Narcissistic Personality Features Research Articles

Does narcissus prefer to be alone? Narcissistic personality features and the preference for solitude.

To examine the associations that narcissistic personality traits had with the preference for solitude. Preference for solitude may be impacted by various characteristics. Narcissism may be one such characteristic given its association with specific motivations for engagement with other individuals (e.g., status attainment). We examined whether the associations that narcissism had with the preference for solitude were moderated by perceived attainment of status or instability of status. Across three studies (N = 627/479/675), extraverted narcissism had the expected aversion to solitude. Antagonistic narcissism and neurotic narcissism did not have consistent associations with the preference for solitude across these studies, nor did the perceived attainment of status consistently moderate the links between narcissistic personality features and the preference for solitude. However, perceived instability of status moderated the associations that extraverted narcissism and antagonistic narcissism had with the preference for solitude. More specifically, the more stable status was perceived to be, the greater the aversion to solitude for those high in extraverted narcissism and the greater the preference for solitude for those high in antagonistic narcissism. This pattern of results suggests that the motivations underlying preferences for solitude differ depending on particular narcissistic traits that predict whether one is more concerned with maintaining, gaining, or losing status. These results build upon what is known about the connections that narcissism has with the preference for solitude.

Narcissistic Personality Features and Perceptions of Social Worth at Work: Implications for Job-Related Attitudes

We examined the role that perceptions of social worth played in the connections that narcissistic personality features had with job-related attitudes in a sample of Israeli community members (N = 814). Our results showed that the positive associations that the extraverted aspect of narcissism had with each of the job-related attitudes were mediated by status-based social worth. In contrast, the neurotic aspect of narcissism was negatively associated with job-related attitudes – with the exception of the perceived quality of alternative jobs – and these associations were mediated by status-based social worth. Antagonistic narcissism was negatively associated with job-related attitudes, but perceptions of social worth seemed to play little role in these associations. The discussion is focused on the role that perceptions of social worth may play in the connections between narcissism and job-related attitudes.

Narcissistic personality features across the life span

The present research examined the associations that age had with narcissistic personality features in two cross-sectional studies involving community members from the United States (Study 1; N = 3414) and Israel (Study 2; N = 2723). Age had a negative linear association with extraverted narcissism and antagonistic narcissism in both studies. Age did not have a negative linear association with neurotic narcissism in either study, but it did have a quadratic association with neurotic narcissism in both studies that suggested a flattening of the negative association among older individuals. Communal narcissism and collective narcissism were also included in Study 2 and age had negative linear associations with both of these additional aspects of narcissism. Taken together, these results suggest that there are age-related trends that indicate a general tendency for narcissistic personality features to be lower in older individuals than younger individuals. Discussion will focus on the implications of these findings for the understanding of age-related trends in narcissism across the life span.

Narcissistic personality features and contingencies of self-worth: What are the foundations of narcissistic self-esteem?

ABSTRACT Although different aspects of narcissism share certain similarities, it is believed that they may differ with regard to the domains upon which feelings of self-worth are based. To explore this possibility, the present research examined the associations that narcissistic personality features had with domain-specific contingencies of self-worth. Across five studies (N = 846/751/1,055/471/257), the assertive/extraverted, antagonistic/disagreeable, and vulnerable/neurotic aspects of narcissism had similar associations with the competition-based contingency. However, these aspects of narcissism diverged in their associations with other contingencies of self-worth. The pattern that emerged for vulnerable/neurotic narcissism suggested that it was characterized by a broad desire to please others in order to receive external validation. In contrast, the results for the assertive/extraverted and antagonistic/disagreeable aspects of narcissism were more complex and suggested that these aspects of narcissism were characterized by the desire to demonstrate superiority over others. Communal narcissism was included in Study 5 and its pattern of associations with the contingencies of self-worth was similar to the results for assertive/extraverted narcissism. These results demonstrate the similarities and important differences between narcissistic personality features with regard to contingencies of self-worth. Discussion will focus on the implications of these results for understanding the foundations of narcissistic self-esteem.

Narcissism and Self-Esteem Revisited : The Mediating Roles of Perceived Status and Inclusion

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to examine whether narcissistic personality features had indirect associations with state self-esteem through perceived status and inclusion. We used a daily diary approach to examine whether daily perceptions of status and inclusion mediated the associations that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism that is characterized by assertive self-enhancement and self-promotion) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism that is characterized by self-protection and self-defense) had with daily reports of state self-esteem in 808 undergraduate students. Narcissistic admiration had positive indirect associations with state self-esteem through perceived status and inclusion, whereas narcissistic rivalry had negative indirect associations with state self-esteem through perceived status and inclusion. These results suggest that perceptions of status and inclusion may contribute to the feelings of self-worth that are experienced by individuals with narcissistic personality features. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for our understanding of the connections between narcissism and self-esteem.

Impact of Psychopathy and Narcissism on Employees’ Adverse Outcomes: A Perspective of Ethical Climate Theory and Threatened-Egotism Model

This study examines the impact of psychopathic and narcissistic personalities on employees' adverse outcomes. Additionally, this study investigates the intervening mechanism of workplace incivility among the relationship between psychopathic and narcissistic personalities and adverse outcomes. Furthermore, the interactive impact of Islamic work values was also tested between the association of workplace incivility and adverse outcomes. Data was collected through a survey method from 404 permanent public sector employees using the purposive sampling technique in two different time lags. PROCESS-macro was used to test indirect, interactive, and moderated mediation effects. The findings of this study confirm the direct effect relationship between those psychopathic and narcissistic personalities and employees' adverse outcomes. Further, this study demonstrates that workplace incivility indirectly enhances adverse employee outcomes. Finally, the study findings revealed that a higher level of Islamic work values reduces the adverse outcomes of employees having psychopathic and narcissistic personality characteristics. We also tested the moderated mediation model, which disclosed that a higher level of Islamic work values reduces the negativity level of psychopathic personalities, further decreasing the level of counterproductive work behaviors via workplace incivility. However, there was no moderating role of Islamic work values in reducing narcissist personalities' negativity levels and counterproductive work behaviors via workplace incivility. The present study provides information to the management of public sector organizations on how they can overcome their workforce's negative behaviors and outcomes by implementing the Islamic ethical system. This attempt contributed to ethical climate theory and threatened the egotism model by explaining that negative personality traits predict uncivil behaviors, leading to adverse outcomes. This study further contributes that the organization's ethical climate helps the individuals overcome the negativity of their personalities and negative behaviors.

UNDERSTANDING NARCISSISTS’ KNOWLEDGE HIDING BEHAVIOUR: A MORAL DISENGAGEMENT MECHANISM PERSPECTIVE

Purpose: Narcissistic people have a strong desire to hold focus only around themselves. Their self-love triggers them to create their monopoly and involve in deviant behavioral outcomes such as knowledge hiding. This study was aimed to examine narcissistic employees’ tendency of knowledge hiding behavior in the presence of underlying mechanisms: moral disengagement as mediator. Methodology: The Data were collected from banking sector professionals using a Likert scale questionnaire based on time-lagged (three rounds, one month apart) survey. Data were analyzed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using an advanced version of Smart PLS 3.9 and SPSS 21. Findings: Results revealed that narcissism has a significant positive relation with knowledge hiding and also established moral disengagement as an underlying mechanism between the positive association of narcissism and knowledge hiding. The results provide important recommendations for managers to handle narcissistic personalities and knowledge hiding issues in the banking sector of Pakistan. Conclusion: Despite the limitations, the present study enhanced the current knowledge on narcissistic personality features through the moral disengagement perspective with knowledge hiding and enriching the validation of the social cognitive theory. The study results conclude that the banking sector of Pakistan must consider the narcissistic personality of employees behind their issue of knowledge hiding.

Narcissism and Risk-Taking

Previous research has shown that narcissism is associated with risk-taking. However, little is known about the factors that may contribute to narcissistic individuals being more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour. The present research examined whether social worldviews would mediate the associations that specific narcissistic personality features had with risk-taking across life domains in a sample of Iranian community members (N = 489). Our results revealed that the extraverted, antagonistic, and neurotic aspects of narcissism had positive indirect associations with risk-taking in certain life domains through the competitive social worldview. These results suggest that the tendency to view the social environment as intensely competitive may play an important role in the associations that narcissistic personality features have with risk-taking in certain life domains.

Social Media Addiction in Young Adult Patients with Anxiety Disorders and Depression.

Although the relationship between social media addiction (SMA) and mental health is bidirectional, there have been very few attempts to investigate patients with depression or anxiety disorders in terms of SMA. The first aim of this study is to determine whether young adult patients diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders have a tendency to become addicted to social media. The second aim of the study is to examine the effects of 6 DSM-based personality traits (dependent, histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, borderline, and paranoid) that commonly coexist with these disorders on SMA. This study was carried out with 276 participants between the ages of 18 and 35 in the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic in Gazi University Hospital, Turkey. Seventy-three patients diagnosed with depression, 80 patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders, and 123 healthy controls were recruited for the study. The SMA Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Personality Belief Questionnaire-Short Form were administered to the participants. Patients with anxiety disorders (PAD) and patients with depression (PD) were more addicted to social media than healthy controls (HC) despite similar frequencies of social media use. Dependent, histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, borderline, and paranoid personality features in HC increased the susceptibility to SMA. Borderline and dependent personality features comorbid with PAD increased the susceptibility to SMA. None of the personality traits comorbid with PD had an effect on SMA. The present study will serve as a base for future studies which explore factors that can make PAD or PD more vulnerable to SMA.

Narcissism and Subjective Arousal in Response to Sexual Aggression: The Mediating Role of Perceived Power

The present research examined the associations that narcissistic personality features had with subjective arousal in response to sexually aggressive behaviors, as well as whether these associations were mediated by the power that was believed to accompany these behaviors. Participants were 221 community members (115 women, 106 men) who completed a self-report instrument that captured narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism). In addition, participants were asked to rate how powerful they would expect to feel if they actually engaged in an array of sexually aggressive behaviors (e.g., “Tying up a person during sexual intercourse against her/his will”) as well as how sexually aroused they would be by each behavior. A multilevel mediation analysis revealed that both narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry were positively associated with subjective arousal in response to sexual aggression and that these associations were mediated by the perceived power that was believed to accompany these sexually aggressive behaviors. These results suggest that perceptions of power may play an important role in the connections that narcissistic personality features have with subjective arousal in response to sexually aggressive behavior for both men and women. This discussion will focus on the implications of these results for understanding the connections between narcissism and sexual aggression in both men and women.

Desire for power mediates associations between narcissism and mate retention behaviors

AbstractThe present research examined whether the associations that narcissistic personality features had with mate retention behaviors were mediated by the desire to have more power in the relationship. Across three studies (N = 497), narcissistic personality features had divergent associations with mate retention behaviors such that the assertive/extraverted and vulnerable/neurotic aspects of narcissism often had positive associations with benefit‐provisioning behaviors, whereas the antagonistic/disagreeable aspect of narcissism had positive associations with cost‐inflicting behaviors that were mediated by the desire for power. Similar patterns emerged for those involved in heterosexual or LGBTQ relationships. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for the role that the desire for power plays in the connections between narcissistic personality features and mate retention behaviors.

Narcissism and Exercise Addiction: The Mediating Roles of Exercise-Related Motives.

The present research examined whether the associations that narcissistic personality features had with exercise addiction were mediated by particular motives for engaging in exercise in a large Israeli community sample (N = 2629). The results revealed that each aspect of narcissism was positively associated with exercise addiction. Narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had similar positive indirect associations with exercise addiction through the interpersonal motive for exercise. However, these aspects of narcissism diverged in their indirect associations with exercise addiction through psychological motives, body-related motives, and fitness motives for exercise such that these indirect associations were positive for narcissistic admiration but negative for narcissistic rivalry. Narcissistic vulnerability had positive indirect associations with exercise addiction through body-related motives and fitness motives that were similar to those observed for narcissistic admiration. These results suggest that exercise-related motives may play important roles in the associations that narcissistic personality features have with exercise addiction. The discussion will focus on the implications of these results for understanding the complex connections between narcissism and exercise addiction.

Narcissism and Motives to Pursue Status Through the Use of Dominance-Based Strategies, Prestige-Based Strategies, and Leadership-Based Strategies

The present research examined the associations that narcissistic personality features had with motives to pursue status through the use of dominance-based strategies, prestige-based strategies, and leadership-based strategies as well as whether these associations were mediated by either dangerous or competitive social worldviews. Across three studies (N = 2082), the assertive/extraverted and antagonistic/disagreeable aspects of narcissism had indirect associations with the motive to use dominance-based strategies through the competitive social worldview. However, the results for the antagonistic/disagreeable aspect of narcissism were more robust than those for the assertive/extraverted aspect of narcissism which were weakened when other aspects of narcissism were included in the same analysis. In contrast, the assertive/extraverted, vulnerable/neurotic, and communal aspects of narcissism were positively associated with the motive to pursue status through the use of prestige-based strategies but social worldviews did not consistently mediate these associations. These results suggest that these aspects of narcissism have divergent associations with motives to pursue status through the use of particular strategies and that the competitive social worldview may play a role in some—but not all—of these associations.

Narcissistic personality features and social trust

Narcissism has been shown to be associated with a lack of trust in others, but little is known about the factors that may play a role in the tendency for narcissistic individuals to mistrust others. The present research examined whether the associations that specific narcissistic personality features had with social trust were mediated by social worldviews. A large study of Iranian community members (N = 3,446; mean age of 34.28 years) revealed that the antagonistic and neurotic aspects of narcissism had negative indirect associations with social trust through the competitive social worldview, whereas the extraverted aspect of narcissism had a positive indirect association with social trust through the competitive social worldview. In addition, the extraverted and neurotic aspects of narcissism had positive indirect associations with social trust through the dangerous social worldview. These results suggest that the extraverted, antagonistic, and neurotic aspects of narcissism diverged in their associations with social trust and that the dangerous and competitive social worldviews played important roles in these associations. Discussion will focus on the implications of these results for understanding the roles that social worldviews play in the connections between narcissism and social trust.

The narcissistic experience of friendship: The roles of agentic and communal orientations toward friendship

Narcissism is associated with a wide array of interpersonal problems. The present studies examined the connections between narcissistic personality features and the experience of friendship. We were interested in the possibility that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism characterized by assertive self-enhancement and self-promotion) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism characterized by self-protection and self-defense) may have divergent associations with various aspects of friendship. Study 1 found that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had divergent associations with maximizing selectivity and negative friendship attributions that were mediated by the agentic and communal orientations toward friendship. Study 2 found that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had divergent associations with friendship commitment that were again mediated by agentic and communal orientations toward friendship. These results demonstrate the similarities and differences between narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry in the context of friendship as well as the important roles that agentic and communal orientations toward friendship play in the connections that narcissistic personality features have with outcomes concerning friendship.

Basic emotional systems and narcissistic personality features: What is the emotional core of narcissism?

It has been argued that basic emotional systems (i.e., PLAYFULNESS, SEEKING, CARING, ANGER, FEAR, and SADNESS) may play a role in shaping the development of personality. The purpose of the present research was to examine whether basic emotional systems were associated with narcissistic personality features. Across two studies (N = 1051), we examined the connections that emotional systems had with the assertive/extraverted, antagonistic/disagreeable, and vulnerable/neurotic aspects of narcissism. The results of these studies revealed that the assertive/extraverted aspect of narcissism was characterized by the presence of ANGER and positive emotions along with the relative absence of FEAR and SADNESS. In contrast, the antagonistic/disagreeable aspect of narcissism was characterized by the presence of ANGER as well as the absence of positive emotions and FEAR, whereas the vulnerable/neurotic aspect of narcissism was characterized by the presence of negative emotions and the relative absence of any positive emotions. ANGER was the only basic emotional system to be consistently associated with each aspect of narcissism which suggests that it may serve as something akin to the emotional core of narcissism. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for our understanding of the emotional experiences of individuals with narcissistic personality features.

Narcissism and job commitment: The mediating role of job-related attitudes

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether job-related attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction) would mediate the associations that narcissistic personality features had with job commitment. We distinguished between two dimensions of grandiose narcissism: narcissistic admiration (i.e., a form of agentic self-enhancement) and narcissistic rivalry (i.e., a form of antagonistic self-protection). Analyses revealed that job satisfaction, job investment, and organizational pride mediated the positive association that narcissistic admiration had with job commitment as well as the negative association that narcissistic rivalry had with job commitment. Discussion addresses the benefits of distinguishing between narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry when considering the connections that narcissism has with job-related attitudes and job commitment.

Clinical and personality profile of depressed suicide attempters: A preliminary study at the open-door policy Mood Disorder Unit of San Raffaele Hospital

Suicidal behavior is a complex phenomenon with high rates among psychiatric inpatients. Mood disorders and personality dysfunctions represent relevant risk factors for suicides attempts and suicidal ideation. Our study aims to investigate the role of the co-occurrence of clinical variables (duration of depressive state, previous suicide attempts), socio-demographic variables (gender, employment and civil status) and narcissistic personality features in the suicide risk of admitted psychiatric patients affected by a mood disorder. The sample was composed of 93 patients consecutively admitted in an open ward psychiatric Unit. Forty-eight participants had a positive history of previous suicide attempts: the suicide attempters (SA) were mostly female, unemployed and married. The SA group were observed to have suffered from a depressive episode with a longer duration; moreover in the SA group, the presence of active suicidal ideation was significantly related to a higher number of previous suicide attempts. In the whole sample, suicidal ideation was significantly related to narcissistic vulnerability personality features. Using a multidimensional approach, the present study allows a preliminary profiling of patients at risk for suicidal behavior during hospitalization.

Leader–follower narcissism and subgroup formation in teams: a conceptual model

PurposeDrawing on existing theory, a model is developed to illustrate how the interaction between leaders and followers similarity in narcissism and goal congruence may influence subgroup formation in teams, and how this interaction influences team identification and team performance.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model draws on dominance complementary, similarity attraction, faultline formation and trait activation theories.FindingsLeader–follower similarity in narcissism and goal congruence may stimulate subgroup formation, possibly resulting in conformers, conspirators, outsiders and victims, especially when performance pressure on a team is high. Followers who are low in narcissism and share goals with a leader who is narcissistic are likely to become conformers. Followers who are high in narcissism and share goals with a narcissistic leader are likely to become confederates. Followers who do not share goals with a narcissistic leader will be treated by the leader and other members as outsiders if they are high in narcissism, and victimized if they are low in narcissism. In addition, the emergence of these subgroups leads to reduced team identification and lower team performance.Practical implicationsHigher level managers, coaches and human resource professions can assess and, if necessary, counteract low team identification and performance resulting from the narcissistic personality characteristics of leaders and followers.Originality/valueThe model addresses how and under what conditions narcissistic leaders and followers may influence subgroup formation and team outcomes.

How do narcissists get what they want from their romantic partners? The connections that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry have with influence strategies

Narcissism is often associated with interpersonal difficulties. The purpose of the present studies was to examine the connections between narcissistic personality features and the strategies that individuals use to influence their romantic partners. More specifically, we were interested in the possibility that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism) may have divergent associations with influence strategies. Study 1 examined basic associations that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had with the use of influence strategies in a sample of 351 undergraduates. Study 2 sought to replicate the results of Study 1 in a more diverse sample of 302 community members. Study 3 examined the associations that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had with influence strategies for both members of 77 romantic dyads. The results of these studies indicate that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry often had similar positive associations with manipulation, whereas narcissistic rivalry also had positive associations with supplication, bullying, autocracy, and disengagement as well as a negative association with bargaining. Discussion will focus on the implications of these results for understanding the connections that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry have with romantic relationship functioning.