Handbook of Trait Narcissism (eBook)

Dr. Anthony D. Hermann is a Professor of Psychology at Bradley University in Peoria IL. Professor Hermann received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology at The Ohio State University and has also held faculty positions at Kalamazoo College and Willamette University. He has published papers on the intersection of self-evaluation and social behavior for nearly twenty years. His current research focuses on better understanding the motivations that underlie grandiose narcissists’ spiritual, cognitive, and interpersonal behavior. He has received national recognition for his commitment to mentoring undergraduate research and relishes any opportunity has to bask in the reflected glory of his current and former students. Dr. Amy B. Brunell is an Associate Professor at The Ohio State University, Mansfield. She received her M.A. in psychology from the College of William and Mary and her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 2007. She teaches courses in social psychology, personality, the self, and interpersonal relationships. Her research concerns the role of narcissism in social contexts, such as emergent leadership, decision making, academic cheating, as well as romantic relationship behaviors. She has published papers in academic journals such as Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, and the Journal of Research in Personality. She serves on the editorial board of Assessment. She prides herself in conducting and evaluating research with her undergraduate students to help them prepare for graduate school and beyond. Dr. Joshua D. Foster, a Washington, D.C. native, earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Georgia in 2005. Since then, he has been a member of the Behavior and Brain Sciences faculty (Psychology Department) at the University of South Alabama where he was awarded tenure in 2011 and promoted to rank of Full Professor in 2017. Dr. Foster’s principal areas of research are personality and individual differences, psychometrics, and latent variable modeling. He has published more than 50 papers that have been cited more than 6,000 times in the literature. His work has also been featured in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, and The Huffington Post. Dr. Foster has mentored numerous students in his laboratory who have gone on to graduate programs, including University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Columbia University, Colorado State University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Penn State University. When not working, he enjoys watching television, playing video games, thinking about exercising, and hanging out with his family. His wife, Dr. M. Hope Jackson, is a practicing clinical psychologist who specializes in treating anxiety, mood, and eating disorders. Together, they have two boys, Mathew and Colin, who specialize in being silly.

Preface 5
Contents 7
Contributors 11
About the Editors 16
Part I: Definitional and Theoretical Perspectives on Narcissism 18
1: Distinguishing Between Grandiose Narcissism, Vulnerable Narcissism, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder 19
Trait-Based Understanding of Narcissism 20
NPD 22
Grandiose Narcissism 23
Vulnerable Narcissism 23
Similarity of FFM Facet Level Correlations Across the Three Variants 23
Comparing Grandiose Narcissism, Vulnerable Narcissism, and NPD: A Summary 23
State-Based Understanding of Narcissism 25
Narcissism and DSM-5 25
Future Directions 27
References 27
2: The Narcissism Spectrum Model: A Spectrum Perspective on Narcissistic Personality 30
The Narcissism Spectrum Model 31
Narcissistic Satisfaction Seeking: Grandiosity as Boldness 32
Narcissistic Frustration and Conflict: Vulnerability as Reactivity 34
Future Directions 36
Conclusion 37
References 37
3: Perceived Control Theory of Narcissism 41
Perceived Control Theory of Narcissism 43
Evidence Supporting the Key Role of Perceived Control 44
Implications of the Perceived Control Theory of Narcissism 45
Conclusion 47
References 47
4: The Distinctiveness Model of the Narcissistic Subtypes (DMNS): What Binds and Differentiates Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism 50
Self-esteem Models of Narcissism 51
The Narcissism Subtypes: Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism 51
Trait Models of Narcissism 52
Distinctiveness Model of Narcissism 52
Regulatory Focus in Narcissists’ Distinctiveness 53
Evidence for the DMNS 53
Theoretical and Practical Implications 55
Summary 56
References 57
5: What Separates Narcissism from Self-esteem? A Social-Cognitive Perspective 60
Conventional Wisdom 61
A Social-Cognitive Perspective 61
Beliefs About the Self 62
Beliefs About Others 62
Beliefs About Relationships 63
Research Priorities 63
Origins 64
Stability 64
Malleability 65
Conclusion 65
References 65
6: The Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept 69
Previous Findings: Grandiose Narcissism as a Heterogeneous Trait with Complex Dynamics and Consequences 70
The Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept (NARC): Disentangling and Understanding Agentic and Antagonistic Aspects of Grandiose Narcissism 71
Empirical Evidence for the Validity of the NARC 73
Future Directions: Toward a More Dynamic and Person-Centered Understanding of Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry 74
Conclusions 76
References 77
7: Communal Narcissism: Theoretical and Empirical Support 80
Theoretical Support for Communal Narcissism 81
Empirical Support for Communal Narcissism 82
Criterion #1: Positive, But Non-perfect, Relation with Agentic/NPI Narcissism 82
Criterion #2: Communal Self-enhancement 83
Criterion #3: Grandiose Self-evaluations at the Global Level 83
Criterion #4: Psychological Adjustment 84
Criterion #5: Distinctiveness from the Communion Facet of Vulnerable Narcissism 84
Criterion #6: Distinctiveness from Communal Self-perceptions 85
Conclusion 85
References 86
8: Collective Narcissism: Antecedents and Consequences of Exaggeration of the In-Group Image 89
Collective Narcissism Vs. Nationalism 90
Previous Studies: Collective Narcissism, Hypersensitivity to Intergroup Threat and Retaliatory Intergroup Hostility 91
New Developments: Collective Narcissism and Weaknesses of the Self 93
Collective Narcissism Vs. In-Group Satisfaction 93
Future Directions 94
References 96
9: The Psychodynamic Mask Model of Narcissism: Where Is It Now? 99
The Discrepant Self-Esteem Hypothesis 100
The Unstable Self-Esteem Hypothesis 101
The Contingent Self-Esteem Hypothesis 102
Summary and Conclusions 103
References 104
10: Distinguishing Between Adaptive and Maladaptive Narcissism 106
Introduction 106
Distinction Reflected in the Research Tradition 107
Distinction Reflected in the Measure of Narcissism 107
Distinction Reflected in Personality Nomologic Networks 108
Distinction Reflected in Associations with Intrapersonal Adaptions 108
Distinction Reflected in Associations with Interpersonal Adaptions 108
Distinction Reflected in Associations with Problem Behaviors 109
Distinction Reflected in Developmental Trajectories 109
Distinction Reflected in Genetic and Environmental Bases 110
Conclusions, Implications, and Future Directions 110
References 111
11: State Narcissism 114
Recent Advances 115
Differentiating Trait and State Narcissism 117
Future Directions 117
References 119
Part II: Assessment of Narcissism 121
12: The Many Measures of Grandiose Narcissism 122
The Narcissistic Personality Inventory 123
Measures that Capture GN Exclusively 124
Grandiose Narcissism and Narcissistic Grandiosity Scales 124
Single-Item Narcissism Scale 124
Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire 125
Measures That Capture GN in Addition to Other Traits 125
Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory 125
Comparison of the FFNI, NARQ, GNS, and NPI 126
The Dirty Dozen Inventory and Short Dark Triad Scale 126
Special Interest Measures of GN 127
Recommendations for Measuring GN 127
Conclusion 128
References 128
13: Psychometric Properties of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory 131
Dimensionality of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory 132
Reliability and Validity Evidence for the NPI Total Score 133
Reliability and Validity Evidence for the NPI Subscales 133
Implications of Response Format for Dimensionality, Reliability, and Validity 135
Conclusions and Future Directions 136
References 136
14: Using Homogenous Scales to Understand Narcissism: Grandiosity, Entitlement, and Exploitativeness 138
Interpersonal Exploitativeness 140
Recent Advances 141
Current Directions 142
Conclusion 143
References 143
Part III: Causes and Development of Narcissism 145
15: Parents’ Socialization of Narcissism in Children 146
Childhood Narcissism 146
Origins of Narcissism 147
Going Forward 149
Coda 150
References 150
16: The Etiology of Narcissism: A Review of Behavioral Genetic Studies 152
Introduction 152
The Methodology of Behavioral Genetics 153
The Etiology of NPD 153
The Etiology of Narcissism in the Normal Population 153
The Etiology of the Stability of Narcissism 155
The Etiology of the Relationship Between Narcissism and Other Personality Traits 155
The Etiology of the Relationship Between Narcissism and Behavior Tendencies 156
Summary, Implications, and Future Directions 156
References 157
17: Narcissism and the Economic Environment 160
Future Research 164
References 164
18: Narcissism as a Life Span Construct: Describing Fluctuations Using New Approaches 167
Longitudinal Studies of Narcissism 168
Narcissism Development from an Invest-and-Accrue Approach 169
Narcissism Development from a Sociogenomic Trait Perspective 170
Future Directions 171
References 172
19: Did Narcissism Evolve? 175
Purpose Statement 176
Evidence Needed to Support an Evolutionary Theory of Narcissism 176
Heritability and Genes Associated with Narcissism 176
A Mating Pathway by Which Narcissism Could Have Evolved 177
Evaluation of the Theory that Narcissism Evolved 178
Future Directions 179
Summary and Conclusions 180
References 180
20: Generational Differences in Narcissism and Narcissistic Traits 184
Generational Differences in Narcissism 185
Rising Individualism or “Generation Me” 186
Developmental Me vs. Generational Me 187
Generation We vs. Generation Me 188
Implications 188
Summary 188
References 190
Part IV: Intrapersonal Processes and Narcissism 193
21: Narcissism and Dark Personality Traits 194
Narcissism and Its Dark Triad Correlates 194
Dark Triad Measures 195
Separate Measures of the Dark Triad 195
Joint Measures of the Dark Triad 196
Non-Dark Triad Correlates 196
Sadism 196
Spite 197
Greed 197
Interim Summary 197
Current Research 197
Future Directions 199
Expanding Assessment and Validity 199
Narcissism: A Leviathan Caught in Dark Personality’s Nomological Net? 199
References 200
22: Narcissism and the Big Five/HEXACO Models of Personality 203
Narcissism and the Big Five/HEXACO Models of Personality 203
Conceptualizations of Narcissism 203
Conceptualizations of Personality 204
Narcissism and the FFM (NEO-PI-R) 204
Narcissism and the Big Five (BFI) 205
Narcissism and HEXACO (HEXACO-PI-R) 206
What Do Personality Underpinnings Tell Us? 207
Conclusions and Future Directions 208
References 208
23: Physiological Reactivity and Neural Correlates of Trait Narcissism 211
Physiological Reactivity in Trait Narcissism 213
Functional and Structural Brain Differences 215
Future Directions 217
References 218
24: Narcissism and Memory 222
Memory for Evaluative Feedback and Positive Expectations 222
Memory Enhancement for the Positive-Agentic Self 223
Distortion, Diminishment, or Enhancement of Negative Self-Relevant Information 225
Early Information Processing: Attention Biases 226
Conclusions and Additional Future Directions 227
References 227
25: Narcissism and Involvement in Risk-Taking Behaviors 229
Narcissism and Risk-Taking Behaviors 230
Why Do Narcissists Take Risks? 232
Narcissism and Risky Decision-Making 233
Future Directions 234
References 235
26: How Do Narcissists Really Feel About Themselves? The Complex Connections Between Narcissism and Self-Esteem 239
Connections Between Narcissism and Self-Esteem: Content of Self-Views 240
Conceptualizations of Self-Esteem and Narcissism 241
Implicit Self-Esteem and the Psychodynamic Mask Model of Narcissism 241
Self-Esteem Instability and Reactivity to Daily Events 243
Conceptualization of Narcissism and Self-Esteem Instability 243
Potential Evolutionary Origins of Narcissism and Self-Esteem 244
Conclusion 246
References 246
27: How Does It Feel to Be a Narcissist? Narcissism and Emotions 250
General Emotionality and Subjective Well-Being 251
Pride and Shame 252
Envy and Anger 252
Emotion Regulation 253
Future Directions 255
References 256
28: Understanding the Narcissistic Need for Perfection: The Most Dazzling, Perfect, and Comprehensive Review Ever 259
Introduction 260
Defining Perfectionism 260
Defining Narcissism 261
Understanding the Narcissism-Perfectionism Link 262
Narcissistic Perfectionism 263
Armand Hammer’s Narcissistic Perfectionism 264
Outstanding Questions and Future Directions 265
Concluding Remarks 265
References 266
29: What Do Narcissists Know About Themselves? Exploring the Bright Spots and Blind Spots of Narcissists’ Self-Knowledge 269
What Is Narcissism? 269
What Do Narcissists Know About Themselves? 270
Are Narcissists’ Self-Perceptions Accurate? 270
Do Narcissists Know How Other People Perceive Them? 271
Barriers to Self-Knowledge 273
Summary and Implications 273
References 274
30: Narcissists’ Perceptions of Narcissistic Behavior 277
Narcissists’ Awareness of Their Narcissism, Attitudes Toward Narcissistic Traits, and Perceived Control over and Utility of Narcissistic Action 278
Do Narcissists Identify a Silver Lining in Others’ Narcissism? 280
Future Research 281
Conclusion 282
References 282
31: Narcissistic Consumption 285
Consumer Goods: Luxury Versus Mundane 286
Do Narcissists Prefer Luxury Products over Mundane Products? 286
Why Would Narcissists Prefer Luxury Products? 287
Positive Distinctiveness 287
Materialism 287
Meaning 288
Sexual Signaling 289
Lingering Issues 289
In Conclusion 290
References 290
32: The Narcissistic Pursuit of Status 293
Status and Affiliation 294
The Desire for Status 295
The Pursuit of Status 296
Conclusion 297
References 298
Part V: Interpersonal Processes and Narcissism 301
33: Early Impressions of Grandiose Narcissists: A Dual-Pathway Perspective 302
Previous Findings: A Mixed Blessing 303
Making Sense of the Impressions Narcissists Make: A Dual-Pathway Model 304
Two Behavioral Pathways to Popularity: Distinct Behavioral Expression, Impression Formation, and Evaluation Processes 304
Effects of the Social Context 305
Acquaintance Effects 306
Effects of Dimensions of Grandiose Narcissism 307
Future Directions: Further Applications of the Dual-Pathway Model Across Samples, Contexts, and Designs 307
References 308
34: Narcissism and Romantic Relationships 310
Introduction 310
The (More or Less) Positive Side of Narcissism and Romantic Relationships 311
The Negative Side of Narcissism and Romantic Relationships 312
Recommendations for Research on Narcissism and Romantic Relationships 314
References 316
35: Narcissistic Qualities and Infidelity 320
Narcissism 321
The Importance of Domain-Specific Measurements of Personality: Sexual Narcissism 322
Moving Forward 322
Conclusion 324
References 324
36: Understanding and Mitigating Narcissists’ Low Empathy 327
Narcissism and Empathy 328
Consequences of Narcissists’ Low Empathy 328
Narcissists Can Be Empathic 330
Potential for Intervention 330
What’s Next? 332
Coda 332
References 333
37: Narcissism and Friendships 336
Current State of Research 337
Friendship Formation 337
Friendship Maintenance 338
Friendship Dissolution 339
Who Is Willing to Be Friends with Narcissists? 340
A Framework for Future Research 340
Dynamic Phases of Friendships with Narcissists 342
Summary and Outlook 343
References 343
38: New Directions in Narcissistic Aggression: The Role of the Self-concept on Group-Based Aggression 346
Individual Differences in Aggression: Interpersonal Consequences 347
Group-Based Conflict, Is Narcissism Relevant? 349
Summary and Conclusions 351
References 352
39: Narcissism’s Relationship with Envy: It’s Complicated 354
Envy: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Research 354
Envy and Narcissism 355
Conclusions and Future Research on Narcissism and Envy 357
Summary of Key Developments in Narcissism and Envy Research 358
References 360
40: Narcissism and Prosocial Behavior 362
Summary of Key Advancements: What Do We Know? 363
Formal Prosocial Behaviors 363
Volunteering for Nonprofit Organizations 363
Charitable Donations 364
Organizational Citizenship Behaviors 364
Discrepancies Between Self-Reported and Observer-Reported Prosocial Behavior 365
Informal Prosocial Behaviors 365
Situational Factors Affect the Link Between Narcissism and Prosocial Behavior 365
Different Types of Narcissism 366
Communal Narcissism 366
Vulnerable/Covert Narcissism 366
Summary 367
Future Directions 367
References 368
41: Grandiose Narcissism and Religiosity 370
Narcissism and Religious Identity, Motivation, and Orientation 371
Narcissism and Religious Practices 373
Conclusions and Future Directions 374
References 376
42: Narcissism and Spirituality: Intersections of Self, Superiority, and the Search for the Sacred 379
Religious and Spiritual Struggle 380
Narcissism, Entitlement, and Religious/Spiritual Struggles 381
Domain-Specific Manifestations of Narcissism and Entitlement 382
Summary and Implications 383
Conclusion 384
References 384
43: Narcissism and Leadership: A Perfect Match? 388
Leader Emergence 389
Leadership Effectiveness 390
Future Directions 392
Concluding Thoughts 393
References 393
44: Narcissistic Followership 397
Future Research Directions 399
Conclusion 401
References 401
45: Trait Narcissism and Social Networks 403
Overview of Social Network Analysis 404
Narcissism in Sociocentric Networks 406
Narcissism in Egocentric Networks 407
Narcissism in Online Social Networks 407
Conclusions 408
References 409
Part VI: Applied Issues in Narcissism Research 411
46: Momentarily Quieting the Ego: Short-Term Strategies for Reducing Grandiose Narcissism 412
Key Advances 414
Future Directions 416
Additional Considerations 417
Conclusion 417
References 418
47: Social Media: Platform or Catalyst for Narcissism? 421
Social Media as Opportunity: Narcissistic Grandiosity and Exhibitionism 422
Social Media as Catalyst to Higher Narcissism 423
Future Directions 425
References 426
48: Theoretical Perspectives on Narcissism and Social Media: The Big (and Beautiful) Picture 428
History and Findings 429
Research Headwaters 429
Overview of Social Media Findings 429
Current Models of Narcissism and Social Media 431
Expanded Trait Model 431
Narcissistic Lens Model 432
Social Media as Self-Regulation Model 432
Social Network Models 433
Cultural Models: Narcissism Epidemic and Great Fantasy Migration 434
Limitations and Future Directions 434
Final Thoughts 435
References 435
49: Narcissism and Bullying 439
Narcissism and School Bullying: Direct Associations 440
Narcissism in Relation to Victimization and Bully-Victim Groups 441
Associations with Different Forms of Bullying 441
Self-Esteem and Narcissism in Relation to Bullying and Victimization 442
Conclusions and Future Directions 443
References 444
50: Interpersonal Functioning of Narcissistic Individuals and Implications for Treatment Engagement 447
Recent Developments Regarding Interpersonal Aspects of Narcissism 448
Reasons That Narcissistic Individuals Engage in Treatment Often Involve Interpersonal Factors 448
Models of Treatment Engagement and Interpersonal Factors 449
Review of Findings Related to Narcissism and Therapy Engagement 450
Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism 450
Interpersonal Dysfunction May Help to Explain Why Narcissism Is Related to Low Engagement 451
Limitations in the Current Literature and Future Directions 452
References 453
51: The Treatment of Trait and Narcissistic Personality Disturbances 455
Review of Past Literature 456
Review of Current Literature 457
Specific Approaches to Treatment and Psychotherapy of Personality Dysfunction 458
Treating Personality and Personality Disorders Using and Integrated and Unified Framework 459
Couples Therapy for Narcissistic Personality Dysfunction 459
Family Therapy for Narcissistic Personality Dysfunction 459
The Bi-directionality Between Individual Personality and Family System 460
Principles of Treatment 460
Future Directions 460
References 461
Index 464