Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Grandiose narcissim'

Dans les métiers de l'investissement financier, le risque est un outil de travail quotidien et reconnu. Tout individu est ainsi amené à déterminer quels risques valent la peine d'être pris, ou quelle perte vaut la peine d'être risquée. Plus le risque pris est important, plus grands seront les bénéfices - ou pertes - encourus. Ces caractéristiques, le monde de l'investissement financier les partage avec les sports à hauts risques, ou sports extrêmes. Malgré cette similitude, la littérature scientifique issue de chacun des ces domaines adopte une perspective qui lui est propre afin d'expliquer le risque et la prise de risques. Alors que la recherche en finance s'attarde avant tout à la quantification des risques, la littérature sportive s'intéresse davantage à la personnalité des pratiquants de sports extrêmes, répondant donc aux questions : Qui prend des risques ? Pourquoi ? De récentes études ont avancé que les traits de personnalité du narcissisme et de l'alexithymie contribuent significativement à expliquer la tendance à la prise de risques dans le sport. Par le biais de six études successives et complémentaires, ce travail de thèse a pour objectif d'élargir ces résultats par la mise en évidence des relations entre les traits narcissiques et alexithymiques, et la prise de risques financiers

Narcissism is a truly Janusian phenomenon, consisting of both narcissistic grandiosity, exhibitionism, admiration-seeking, boldness, and dominance on the one hand, and narcissistic vulnerability, introversion, withdrawal, hypersensitivity, and anxiety on the other hand. While there is broad consensus that these two seemingly contradictory faces of narcissism can be empirically discerned and have different implications for psychological functioning and mental health, there is not yet agreement on whether grandiose and vulnerable narcissism should be regarded as independent traits or as two manifestations of one personality trait. Previous research indicates that both views hold true when the level of grandiosity is considered a moderating factor: while grandiose and vulnerable narcissism are largely unrelated in the range of normal personality variation, they are correlated in the range of high grandiosity (Jauk et al., 2017b). Here, we replicate and extend this work in an independent sample (N = 891) using a more comprehensive narcissism inventory grounded in a new trifurcated model of narcissism. The trifurcated model partitions narcissism into three main personality dimensions: agentic extraversion, antagonism, and neuroticism. We found a significant breakpoint in the association between narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability at 75% cumulative frequency of grandiosity. While grandiosity and vulnerability are unrelated below this breakpoint (r = 0.02), they are strongly correlated above (r = 0.45). In the lower range of grandiose narcissism, grandiosity draws more upon agentic extraversion and is largely associated with mental health. In the upper range, however, grandiosity is more strongly linked to antagonism and is substantially associated with fear, negative affect, and depression. These findings provide evidence for the view that grandiose and vulnerable narcissism are distinct traits at lower levels of grandiosity, but blend into an antagonistic core with signs of psychological maladjustment at higher levels. Implications for research on narcissism as a personality trait, as well as clinical practice, are discussed.

This study examines the relationship between online self-disclosure, grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, Facebook use and frequency of status updates in existing self-report measures among 381 college students. Positive correlations were found between: vulnerable narcissism and Facebook status updates, and Facebook use and online self-disclosure. Following the equalization of the two different narcissism scales, college students scored higher on grandiose narcissism as opposed to vulnerable narcissism, the opposite to what was hypothesized. No correlations were found between: grandiose narcissism and Facebook status updates; grandiose narcissism and self-disclosure; and vulnerable narcissism and self-disclosure. Additionally, college women did not score higher in self-disclosure than men on Facebook. Through additional testing a correlation between vulnerable narcissism and Facebook use was also found. Results were negatively affected by the established grandiose narcissism scale failing reliability testing, thus, in the future, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) should be used. High religiosity is also known to positively correlate to positive mental health, therefore, in the future using less religiously orientated college students might yield different narcissism level results.

Instagram is a popular photo sharing application that enables users to present images, with the opportunity to strategically present themselves. This study examined the effects of personality traits on the congruency of individual’s self-presentation on Instagram. Congruency of self-presentation is encouraged for positive effects on psychological well-being. The influence of exhibitionism, drive, social desirability, conformity, appreciation of beauty, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism were examined. 175 Instagram users, including both students and community members completed the anonymous online survey. The sample was predominantly female however, gender was found to have no effect on variables. Results of the regression analysis indicated that grandiose narcissism was a significant predictor of congruent self-presentation, whereas vulnerable narcissism and appreciation of beauty were significant predictors of decreased congruency. Results indicated exhibitionism, drive, conformity and social desirability did not influence self-presentation. Furthermore, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism were not significant moderators of the relationship between predictors and self-presentation. Content-based frequencies indicated a high percentage of users post to show and share images with an audience. Limitations of the study include self-report measures and cross-sectional design. Implications include identifying an alternative influence of artistic traits of Instagram users, and challenging the negative stereotyping of young Millennials and Instagram

This study aimed to explore the contextual reasons and the underlying factors of the inconsistent relations between individual narcissistic constructs, vulnerable and grandiose narcissism, and collective narcissism – the belief that one’s group is particularly special but was not sufficiently recognised by other groups (Golec de Zavala et al.,2019). Specifically, in this study we investigated whether perceived social status moderates the relation between vulnerable- and grandiose narcissism and collective narcissism. Additionally, we explored possible underlying factors such as the contingencies of self-worth dimensions competition and need for approval from others but also possible cognitive factors such as intuitive cognition and need for closure. The measures of interest were completed by Austrian citizens (N=217). Contrary to the expected, perceived social status did not moderate the relationship between vulnerable- and grandiose narcissism to collective narcissism. The investigation of underlying factors revealed that the need for competition acted as underlying mechanism between vulnerable- and grandiose narcissism and collective narcissism. However, no mediating links were found for the factors approval from others, need for closure and intuitive cognition. We concluded that the narcissists endorsement of collective narcissism was not a form of ego protection through needing closure on a group level, nor was it caused by intuitive information processing, nor was it a way to find approval for their easily threatened selves. Instead, results seem to suggest that collective narcissism may be a narcissistic tool to enhance the competitive selves of both, vulnerable- and grandiose narcissists.
Este estudo tece por objectivo explorar factores socio psicológicos subjacentes às relações inconsistentes entre, narcissimos vulnerável e grandiose e, narcisismo colectivo – ao crença de que o endogrupo é particularmente especial, ainda que não seja reconhecido por outros grupos (Golec de Zavala et al., 2019). Especificamente, o primero objectivo foi explorar se o estatuto social percebido medera a relação entre os narcisismos vulnerável e grandioso e o narcisismo coletivo. Adicionalmente, explorou se ainda eventuais fatores mediadores desta relação, tais como as contingências da auto-estima (competição e necessidade da validação de outros), e fatores cognitivos, como a cognição intuitiva e a necessidade de “fechamento” cognitivo. As medidas de interesse foram completadas através de um questionário online por cidadãos austríacos (N=217). Contrarimente ao esperado, o estatuto social percebido não moderou a relação entre narcisismo vulnerável e grandioso e, narcisismo coletivo. A necessidade de aprovação dos outros, a necessidade de encerramento e a cognição intuitiva não mediaram a relação entre narcisismo vulnerável/grandioso e o narcisismo colectivo. Concluiu-se que a aceitação por parte dos narcisistas do narcisismo coletivo (i) não é uma forma de proteção do ego através de uma necessidade de fechamento ao nível de um grupo, (ii) não é causada por um processamento intuitivo da informação, (iii) nem é uma maneira de ter aprovação para um self facilmente ameaçável. Pelo contrário, os resultados parecem sugerir que o narcisismo coletivo pode ser uma ferramenta narcísica para acentuar um self competitivo tanto dos narcisistas vulneráveis como dos grandiosos.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
We are often required to deal with the potentially destructive effects of difficult people, particularly in the workplace, where narcissistic traits are commonly used to describe difficult employees (Kemelgor, Sussman, Kline, & Zurada, 2007). Consequently, a better understanding of narcissism may improve strategies for the identification and management of difficult people. In particular, although clinical and empirical literature on narcissism increasingly distinguishes between an arrogant and grandiose expression and a shy and vulnerable expression (Cain, Pincus, & Ansell, 2008), there is emerging evidence for an aggressive and antisocial expression of narcissism (Houlcroft, Bore, & Munro, 2012; Ronningstam, 2005; Russ, Shedler, Bradley, & Westen, 2008). This thesis explored the cogency of differentiating between three expressions of narcissism, through four studies that aimed to develop a reliable and valid measure of the three expressions of narcissism. The psychometric properties of the Arrogant-Shy-Psychopathic Narcissism (ASP-N) scale indicated that, beyond shared relationships with central constructs such as entitlement and antagonism, three subscales produced divergent nomological networks. Specifically, the Arrogant Narcissism subscale was associated with excessive assertiveness and immodesty, the Shy Narcissism subscale was associated with neuroticism and distress, and the Psychopathic Narcissism subscale was associated with aggression and antisocial tendencies. Evidence of different defensive responses to negative performance feedback on an alleged intelligence test further supported the distinctiveness of the three expressions of narcissism. Additionally, the identification of differences according to one’s position in an organisational hierarchy demonstrated the utility of distinguishing between the three expressions of narcissism. In providing evidence for the validity and reliability of the ASP-N scale, as well as support for recognition of the aggressive and antisocial expression of narcissism, this thesis highlighted the importance of incorporating the range of narcissistic functioning in an expanded understanding of the construct. A conceptualisation that captures this diversity has specific implications for the accurate identification and effective management of narcissism, which may promote more meaningful engagements that not only assist narcissistic individuals but those around them. It is expected that the ASP-N scale will be useful in future research examining the expressions of narcissism, and will contribute to the ongoing conceptual development of the construct.

Theorists and researchers studying narcissism have increasingly argued that significant variability exists in its clinical presentation, with converging evidence suggesting distinct grandiose and vulnerable types. The present study investigated implicit self-esteem, explicit self-esteem, and shame in analogue populations of grandiose narcissists, vulnerable narcissists, and non-narcissistic controls. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) was administered to a large college student population (n = 2,790), from which a final sample of grandiose types (n = 51), vulnerable types (n = 51), and controls ( n = 53) were identified and recruited for the core study. Participants completed several measures of self-reported (explicit) self-esteem and shame, and completed two versions of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to measure implicit self-esteem. Grandiose types reported more overall explicit self-esteem, more self-liking and self-competence, and more actual/ideal self congruency than vulnerable types. Grandiose types reported less shame than vulnerable types. Grandiose types and controls did not differ on any of the explicit self-esteem measures or on shame. There were no significant differences between groups on the IAT. Results further substantiate the existence of the vulnerable narcissistic type, but do not provide evidence for the existence of a fragile core in the personality of the grandiose narcissist. The lack of group differences on the IAT raises questions about the efficacy of the IAT as a valid measure of implicit self-esteem. In addition, caveats regarding the use and interpretation of explicit self-esteem measures are discussed.

Głównym tematem projektu są dociekania związane z regulacją gniewu w narcyzmie wrażliwym i wielkościowym. W pracy opisano badania korelacyjne, podłużne i eksperymentalne analizujące rolę neurotyczności w związkach narcyzmu z gniewem rozumianym zarówno jako cecha osobowości, jak i jako stan. Pytania badawcze i hipotezy oparte zostały na niedawnych badaniach wskazujących na różnice między osobami z wysokim narcyzmem wielkościowym i wysokim narcyzmem wrażliwym w zakresie doświadczeń emocjonalnych i struktury osobowości. Badanie 1 i 2 wykazało odmienne relacje obu narcyzmów z gniewem i neurotycznością. Okazało się, że narcyzm wrażliwy był pozytywnie związany z cechą gniewu i neurotycznością. Co więcej, związek narcyzmu wrażliwego z gniewem był mediowany przez poziom neurotyczności. Narcyzm wielkościowy korelował ujemnie z neurotycznością oraz był słabo dodatnio, lub nieistotnie, związany z cechą gniewu. Ponadto neurotyczność okazała się być supresorem związku narcyzmu wielkościowego z gniewem, tj. przy kontroli neurotyczności związek między narcyzmem wielkościowym i gniewem wzrastał. Postawiono hipotezę, że wysoka neurotyczność napędza gniew w narcyzmie wrażliwym, podczas gdy w narcyzmie wielkościowym niska neurotyczność zapobiega nasileniu gniewu. W badaniu 3 dokonano replikacji powyższych efektów na próbie adolescentów. Badanie 4 i 5 analizowało powiązania dwóch rodzajów narcyzmu z gniewem rozumianym jako stan mierzony jednokrotnie (badanie 4), jak i dwukrotnie w dłuższym odstępie czasu (badanie 5). Wyniki ujawniły, że narcyzm wrażliwy zachowywał niezależny od neurotyczności związek ze stanem gniewu, co może oznaczać, że neurotyczność pełni odmienną rolę w relacji narcyzmu wrażliwego ze stanem gniewu i cechą gniewu. Badanie 6 i 7 przeprowadzono w schematach eksperymentalnych: indukcji gniewu i zagrożenia ego. Badania eksperymentalne nie wykazały istotnej interakcji żadnej cechy narcystycznej z warunkiem eksperymentalnym. Narcyzm wrażliwy przewidywał negatywne reakcje emocjonalne, jednak nie wiązał się ze specyficzną reakcją w sytuacji indukcji gniewu ani zagrożenia ego. Przeprowadzone badania wykazały zasadność rozróżnienia dwóch rodzajów narcyzmu w kontekście gniewu i neurotyczności. Narcyzm wrażliwy okazał się silnie związany z gniewem ujmowanym zarówno jako cecha, jak i jako stan. Dodatkowo, cecha gniewu jest prawdopodobnie napędzana neurotycznym lękiem w narcyzmie wrażliwym. Narcyzm wielkościowy był słabiej powiązany z gniewem oraz korelował z niską neurotycznością.
The main aim of this project was the investigation of anger regulation in grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. The project included correlational, longitudinal and experimental studies analyzing the role of neuroticism in narcissisms’ relationships with trait and state anger. Research questions and hypotheses were drawn from recent reports highlighting differences between vulnerable and grandiose narcissism in terms of emotional functioning and personality structure. Studies 1 and 2 differentiated the two narcissism traits in their association with trait anger and neuroticism. Vulnerable narcissism was positively associated with trait anger and neuroticism. Moreover, the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and anger was mediated by the level of neuroticism. Grandiose narcissism correlated negatively with neuroticism and was weakly positively linked to trait anger. In addition, neuroticism acted as a suppressor in the relationship of grandiose narcissism and anger, i.e. grandiose narcissism’s relation with anger increased upon inclusion of neuroticism. Thus, it was hypothesized that high neuroticism fuels trait anger in vulnerable narcissism, while in grandiose narcissism it inhibits it. Study 3 replicated the above effects in the adolescent sample. Further studies analyzed the relationship between the two types of narcissism with state anger measured once (study 4), or twice in the time interval of one week (study 5). The results revealed that vulnerable narcissism maintained independence from neuroticism when explaining state anger, which indicates that neuroticism behaves differently in models linking vulnerable narcissism with anger as a state and anger as a trait. Studies 6 and 7 were conducted in two experimental schemes: anger induction and ego-threat. Experimental studies,did not show any interaction effects of the narcissistic traits with experimental conditions. Vulnerable narcissism was a significant predictor of negative emotional reactions, however, it was not associated with any specific reactions in the experimental conditions of anger induction or ego-threat. The conducted studies further confirmed the distinction between two types of narcissism in the context of anger and neuroticism. Vulnerable narcissism turned out to be strongly connected with anger as a trait, as well as a state. Additionally, trait anger in vulnerable narcissism is probably driven by neurotic fear. Grandiose narcissism showed weaker (or null) relation to anger, which might be partly caused by low neuroticism.

W literaturze światowej z końca XX w. przyjęło się spostrzeżenie, że żyjemy w kulturze narcystycznej: skoncentrowanej na powierzchowności i nieuznającej niepowodzeń. Oznacza to, że narcyzm traktuje się obecnie jako zjawisko społeczne, a jego przejawy można odnaleźć u osób znacząco różniących się sposobem funkcjonowania. W niniejszej pracy podjęto próbę zbadania powiązań między narcyzmem, obrazem ciała, połączeniem z ciałem i aleksytymią. Szczególnie istotny w kontekście problematyki pracy jest aspekt rozróżnienia dwóch typów narcyzmu: wielkościowego i nadwrażliwego. Z dotychczasowym badań wynika, że narcyzm (typ wielkościowy) może mieć wpływ na obraz ciała, zniekształcając go w stronę nadmiernie pozytywną. W literaturze brakuje natomiast doniesień, w jaki sposób osoby o nadwrażliwym typie narcyzmu postrzegają swoją cielesność. Zakres tematyczny pracy obejmuje także kontekst regulacji emocji jako zagadnienia ściśle związanego z odczuwaniem ciała. Zapleczem teoretycznym pracy jest podejście psychodynamiczne, akcentujące znaczenie wczesnodziecięcych relacji z opiekunem dla rozwoju cech osobowości i struktury psychicznej osoby. W badaniu wzięły udział 704 osoby w wieku 18-35 lat. Badani byli pozyskiwani metodą kuli śniegowej. Dane demograficzne osób badanych zbierane były za pomocą Metryczki, natomiast do badania zmiennych posłużyły kwestionariusze: PNI-52, MBSRQ, TAS-20, SBC oraz metoda jakościowa – semantyczna analiza narracji. Wyniki uzyskane w badaniu pozwoliły stwierdzić, że zarówno natężenie jak i typ narcyzmu wiąże się z odmiennym postrzeganiem i doświadczaniem własnej cielesności oraz z różnym poziomem aleksytymii. Wysokie natężenie narcyzmu wiązało się ze skupieniem na wyglądzie, przy jednoczesnym poczuciu bycia oderwanym od ciała i trudności ze zrozumieniem własnych stanów emocjonalnych. Wyniki wskazujące na najbardziej pozytywny obraz ciała uzyskały osoby z niskim natężeniem narcyzmu. Osoby z narcyzmem wielkościowym odznaczały się pozytywnym stosunkiem do swojej cielesności, natomiast osoby z narcyzmem nadwrażliwym charakteryzowały się niezadowoleniem z własnej cielesności i krytycznym stosunkiem do jej poszczególnych aspektów, przy jednoczesnej trudności w regulacji emocjonalnej. Analiza jakościowa pozwoliła ustalić, że narcyzm nie różnicuje znacząco sposobu konceptualizowania własnej cielesności, zatem prawdopodobnie jest on w większej mierze zależny od przekazów kulturowych. Badanie własne pozwoliło na poszerzenie stanu obecnej wiedzy naukowej oraz znajduje implikacje w kontekście klinicznym.
The assumption of narcissistic culture was introduced in the late 20thcentury’s literature, which implicates that we are living in the culture which is focused on the exterior and does not forgive failures. It is currently believed that narcissism is a social phenomena. In this dissertation, the attempt was made to study the connections between narcissism, body image, bodily connection and alexithymia. The especially important aspect for this research area is the distinction between the two types of narcissism: grandiose and vulnerable. The previous research indicates that narcissism (grandiose type) can affect the body image distorting it towards overly positive. Simultaneously, there is lack of evidence in the literature on how people with vulnerable type of narcissism perceive their bodies. The context of emotion regulation (alexithymia) is also included as an issue closely related to one’s body experience. The psychodynamic perspective on understanding the development of personal traits and psychical structure is the theoretical framework for the dissertation. The study group consisted of 704 respondents aged 18-35 years, who were obtained using the snowball method. Demographics were collected in a personal questionnaire. The respondents were asked to fill in the following tools: PNI-52, MBSRQ, TAS-20, SBC. The answers were also analyzed with the qualitative procedure – semantic analyses of the narratives. The results indicate that both the level and the type of narcissism are connected to different body perception and body experience as well as different levels of alexithymia. High level of narcissism was associated with focusing on the appearance along with the feeling of being detached from one’s body and difficulty in understanding own emotional states. Respondents with the lowest level of narcissism gained the most positive results in the body image dimension. The participants with the grandiose type of narcissism were characterized by a positive attitude towards their corporeality, whereas respondents with vulnerable type of narcissism were unsatisfied with their bodies and more critical towards various body aspects. They also had some difficulties with their emotional regulation. The qualitative analysis proved that narcissism is not the main factor which differentiates the ways of body conceptualization. It is possible that in this manner the cultural discourse is more significant. The results of this research have practical implications and they supplement the literature on the subject.