Maladaptive Narcissism Research Articles

Adaptive and maladaptive narcissism: Different roots and different routes to empathy

Adaptive and maladaptive narcissism: Different roots and different routes to empathy

Perspective Taking and Mindfulness as Mediators of the Relationship Between Maladaptive Narcissism and Empathy

Perspective Taking and Mindfulness as Mediators of the Relationship Between Maladaptive Narcissism and Empathy

The Dark Side of Leader Narcissism: The Relationship Between Leaders’ Narcissistic Rivalry and Abusive Supervision

Narcissists often attain leadership positions, but at the same time do not care for others and often engage in unethical behaviors. We therefore explored the role of leader narcissism as an antecedent of abusive supervision, a form of unethical leadership. We based our study on the narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept (NARC) and proposed a direct positive effect of leaders’ narcissistic rivalry—the maladaptive narcissism dimension—on abusive supervision. In line with trait activation and threatened egotism theory, we also proposed a moderated mediation assuming that leaders high in narcissistic rivalry would be particularly prone to showing abusive supervision in reaction to followers’ supervisor-directed deviance, as this form of follower behavior would threaten their self-esteem. We conducted a field study with leader–follower dyads (Study 1) and an experimental vignette study with leaders (Study 2). Leaders’ narcissistic rivalry was positively related to abusive supervision (intentions) in both studies. This effect was independent of followers’ supervisor-directed deviance and leaders’ perceived self-esteem threat. We discuss our findings in light of the NARC, as well as threatened egotism theory, and offer directions for future research. Finally, we make practical recommendations for organizations.

The mediating role of narcissism in the effects of regulatory mode on positivity

Positivity (i.e., the individual tendency to positively approach life experiences) has proven to be an effective construct applied in positive psychology. However, individuals’ self-regulation may have contrasting effects on positivity. We specifically examined whether positivity could be partially explained through two aspects of motivation concerned with self-regulation: locomotion (i.e., a motivational orientation concerned with movement) and assessment (i.e., a motivational orientation concerned with comparison and evaluation). Furthermore, based on previous literature that found a link between these aspects and narcissism, we examined whether “adaptive” and “maladaptive” dimensions of narcissism could mediate the effects of locomotion and assessment on increased or decreased positivity. Narcissism was defined by previous research as adaptive or maladaptive insofar as it leads or does not lead to increased psychological well-being. We estimated a mediation model with multiple independent variables and multiple mediators in a cross-sectional study with self-reported data from 190 university students. We found that both locomotion and assessment were associated with adaptive narcissism, which in turn was positively associated with positivity. However, assessment was also associated with maladaptive narcissism, which in turn was negatively associated with positivity. Relationships between aspects of self-regulation, narcissism, and positivity can have significant implications which will be discussed.

Broadening Your Mind to Include Others: The relationship between serotonergic psychedelic experiences and maladaptive narcissism.

Recent research has shown that classical serotonergic psychedelic (CSP) drugs may be used to ameliorate certain health issues and disorders. Here we hypothesised that CSP experiences, through their ability to induce awe and ego-dissolution, may result in a reduction of maladaptive narcissistic personality traits, such as a strong sense of entitlement and lack of empathy. Our objective was to investigate whether high levels of awe and ego dissolution during recent CSP experiences are associated with currently lower levels of maladaptive narcissism. In this pre-registered high-powered (N = 414) study, we used an online retrospective survey asking participants to describe their 'most awe-inspiring, impressive, significant, or emotionally intense experience', as well as several validated scales to test our hypothesis. A statistically significant mediation model indicated that recent CSP-induced experiences were associated with currently increased feelings of connectedness and affective empathetic drive, which in turn were associated with decreased exploitative-entitled narcissism. This relationship held even when taking into account sensation-seeking personality features. We found no evidence for feelings of ego dissolution to have the same effect. Feelings of awe, but not ego dissolution, during recent CSP experiences were associated with increased feelings of connectedness and empathy, which in turn were associated with decreased levels of maladaptive narcissism personality features. This suggests that CSPs hold therapeutic potential for disorders involving connectedness and empathy, such as the treatment of pathological narcissism, and that the induction of connectedness through awe appears to be the driving force behind this potential.

I Am Great, but Only When I Also Want to Dominate: Maladaptive Narcissism Moderates the Relationship Between Adaptive Narcissism and Performance Under Pressure.

Narcissism-performance research has focused on grandiose narcissism but has not examined the interaction between its so-called adaptive (reflecting overconfidence) and maladaptive (reflecting a domineering orientation) components. In this research, the authors tested interactions between adaptive and maladaptive narcissism using two motor tasks (basketball and golf in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively) and a cognitive task (letter transformation in Experiment 3). Across all experiments, adaptive narcissism predicted performance under pressure only when maladaptive narcissism was high. In the presence of maladaptive narcissism, adaptive narcissism also predicted decreased pre-putt time in Experiment 2 and an adaptive psychophysiological response in Experiment 3, reflecting better processing efficiency. Findings suggest that individuals high in both aspects of narcissism perform better under pressure thanks to superior task processing. In performance contexts, the terms "adaptive" and "maladaptive"-adopted from social psychology-are oversimplistic and inaccurate. The authors believe that "self-inflated narcissism" and "dominant narcissism" are better monikers for these constructs.

Adaptive and maladaptive narcissism, charisma, and leadership performance: A study of perceptions about the presidential leadership of Donald Trump

The current study examines the effects of perceptions of leader adaptive and maladaptive narcissism on ratings of charisma and presidential leadership performance for Donald Trump by registered voters. We present a model examining differing dimensions of narcissism, and their effects on attributed charisma and perceptions of leadership performance for Donald Trump. Structural equation modeling results reveal positive effects of adaptive narcissism on attributed charisma and leadership performance of Donald Trump; and negative effects of maladaptive narcissism on attributed charisma and leadership performance of Donald Trump. Perceived adaptive and maladaptive narcissism had indirect effects on leadership performance (through attributed charisma). The contributions made to the literature, implications of the findings, and directions for future research are discussed.

IPhone as a proxy indicator of adaptive narcissism: An empirical investigation

AbstractIn a consumeristic society, brands have become a signal to the identity and personality of the users. Apple Incorporate has been one of the most successful marketers, of modern times, with its iconic range of “i” devices that have a cult‐like following. The growth of “individualistic” society has also been credited with, as an important reason, for the success of the brand. Societies and people high in terms of individualism also tend to be more narcissistic. This study is an attempt to ascertain whether the use of the Apple iPhone is an indication of Narcissism. The results indicate an overall higher narcissistic score among users and aspirers of iPhone. However, iPhone users exhibit higher scores only in adaptive narcissism—indicative of leadership and authority and not in maladaptive narcissism—indicative of Entitlement Exploitativeness and Grandiose Exhibitionism; in comparison to nonusers. The results of the study have various managerial implications that may range from personality assessment to designing marketing messages and improving employee leadership and authority.

Selfie taking may be nonharmful: Evidence from adaptive and maladaptive narcissism among Chinese young adults

Selfie taking may be nonharmful: Evidence from adaptive and maladaptive narcissism among Chinese young adults

Adaptive narcissism and maladaptive narcissism: Diverse evidences for the distinction

Adaptive narcissism and maladaptive narcissism: Diverse evidences for the distinction

Narcissism, beliefs about controlling interpersonal style, and moral disengagement in sport coaches

We tested the relations among narcissism (including both its adaptive and maladaptive facets), effectiveness and normalcy beliefs about controlling interpersonal style, controlling coach behaviours, and moral disengagement in sport coaches. Participants were 210 sport coaches, representing a variety of sports and levels of coaching. Coaches completed a multi-section questionnaire assessing the study variables. Path analyses revealed that global narcissism and maladaptive narcissism were positively associated with controlling coach behaviours. Furthermore, effectiveness and normalcy beliefs about controlling interpersonal style were positively associated with controlling coach behaviours, while controlling coach behaviours were positively associated with coach moral disengagement. Finally, adaptive narcissism had an indirect effect on controlling coach behaviours via effectiveness beliefs about a controlling interpersonal style. These findings contribute to the literature on antecedents and outcomes of controlling coach behaviours, as reported by coaches.

Going Beyond the Numerical Scoresheet: Identifying Maladaptive Narcissistic Traits in Residency Applicants

Certain personality traits assessed during interviews have been shown to negatively predict performance in residency. An informal needs assessment at our institution suggested that it would be particularly important to identify traits associated with maladaptive narcissism (i.e., entitlement, difficulty accepting criticism, and arrogance). The objective of this study was to evaluate an interview station designed to identify narcissistic personality traits among applicants to our general surgery residency program. An interview station was developed in which applicants were provided negative feedback as a simulated evaluation. Two interviewers (1 staff surgeon, 1 senior resident) interviewed 48 applicants at this station. The 48 participants were also asked to complete the Narcissism Personality Index (NPI-40), which assesses adaptive and maladaptive facets of narcissism. NPI-40 scores were compared to the interview station scoresheet, which included numerical rating scales and a subjective "red flag" system used to identify concerns related to professionalism or personality. Linear regression demonstrated a significant correlation between red flags on the negative feedback station and a high maladaptive proportion of narcissism on the NPI-40 (p = 0.02). The numerical interview score and the proportion of maladaptive narcissism score did not reach significance (p = 0.05). There was a high inter-rater reliability between interviewers' numerical scores (r = 0.89) and in determining red flags (σ = 0.83). We designed an interview station that successfully identified general surgery residency interviewees displaying high proportions of maladaptive narcissistic traits. Despite an objective scoring process, subjective opinion of interviewers was more valuable in identifying these applicants. Our findings suggest that the written comments of surgeons in interview stations designed to identify applicants with difficulty accepting negative feedback may provide valuable information that is not captured by the numerical scoring process.

Do Narcissists Enjoy Visiting Social Networking Sites? It Depends on How Adaptive They Are.

Previous evidence suggests that narcissistic people tend to visit social networking sites (SNS) frequently, but the emotions accompanying their engagement on such sites has not been a significant subject of study. Therefore, we examined the relationship between narcissism and the affective experience on SNS in two different samples. To do so, we not only examined narcissism as a whole but also distinguished between adaptive and maladaptive narcissism. Results of the two studies consistently showed that: (1) narcissism as a whole was not correlated with the SNS affective experience; (2) maladaptive narcissism was predictive of a worse affective experience on SNS; and (3) partly due to a positive correlation with self-esteem, adaptive narcissism was associated with a better SNS affective experience. In addition, these findings held with SNS activities considered in simultaneity. The present research extends our understanding of the relationship between narcissism and social networking as well as that between emotion and social networking.

Five-Factor Model Best Describes Narcissistic Personality Inventory Across Different Item Response Formats.

The objective of this research was to validate the Narcissistic Personality Inventory across different response formats, given that several factor structures were proposed, ranging from two to seven factors. The original forced-choice format of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory was given to 410 participants and a modified, i.e., Likert format was given to 423 participants from the general population, along with personality and other narcissism measures. The results showed that the five-factor model proposed by Ackerman etal. had the best model fit in both response formats and that a distinction between adaptive (Leadership, Vanity, and Superiority) and some aspects of maladaptive (Manipulativeness and Exhibitionism) narcissism factors could be established. However, the redundancy of items in certain factors could be problematic and further improvements of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory should include more indicators of some proposed factors, especially of Vanity.

Interactive Influences of Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Insecure Attachment in Early Adolescence

We hypothesized that in adolescence, maladaptive narcissism interacts with low self-esteem to predict a preoccupied attachment style ( attachment for self-affirmation hypothesis), and with high self-esteem to predict an avoidant attachment style ( attachment for self-enhancement hypothesis). We expected gender differences in narcissistic adolescents’ attachment strategies, with girls more likely to be motivated to self-affirm, and boys more likely to self-enhance. Early adolescents in England ( N = 306, 156 girls, 150 boys, [Formula: see text] age = 13.38 years) responded to self-report measures of narcissism, self-esteem, and attachment styles to mother and a friend. Results supported the attachment for self-enhancement hypothesis only. For adolescent boys (but not girls) with high self-esteem, narcissism was associated with higher avoidant attachment toward the mother and a friend. The results suggest that maladaptive narcissism might derail normative separation-individuation processes in adolescent boys, thus contributing to their adoption of an avoidant attachment style with close relationship partners.

Who Follows the Unethical Leader? The Association Between Followers’ Personal Characteristics and Intentions to Comply in Committing Organizational Fraud

The role of followers in financial statement fraud has not been widely examined, even though these frauds typically involve collusion between followers and destructive leaders. In a study with 140 MBA students in the role of followers, we examined whether two follower personality traits were associated with behavioral intentions to comply with the demands of an unethical chief executive officer (CEO) to be complicit in committing financial statement fraud. These personality traits are (1) self-sacrificing self-enhancement (SSSE), a form of maladaptive narcissism characterized by seemingly altruistic behaviors that are actually intended to boost self-esteem and (2) proactivity, a trait characterized by behaviors reflecting efforts to positively change one’s environment. As predicted, follower SSSE was positively associated with follower behavioral intentions to comply with CEO pressure to commit fraud, while follower proactivity was negatively associated with fraud compliance intentions. Also as predicted, follower SSSE interacted with follower proactivity, such that followers high in SSSE and high (low) in proactivity reported greater intentions to resist (comply with) pressure from the unethical CEO to commit fraud compared to low-SSSE followers. Implications for future research and corporate governance are discussed.

Association of adaptive and maladaptive narcissism with personal burnout: findings from a cross-sectional study.

Burnout is associated with poor mental and physical functioning and high costs for societies. Personality attributes may critically increase the risk of personal burnout. We specifically examined whether narcissism associates with personal burnout in a working population. We studied n=1,461 employees (mean age 41.3 ± 9.4 yr, 52% men) drawn from a random sample of a pharmaceutical company in Germany. All participants completed the personal burnout subscale of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory to assess maladaptive (entitlement/exploitativeness) and adaptive (leadership/authority) narcissism. In linear regression analysis, when mutually adjusting for the maladaptive and adaptive narcissism scales, higher adaptive narcissism was associated with lower burnout scores (ß=−0.04, p<0.05), whereas higher maladaptive narcissism was associated with higher burnout scores (ß=0.04, p<0.05). Additionally, younger age (ß=−0.07), female gender (ß=0.11), depressive symptoms (ß=0.42), sleep problems (ß=0.30), stress at work (ß=0.23) and at home (ß=0.09) were all independently associated with increased burnout scores (all p-values<0.01). Narcissistic personality attributes may play an important role in personal burnout. While maladaptive narcissism was associated with increased levels of burnout symptoms, adaptive narcissism was associated with fewer burnout symptoms.

Drop the bad attitude! Narcissism predicts acceptance of violent behaviour

Previous research has found that narcissism is related to a number of anti-social behaviours such as domestic violence, sexual coercion, aggression, and general offending. However, no research to date has explored the relationship between narcissism and attitudes towards these types of behaviours. To address this shortfall, the present study (N=329) investigated narcissism and attitudes towards violence in a non-offending population. Males scored significantly higher on total narcissism and all attitudes towards violence. However, when narcissism was investigated in relation to specific attitudes, it was found that narcissistic females were equally accepting of violence as men were. In addition, attitudes towards violence in males related to more socially desirable, adaptive narcissism, whereas in females, attitudes towards violence were related to both adaptive and maladaptive narcissism. These new findings contribute to the very little we already know about narcissism and attitudes towards violence, and may provide the reason as to why narcissism relates to general offending behaviour; simply because they think it is acceptable.

The ultimate femme fatale? Narcissism predicts serious and aggressive sexually coercive behaviour in females

Narcissism has been associated with persistent sexual persuasion, coercion, aggression, and rape conducive beliefs. However, the majority of research has concentrated on male samples. The present study (N=329) investigated narcissism and sexually coercive tactics, varying in severity, in both males and females. Males scored significantly higher on total narcissism and sexual coercion. However, when narcissism was investigated in relation to sexually coercive tactics, it was found that narcissistic females were just as likely to engage in serious and aggressive sexually coercive behaviour. In addition, sexual coercion in males related to more socially desirable aspects of narcissism (adaptive narcissism), whereas in females, sexual coercion was associated with socially toxic components of the construct (maladaptive narcissism). Our results demonstrate that gender differences in narcissism can differ significantly when investigating the impact narcissism has on a specific type of behaviour such as sexual coercion. These new findings contribute to the very little we already know about narcissism in females, suggesting that both sexes should be included in future research on narcissism.

Narcissism predicts impulsive buying: phenotypic and genetic evidence.

Impulsive buying makes billions of dollars for retail businesses every year, particularly in an era of thriving e-commerce. Narcissism, characterized by impulsivity and materialism, may serve as a potential antecedent to impulsive buying. To test this hypothesis, two studies examined the relationship between narcissism and impulsive buying. In Study 1, we surveyed an online sample and found that while adaptive narcissism was not correlated with impulsive buying, maladaptive narcissism was significantly predictive of the impulsive buying tendency. By investigating 304 twin pairs, Study 2 showed that global narcissism and its two components, adaptive and maladaptive narcissism, as well as the impulsive buying tendency were heritable. The study found, moreover, that the connections between global narcissism and impulsive buying, and between maladaptive narcissism and impulsive buying were genetically based. These findings not only establish a link between narcissism and impulsive buying but also help to identify the origins of the link. The present studies deepen our understanding of narcissism, impulsive buying, and their interrelationship.