Fluctuations in grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic states

A momentary perspective

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6205983
AutoresElizabeth A Edershile (0000-0001-9511-2387), Aidan G C Wright (0000-0002-2369-0601)
Año2021
Volumen120
Número5
Páginas1386-1414
Fecha de publicación2021-05-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
EditorialAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/pspp0000370
PMID33090821
OpenAlexW2952924195
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas25
Referencias citadas28

Theories of narcissism emphasize the dynamic processes within and between grandiosity and vulnerability. Research seeking to address this has either not studied grandiosity and vulnerability together or has used dispositional measures to assess what are considered to be momentary states. Emerging models of narcissism suggest grandiosity and vulnerability can further be differentiated into a three-factor structure-Exhibitionistic Grandiosity, Entitlement, and Vulnerability. Research in other areas of maladaptive personality (e.g., borderline personality disorder) has made headway in engaging data collection and analytic methods that are specifically meant to examine such questions. The present study took an exploratory approach to studying fluctuations within and between grandiose and vulnerable states. Fluctuations-operationalized as gross variability, instability, and lagged effects-were examined across three samples (two undergraduate and a community sample oversampled for narcissistic features; total person N = 862, total observation N = 36,631). Results suggest variability in narcissistic states from moment to moment is moderately associated with dispositional assessments of narcissism. Specifically, individuals who are dispositionally grandiose express both grandiosity and vulnerability, and vary in their overall levels of grandiosity and vulnerability over time. On the other hand, dispositionally vulnerable individuals tend to have high levels of vulnerability and low levels of grandiosity. Entitlement plays a key role in the processes that underlie narcissism and narcissistic processes appear unique to the construct and not reflective of broader psychological processes (e.g., self-esteem). Future research should consider using similar methods and statistical techniques on different timescales to study dynamics within narcissism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Computer security · Developmental psychology · Entitlement (fair division) · Grandiosity · Narcissism · Narcissistic personality disorder · Operationalization · Personality · Personality disorders · Vulnerability (computing) · Mental Health Research Topics · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology · Personality Traits and Psychology · Psychology · Social Psychology