for, suggest that there is another underlying source of this link. Finally, we found that controlling for interindividual differences in neuroticism significantly increased the relationship between vulnerable and grandiose narcissism, suggesting the existence of the common core of narcissism.

What do highly narcissistic people think and feel about (their) intelligence?

The current research comprehensively examined how grandiose and vulnerable narcissism are linked to intelligence and intelligence-related beliefs and emotions. In four studies (total N=1,141), we tested the associations between both forms of narcissism, subjectively and objectively assessed intelligence, basic personality traits, test-related stress, beliefs about intelligence, and well-being. Both forms of narcissism (grandiose and vulnerable) were unrelated to objective intelligence. Grandiose narcissism was associated with high self-perceived intelligence (Studies 1-3) and explained more variance in self-perceived intelligence than objective intelligence and the Big Five personality traits. It was correlated with reduced distress in the context of IQ testing and low engagement in cognitive performance (Study 2). Individuals with high grandiose narcissism based their well-being (Study 3) partly on intelligence and considered intelligence important for success in different life domains, especially for social relations (Study 4). Vulnerable narcissism was unrelated to self-perceived intelligence (Studies 1-3) and went along with increased distress in the context of IQ testing (Study 2). The results indicate that the topic of intelligence is of key importance for people with high grandiose narcissism psychological functioning and it also has some relevance for individuals with high vulnerable narcissism.

The effect of narcissistic admiration and rivalry on speaking performance

ObjectiveA narcissistic individual can seek to maintain his/her grandiose self-view through different processes associated with assertive self-enhancement (narcissistic admiration) or antagonistic self-protection (narcissistic rivalry). Here, we examine how admiration and rivalry affect anxiety and performance in a speaking task. Because the behaviours associated with narcissistic rivalry are motivated by ego threat, we further examined the moderating effect of self-affirmation, a process designed to reduce ego threat, on performance. MethodWe assigned 90 Thai students to a self-affirmation or control group and asked them to deliver a short speech. We assessed speech performance through self-report and observer ratings, and state anxiety using self-report. ResultsNarcissistic admiration was adaptive for speech performance and predicted higher self and observer-rated speech performance and lower anxiety. In contrast, narcissistic rivalry was associated with greater anxiety but was unrelated to speech performance. Self-affirmation moderated the effect of narcissistic rivalry on self-rated speech performance but in an unexpected direction such that rivalry was negatively related to speech performance following self-affirmation. ConclusionThese results add to the developing literature on the behavioural correlates of narcissistic admiration and rivalry, with admiration reflecting the more socially adaptive component of grandiose narcissism.

The aetiology of non-clinical narcissism: Clarifying the role of adverse childhood experiences and parental overvaluation

This research investigated the unique contribution of adverse childhood experiences (psychoanalytic theory) and parental overvaluation (social learning theory) in the development of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in adults (N = 263). Multiple linear regressions revealed that, as expected, adverse childhood experiences, but not parental overvaluation, predicted vulnerable narcissism while parental overvaluation, but not adverse childhood experiences, predicted grandiose narcissism. Albeit, predictive effects were small in all analyses. Further analyses revealed that 1) adverse childhood experiences significantly predicted vulnerable narcissism over and above the effects of past mental health disorders; and, 2) correlation patterns of the Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire subscales were positively associated with vulnerable narcissism, but negatively associated with grandiose narcissism. Combined, these findings strengthen the two-type model of narcissism and have implications for both research and society at macro and individual levels.

The intricate role of dissociation in the relations between childhood maltreatment, self-objectification, and narcissism.

Abusive acts often involve the use of victims as objects for venting the perpetrators' impulses and urges; they may therefore be conceptualized as objectifying experiences and may lead to self-objectification. This sense of self-objectification may lead to the development of narcissism-either grandiose narcissism or vulnerable narcissism, with the potential interruption of dissociation, which is often observed among survivors of childhood abuse in this dynamic. Accordingly, the current study examined a model in which the associations between childhood maltreatment and narcissism were mediated by self-objectification and moderated by dissociation. A battery of self-report questionnaires including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Self-Objectification Scale, Brief-Pathological Narcissism Inventory, and Dissociative Experiences Scale were filled out by 766 college-university students. Both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism were related to childhood maltreatment through the mediating role of self-objectification. Moreover, the analyses yielded significant interactions of self-objectification and dissociation in predicting both vulnerable narcissism and grandiose narcissism; that is, the associations between self-objectification and both types of narcissism were stronger among individuals with low levels of dissociation than among those with high levels of dissociation. These findings highlight the complex and ambiguous role of dissociation in the structure of the survivors' self and emphasize the importance of promoting their sense of subjectivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of Vulnerable and Grandiose Narcissism in Psychological Perpetrated Abuse Within Couple Relationships: The Mediating Role of Romantic Jealousy

The aim of this study was to analyze the direct and indirect relationships between the two phenotypes of narcissism, vulnerable and grandiose, and the tendency to perpetrate psychological abuse, exploring the mediating role of romantic jealousy. Our sample included 473 participants (213 males), aged 18–30 years (M = 22.74; SD = 2.81), involved in a stable romantic relationship. A structural equation modeling was conducted to test our model and a multigroup analysis was performed to test gender differences. Results show that the two forms of narcissism are both linked to psychological perpetrated abuse, but in different ways. Vulnerable narcissism was linked to psychological abuse only indirectly, through the role of romantic jealousy. On the contrary, grandiose narcissism was positively and directly associated with psychological abuse within the romantic relationship. Moreover, the model was invariant across genders. Limitations, strengths, and theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

I love my selfie! An investigation of overt and covert narcissism to understand selfie-posting behaviors within three geographic communities

What motivates selfie-posting on social media? Although several studies suggest that narcissistic traits predict online behaviors, different types of narcissism may influence specific online behaviors. In the existing literature, two types of narcissism are frequently considered, overt (externally directed) and covert (internally directed) narcissism, where overt narcissism is the better-known construct. The utility of using the broader construct of overt narcissism, as opposed to specific sub-components, is a matter of ongoing debate in the literature and little research has explored the factor structure of covert narcissism at all. The subcomponents of both types of narcissism are used to explore participants' motivations for selfie-posting, in addition to community membership (i.e. culture) and demographics. Therefore, the current study investigated whether selfie-posting could be predicted by narcissism, demographics, and community membership. Participants from the Midwest US (n = 194), Northeast US (n = 276), and the Lebanese Republic (n = 260) took an online survey. Results supported a two-component structure for covert narcissism, suggesting that this variable should be considered multidimensional in nature. Selfie-posting frequency was predicted by gender, geographic community, and grandiose narcissism. Participants who were female, from the Northeast, and reported more grandiose narcissism posted selfies more frequently. Findings suggest that selfie-posting is favored by those with more histrionic tendencies (grandiose narcissism) and that community norms, including those which shape gendered behavior, likely play a role in the active use of social media sites.

Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism in Relation to Life Satisfaction, Self-Esteem, and Self-Construal

Abstract. A growing body of research suggests the viability of the distinction between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Each subtype of narcissism reveals distinct associations with life satisfaction, self-esteem, and self-construal. The goal of the present study ( N = 253) is to apply this distinction to replicate the results of previous studies with respect to life satisfaction and self-esteem and to extend the perspective by focusing on several components of self-construal: independent and interdependent (cf. Singelis, 1994 ). In addition, interdependent self-construal is either relational-interdependent or collective-interdependent (cf. Cross, Hardin, & Gercek-Swing, 2011 ). Specifically, four hypotheses are examined which have in common the assumption that grandiose and vulnerable narcissism diverge systematically in their implications for life satisfaction, self-esteem, and self-construal. Grandiose narcissism is expected to correlate positively with life satisfaction, self-esteem, independent self-construal, and collective-interdependent self-construal. In contrast, vulnerable narcissism is assumed to correlate negatively with self-esteem and life satisfaction and positively with interdependent and relational self-construal. The results, which confirm these hypotheses, underscore the necessity to differentiate between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Remarkably, both subtypes of narcissism are related to distinct dimensions of interdependent self-construal. Whereas grandiose narcissism is anchored in collective interdependence, vulnerable narcissism is embedded in relational interdependence.

A Longitudinal Field Investigation of Narcissism and Popularity Over Time: How Agentic and Antagonistic Aspects of Narcissism Shape the Development of Peer Relationships.

Grandiose narcissism has been linked to initial popularity but to later unpopularity in peer groups and laboratory contexts. Do these effects on peer relationships also emerge in larger real-life contexts and what are the underlying behavioral processes (i.e., behavioral expressions, interpersonal perceptions)? Using data from the longitudinal CONNECT field study (N = 126), we investigated effects of agentic and antagonistic aspects of grandiose narcissism on emerging popularity in a complete peer network. A cohort of psychology first-year students was assessed with a quasiexperimental, experience-sampling methodology involving online surveys, diaries, and behavioral observations. In contrast to previous laboratory research, narcissism was unrelated to popularity at the level of zero-order correlations. However, results indicated that (a) an agentic behavioral pathway fostered popularity across time, and an antagonistic behavioral pathway drove the long-term decline in popularity, and (b) the two pathways were differentially related to agentic (admiration) and antagonistic (rivalry) aspects of narcissism.

Substantive vs. superficial self-enhancement: Differentiating narcissism constructs from self-esteem following failure

We proposed that, following failure, narcissistic self-enhancement is designed to buffer symptoms of failure via self-serving accounts or avoidance (i.e., superficial self-enhancement) without promoting actual self-enhancement (i.e., substantive self-enhancement), whereas high-self-esteem self-enhancement is designed to promote substantive self-enhancement. A college sample (N = 232) completed measures of narcissism constructs (grandiose and vulnerable) and trait self-esteem. Next, participants completed indicators of psychological distress and superficial vs. substantive modes of self-enhancement after simulating a failure in agentic and relationship domains. Self-esteem was generally characterized by reduced psychological distress, substantive self-enhancement, and some reductions in superficial self-enhancement. Grandiose narcissism was also characterized by reduced psychological distress, but, unlike self-esteem, was only associated with superficial self-enhancement (excuses and devaluation). Vulnerable narcissism was characterized by greater psychological distress and only superficial self-enhancement (avoidance). Findings were highly similar across agentic and relationships domains. Broadly, the findings cohere with the idea that narcissism and self-esteem constructs represent distinct self-enhancement strategies.

How do narcissists perceive personality items? Measurement invariance of a Big Five scale across low and high narcissism groups

Two forms of narcissism were found to be associated with various personality traits. Grandiose narcissism typically correlates with high levels of extraversion, openness and emotional stability, whereas vulnerable narcissism correlates positively with neuroticism and negatively with extraversion. Both types of narcissism are associated with disagreeableness. Studies revealed that narcissists, at least grandiose ones, exhibit distorted self-views. Thus, a question about potential response bias of narcissistic individuals on self-report measures seems relevant. The current study assessed measurement invariance in the five-factor model scale across groups with low and high narcissism, separately for vulnerable and grandiose type. From a larger sample (n = 755) extreme groups were selected basing on the respective narcissism scale. The results indicated that the Big Five questionnaire was measurement invariant across narcissism groups with respect to configural and metric equivalence; however, it showed a lack of scalar (intercept) invariance. Individuals scoring high on grandiose narcissism exhibited higher thresholds on extraversion, emotional stability, conscientiousness and intellect in comparison to people with a low level of grandiose narcissism. Individuals with a high level of vulnerable narcissism obtained lower intercepts on all scales, besides intellect, in comparison to individuals low in vulnerable narcissism.

The framework of self-esteem: Narcissistic subtypes, positive/negative agency, and self-evaluation

The relation between narcissism, agency, and self-esteem was comprehensively investigated by taking two subtypes of narcissism (grandiose and vulnerable) and two subtypes of agency (positive and negative) into account. In accordance with the Extended Agency Model by Campbell and Foster (2007), we proposed the relation between grandiose narcissism and self-esteem would be mediated by both positive and negative agency. Furthermore, we assumed both subtypes of agency would mediate the relation between vulnerable narcissism and self-esteem. The sample, which was obtained by an online survey, included 323 participants (218 female, 105 male, age: M = 25.99, SD = 7.00). Validated measures of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, positive and negative agency, and self-esteem were administered. Hypotheses tests were based on the parallel multiple mediators model. Results showed that grandiose narcissism was positively correlated with self-esteem via the mediating influence of high positive agency. In contrast, grandiose narcissism negatively predicted self-esteem via the mediating influence of high negative agency. Vulnerable narcissism was negatively correlated with self-esteem via the mediating influence of both low positive agency and high negative agency. Results extend prior research in important ways by highlighting positive agency as the primary mediator, and negative agency as the secondary mediator, between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism on the one side and self-esteem on the other side.

Inauthentic self-presentation on facebook as a function of vulnerable narcissism and lower self-esteem

This study was the first to delineate the role of grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism, in addition to self-esteem and self-monitoring, in predicting authentic self-presentation on Facebook. Facebook users (N = 155) answered questions about their personality as well as the persona they present on Facebook, and Euclidean distances quantified the congruence between the two personas. Self-monitoring (ability to modify self-presentation) was included as a control variable in regression analysis. As hypothesised, grandiose narcissism predicted more congruent presentation between the true self and the Facebook self, while vulnerable narcissism predicted a greater difference between the two personas. In contrast to predictions, self-esteem was not associated with congruence between the two selves; however, a follow-up moderation analysis revealed a significant self-esteem—vulnerable narcissism interaction. Specifically, for individuals with average and low levels of self-esteem, there is more incongruence between the true self and the Facebook self as a function of increased vulnerable narcissism. Given the psychological benefits associated with authentic self-presentation on Facebook, these findings inform understanding of the negative affective processes of vulnerable narcissists and their self-presentation on this popular social networking medium.

The Norwegian version of the five factor narcissism inventory for vulnerable narcissism and the grandiose narcissism subscale of indifference: Psychometric properties of the long- and short-form versions.

In recent years, narcissism has been reconceptualized as a multi-dimensional feature of human psychology. The Five Factor Narcissism Inventory (FFNI) has been proposed as a measure for two distinguishable dimensions of narcissism: Vulnerable and Grandiose (Glover, Miller, Lynam, Crego & Widiger, 2012). To investigate the role that some of these factors may have in moderating responses to cues of social exclusion, implemented in a connected laboratory experiment, we translated the subscales for Vulnerable Narcissism and the Grandiose Narcissism subscale of Indifference from English into Norwegian and included them in an online survey that was used to recruit and pre-screen participants for the laboratory experiment. In this paper, we test the psychometric properties of these translated self-report measures, in what amounted to be a diverse sample of the Norwegian population. We perform reliability tests and confirmatory factor analysis on the long- and short-form versions of FFNI Vulnerable Narcissism and the Grandiose Narcissism subscale of Indifference. We further test the criterion validity of these measures by way of correlational analyses with other theoretically relevant measures. We conclude that the Norwegian short-form versions of FFNI Vulnerable Narcissism and Grandiose Narcissism subscale of Indifference exhibit good psychometric properties in our data and propose that the translated scales can now be used to explore these constructs in clinical and non-clinical populations in Norway, and can be easily adapted for use in other Scandinavian countries.

Vulnerable Narcissists in Leadership? A Bifactor Model of Narcissism and Abusive Supervision Intent

Addressing the controversial debate about narcissism and its impact on organizations, this article pursues three main purposes: First, we aimed to assess the factorial structure of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) in an applied organizational context. In the overall sample of 926 German-speaking managers (Studies 1-3), we found a bifactor model differentiating a general narcissism factor from narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability to be advantageous over a traditional second-order factor model. Second, we sought to establish the relationships between narcissism and leaders’ drive to aggress against followers (i.e., abusive supervision intent). Above and beyond the general narcissism factor, narcissistic vulnerability consistently predicted leaders’ abusive supervision intent, while narcissistic grandiosity did not. This result also held with an additional measure of grandiose narcissism, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) in Study 2. Third, we intended to provide initial insights into the underlying mechanisms linking leaders’ narcissistic vulnerability to their abusive supervision intent. An experimental design in Study 3 identified one reason why narcissistic vulnerability drives leaders to aggress against their followers: they were prone to respond to failure with internal attributions and shame. In sum, this research is the first to point out leaders’ narcissistic vulnerability as a risk-factor for organizations. It advances the current understanding of its conceptual nature and practical implications.

Revisiting profiles and profile comparisons of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism on self-presentation tactic use

A self-presentation conceptualization of narcissism stipulates that narcissism constructs accompany chronic patterns of tactical behaviors that portray narcissistic identities. Research addressing this idea is scant, and the evidence is non-definitive. Here, participants (N = 511) completed a battery of popular grandiose and vulnerable narcissism indices and reported their past use of 12 self-presentation tactics. We derived two factor scores representing “grandiose narcissism” and “vulnerable narcissism.” The factors converged on relations to tactics that portray prototypical narcissistic identities and diverged in ways that tactically portray unique features of each narcissism form. Specifically, vulnerable narcissism related uniquely to self-presenting weakness and defensiveness, whereas grandiose narcissism related uniquely to self-presenting as a role-model and more strongly to self-presenting as intimidating. With few exceptions, individual grandiose-narcissism measures showed high profile similarity, and individual vulnerable-narcissism measures showed high profile similarity.

The values of narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability

Grandiose and vulnerable aspects of narcissism have been examined as a function of the five-factor model (FFM), but given narcissism's strong theoretical link to self-centered, self-enhancing motivation, personal values may be relevant predictors of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether personal values predict grandiose and vulnerable facets of narcissism beyond the FFM. Undergraduates (N = 409) completed online measures of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, values, and FFM personality traits. In line with hypotheses, bivariate correlations between personal values and both narcissistic dimensions exhibited sinusoid patterns, with strongest positive links to self-enhancement values and strongest negative links to self-transcendence values. Results also indicated that higher order personal values predicted additional variance in both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism beyond the FFM. Relationships between self-transcendence, self-enhancement values and grandiose narcissism were stronger than for vulnerable narcissism; however, vulnerable narcissism, but not grandiose narcissism, was positively linked to conservation values.

Aggression Among Offenders: The Complex Interplay by Grandiose Narcissism, Spitefulness, and Impulsivity

Impulsivity seems closely related to both narcissism and spitefulness as a potential common pathway by which these pathological personality traits lead to violence. We administered the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, the Spitefulness Scale, and the Impulsive Behavior Scale Short Form to a sample of individuals convicted of violent offenses ( n = 182) and a sample of community participants ( n = 203). Hierarchical regression analysis of the convicted sample showed that spitefulness predicted AQ scores positively and significantly beyond the roles of both pathological narcissism and impulsivity. Finally, mediation analyses showed that impulsivity partially mediated the relationships between aggression and both grandiose narcissism and spitefulness. Our results support the hypothesis that spitefulness plays an important role in the prediction of aggressiveness. Finally, impulsivity seems to be a central common variable that explains the relationship between pathological personality traits and aggressive behavior among individuals convicted of violent offenses.

Grandiose narcissism, depression and suicide ideation in Chinese and German students

In Western cultural context, grandiose (overt) narcissism has been shown to be either unrelated or negatively related to negative mental health (depression, suicide ideation). Grandiose narcissism may be differently related to depression and suicide ideation variables in Eastern cultural contexts. The current study therefore aims to investigate associations between grandiose narcissism, depression, and suicide ideation in a sample of metropolitan Chinese students as well as in a sample of German students. A total of N = 935 Chinese students (73.3% female; Mage = 22.62, SDage = .89) and of N = 389 German students (75.6% female; Mage = 23.13, SDage = 2.94) completed paper-and-pencil and/or online measures of grandiose narcissism, depression, and suicide ideation. Grandiose narcissism was positively associated with depression and suicide ideation in Chinese students. Depression fully mediated the association between grandiose narcissism and suicide ideation – controlling for gender, age, and survey method. In contrast, in the German sample, no significant associations could be found. Grandiose narcissism obviously has different consequences in China than in Germany.

Detecting the elusive narcissistic reactivity phenomenon: The case for a mechanistic focus

ABSTRACT We speculated that narcissistic reactivity might be detectable as a set of processes. Participants self-reported grandiose and vulnerable narcissism scores, estimates of their performance on an IQ task and their IQ, and mood and self-esteem before and after an unsolvable “IQ” task. Change scores were computed to index negative changes (post-task minus pre-task). Participants also retrospectively self-reported arousal during the task. Both narcissism constructs predicted greater mood and self-esteem reductions (i.e., reactivity outcomes) indirectly via greater reductions to performance estimates that, in turn, predicted greater reductions in IQ estimates. Furthermore, grandiose (vulnerable) narcissism predicted reduced (enhanced) task arousal which, in turn, predicted reduced (enhanced) reactivity outcomes. Results underscore the importance of testing narcissistic reactivity as a set of processes.