Jessica McCain

A Comparison of the Criterion Validity of Popular Measures of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder via the Use of Expert Ratings

The growing interest in the study of narcissism has resulted in the development of a number of assessment instruments that manifest only modest to moderate convergence. The present studies adjudicate among these measures with regard to criterion validity. In the 1st study, we compared multiple narcissism measures to expert consensus ratings of the personality traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD; Study 1; N = 98 community participants receiving psychological/psychiatric treatment) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) using 5-factor model traits as well as the traits associated with the pathological trait model according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In Study 2 (N = 274 undergraduates), we tested the criterion validity of an even larger set of narcissism instruments by examining their relations with measures of general and pathological personality, as well as psychopathology, and compared the resultant correlations to the correlations expected by experts for measures of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Across studies, the grandiose dimensions from the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory (FFNI; Glover, Miller, Lynam, Crego, & Widiger, 2012) and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Raskin & Terry, 1988) provided the strongest match to expert ratings of DSM-IV-TR NPD and grandiose narcissism, whereas the vulnerable dimensions of the FFNI and the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (Pincus et al., 2009), as well as the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (Hendin & Cheek, 1997), provided the best match to expert ratings of vulnerable narcissism. These results should help guide researchers toward the selection of narcissism instruments that are most well suited to capturing different aspects of narcissism.

Thinking Structurally About Narcissism: An Examination of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory and Its Components

The Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory (FFNI) is a self-report measure of the traits linked to grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, as well as narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), from a five-factor model perspective (FFM). In the current studies, the factor structure of the FFNI was explored and the results supported the extraction of three factors: Antagonism (e.g., Arrogance), Neuroticism (e.g., Need for Admiration), and Agentic Extraversion (e.g., Authoritativeness). In Study 2, the FFNI factors manifested convergent validity with their corresponding Big Five domains and diverging relations with measures of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, NPD, and self-esteem. Ultimately, the FFNI factors help explicate the differences between various expressions of narcissism such that all are related to Antagonism but differ with regard to Neuroticism (relevant to vulnerable narcissism and NPD) and Agentic Extraversion (relevant to grandiose narcissism and NPD). The results also highlight the complex relation between self-esteem and the traits that comprise narcissism measures.

Personality and selfies: Narcissism and the Dark Triad

Abstract Selfies, or pictures taken of oneself and shared on social media, have become a worldwide phenomenon. In the present research, we examine the relationship between narcissism, both vulnerable and grandiose, and the frequency of and motivations behind selfie-taking. The Dark Triad of personality (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) and self-esteem were also measured. In Study 1, 348 adults on Amazon Mturk completed measures of personality, demographics, and several questions about selfie behavior online. In Study 2, 491 undergraduate students completed the same measures and a subset of these provided access to their Instagram and Iconosquare accounts, which were rated for narcissism by naive judges. Results from both studies indicate that grandiose narcissism is associated with taking and posting more selfies, experiencing more positive affect when taking selfies, and self-reported self-presentation motives. The Dark Triad traits resembled grandiose narcissism. Vulnerable narcissism was associated with negative affect when taking selfies. Self-esteem was unrelated to selfie-taking.

Narcissism and Social Media Use: A Meta-Analytic Review.

The relationship between narcissism and social media use has been a topic of study since the advent of the first social media websites. In the present manuscript, the authors review the literature published to date on the topic and outline 2 potential models to explain the pattern of findings. Data from 62 samples of published and unpublished research (N = 13,430) are meta-analyzed with respect to the relationships between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism and (a) time spent on social media, (b) frequency of status updates/tweets on social media, (c) number of friends/followers on social media, and (d) frequency of posting pictures of self or selfies on social media. Findings suggest that grandiose narcissism is positively related to all 4 indices (rs = .11–.20), although culture and social media platform significantly moderated the results. Vulnerable narcissism was not significantly related to social media use (rs = .05–.42), although smaller samples make these effects less certain. Limitations of the current literature and recommendations for future research are discussed.

A Psychological Exploration of Engagement in Geek Culture

Geek culture is a subculture of enthusiasts that is traditionally associated with obscure media (Japanese animation, science fiction, video games, etc.). However, geek culture is becoming increasingly mainstream; for example, in the past year alone, Dragon*Con, a major Geek convention in Atlanta, Georgia, attracted an attendance of over 57,000 members. The present article uses an individual differences approach to examine three theoretical accounts of geek culture. Seven studies (N = 2354) develop the Geek Culture Engagement Scale (GCES) to quantify geek engagement and assess its relationships to theoretically relevant personality and individual differences variables. These studies present evidence that individuals may engage in geek culture in order to maintain narcissistic self-views (the great fantasy migration hypothesis), to fulfill belongingness needs (the belongingness hypothesis), and to satisfy needs for creative expression (the need for engagement hypothesis). Geek engagement is found to be associated with elevated grandiose narcissism, extraversion, openness to experience, depression, and subjective well-being across multiple samples. These data lay the groundwork for further exploration of geek culture as well as provide a foundation for examining other forms of subculture participation.

Theoretical Perspectives on Narcissism and Social Media: The Big (and Beautiful) Picture

Narcissism and social media use are intertwined and possibly causally related phenomena. Empirical research on narcissism and social media has been ongoing for a decade. The main purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of these research findings and review a selection of theoretical models that may be useful for understanding narcissism and social media. These models include personality/trait theories as well as perceptual, self-regulation, network, and cultural models. Some of the limitations and controversies in this literature are highlighted and avenues for future research suggested. The chapter focuses primarily on grandiose narcissism, although some research pertaining to vulnerable narcissism is also to be included.

Is Desirability of the Trait a Boundary Condition of the Proteus Effect? A Pilot Study

Although previous research has shown that individuals take on aspects of the avatars they embody in virtual environments, studies have not yet tested whether this phenomenon, known as the Proteus effect, extends to traits that are undesirable to have, such as narcissism. A total of 133 female participants completed a shopping simulation in virtual reality. In this simulation, half embodied an avatar of Kim Kardashian, a celebrity known for her narcissistic behavior and materialistic purchases, while the other half embodied a generic female avatar of similar appearance. Participants then chose between luxury and nonluxury brands for a variety of objects. Results indicated that participants did not take on the luxury purchase behaviors of Kim Kardashian and in fact showed lower narcissism scores after embodying her than those embodying a generic avatar. These results suggest a self-serving component to the Proteus effect, in that individuals may only take on desired aspects of the avatars they embody and distance themselves from undesired aspects.