Katharina Geukes

Puffed-up but shaky selves: State self-esteem level and variability in narcissists.

Different theoretical conceptualizations characterize grandiose narcissists by high, yet fragile self-esteem. Empirical evidence, however, has been inconsistent, particularly regarding the relationship between narcissism and self-esteem fragility (i.e., self-esteem variability). Here, we aim at unraveling this inconsistency by disentangling the effects of two theoretically distinct facets of narcissism (i.e., admiration and rivalry) on the two aspects of state self-esteem (i.e., level and variability). We report on data from a laboratory-based and two field-based studies (total N = 596) in realistic social contexts, capturing momentary, daily, and weekly fluctuations of state self-esteem. To estimate unbiased effects of narcissism on the level and variability of self-esteem within one model, we applied mixed-effects location scale models. Results of the three studies and their meta-analytical integration indicated that narcissism is positively linked to self-esteem level and variability. When distinguishing between admiration and rivalry, however, an important dissociation was identified: Admiration was related to high (and rather stable) levels of state self-esteem, whereas rivalry was related to (rather low and) fragile self-esteem. Analyses on underlying processes suggest that effects of rivalry on self-esteem variability are based on stronger decreases in self-esteem from one assessment to the next, particularly after a perceived lack of social inclusion. The revealed differentiated effects of admiration and rivalry explain why the analysis of narcissism as a unitary concept has led to the inconsistent past findings and provide deeper insights into the intrapersonal dynamics of grandiose narcissism governing state self-esteem.

Validation of the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire Short Scale (NARQ-S) in convenience and representative samples

Due to increased empirical interest in narcissism across the social sciences, there is a need for inventories that can be administered quickly while also reliably measuring both the agentic and antagonistic aspects of grandiose narcissism. In this study, we sought to validate the factor structure, provide representative descriptive data and reliability estimates, assess the reliability across the trait spectrum, and examine the nomological network of the short version of the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ-S; Back et al., 2013). We used data from a large convenience sample (total N = 11,937) as well as data from a large representative sample (total N = 4,433) that included responses to other narcissism measures as well as related constructs, including the other Dark Triad traits, Big Five personality traits, and self-esteem. Confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory were used to validate the factor structure and estimate the reliability across the latent trait spectrum, respectively. Results suggest that the NARQ-S shows a robust factor structure and is a reliable and valid short measure of the agentic and antagonistic aspects of grandiose narcissism. We also discuss future directions and applications of the NARQ-S as a short and comprehensive measure of grandiose narcissism.

Understanding Personality Development: An Integrative State Process Model.

While personality is relatively stable over time, it is also subject to change across the entire lifespan. On a macro-analytical level, empirical research has identified patterns of normative and differential development that are affected by biological and environmental factors, specific life events, and social role investments. On a micro-analytical level, however, little is known about the underlying processes driving personality development. We provide an integrative state process model of personality development that incorporates and builds on previous process approaches to personality. It integrates this micro-analytical state perspective into the well-established macro-analytical understanding of personality trait development. Specifically, we distinguish three domains of individual differences in (the level of and contingencies between) state processes: (1) Goals and Strategies, (2) Actions and Experiences, and (3) Evaluations and Reflections. These process domains build a continuous sequence, with each domain guiding state processes in the next. Each process domain itself and their dependencies within the succession may be subject to change, thereby reflecting normative (in the case of shared development in state processes) and/or differential trait development (in the case of unique development in state processes). Well-established effects of environmental and biological structures, social roles, age, and life events on personality trait development can be explained by systematic links of these macro-level determinants to the outlined micro-level state processes. This integrative, process-based approach is thought to provide a conceptual basis for empirical research aiming at a comprehensive and fine-grained process understanding of personality development across the lifespan.

Enhanced Versus Simply Positive: A New Condition-Based Regression Analysis to Disentangle Effects of Self-Enhancement From Effects of Positivity of Self-View

Despite a large body of literature and ongoing refinements of analytical techniques, research on the consequences of self-enhancement (SE) is still vague about how to define SE effects, and empirical results are inconsistent. In this paper, we point out that part of this confusion is due to a lack of conceptual and methodological differentiation between effects of individual differences in how much people enhance themselves (SE) and in how positively they view themselves (positivity of self-view; PSV). We show that methods commonly used to analyze SE effects are biased because they cannot differentiate between the effects of PSV and the effects of SE. We provide a new condition-based regression analysis (CRA) that unequivocally identifies effects of SE by testing intuitive and mathematically derived conditions on the coefficients in a bivariate linear regression. Using data from 3 studies on intellectual SE (total N = 566), we then illustrate that the CRA provides novel results as compared with traditional methods. Results suggest that many previously identified SE effects are in fact effects of PSV alone. The new CRA approach thus provides a clear and unbiased understanding of the consequences of SE. It can be applied to all conceptualizations of SE and, more generally, to every context in which the effects of the discrepancy between 2 variables on a third variable are examined.

Stress, Angst und Leistung im Leistungssport

Im Leistungssport wird sportliche Leistung unter sogenannten „Druckbedingungen“ verlangt – im Wettkampf „geht es um etwas“, fur einen selber oder fur andere, oftmals sind Zuschauer anwesend und eine schlechte Leistung, ein Fehler kann nicht so einfach korrigiert werden. Die in diesen Situationen erlebbare Emotion der Angst, genauer Wettkampfangst, steht im Mittelpunkt dieses Kapitels, und es wird der Frage nach dem Zusammenhang dieser Emotion mit der Leistung in sportlichen Aufgaben nachgegangen. Dazu werden zunachst knapp Facetten der Angst unterschieden, die neben einer physiologischen Reaktion (Aktivierung) und der Verhaltenskomponente vor allem das subjektive Erleben umfasst. Die Forschung zum Angst-Leistungs-Zusammenhang bezieht sich uberwiegend auf diese subjektive Facette und betrachtet den Zusammenhang aus drei Perspektiven: eine State-Perspektive, in der intra- und interindividuelle Unterschiede im Angsterleben mit Leistung in Verbindung gebracht werden, eine allgemeinpsychologische Perspektive, in der nach allgemeingultigen Mechanismen, vor allem der Aufmerksamkeit, gesucht wird, und eine Trait-Perspektive, in der nach stabilen Ursachen und Moderatoren des Angst-Leistungs-Zusammenhangs gesucht wird. Die vielfaltigen Modelle innerhalb der State-Perspektive zeigen keinen einfachen Zusammenhang und deuten zum einen auf eine sinnvolle Trennung von kognitiven und eher emotionalen Facetten hin, zum anderen rucken neuere Modelle neben unterschiedlichen Facetten auch die Frage der Funktionalitat fur die Leistungserbringung in den Vordergrund. Fur die beiden in der allgemeinpsychologischen Perspektive aktuell uberwiegend diskutierten Ansatze gibt es jeweils empirische Befunde – „Versagen unter Druck“ als Zeichen von Ablenkung oder als Zeichen von erhoht aufmerksamer Bewegungsausfuhrung – und auch hier zeigt sich, dass unter funktionaler Perspektive eine Integration der Ansatze diskutiert werden sollte. Aus einer Trait-Perspektive wird schlieslich deutlich, dass stabile Merkmale von Person und Situation, ggf. in Interaktion, einen Einfluss auf die Entstehung von Angst und auf den Angst-Leistungs-Zusammenhang haben, dass dieser aber gerade in der allgemeinpsychologischen Perspektive oft ubersehen wird. Entsprechend wird gefordert, diese Perspektiven in der Zukunft starker und konsequenter zu integrieren.

Big Data approaches in social and behavioral science: four key trade-offs and a call for integration

Big Data approaches have given rise to novel methodological tools to investigate human decisions and behaviors beyond what is possible with traditional forms of analysis. Like any other paradigm in the social and behavioral sciences, however, Big Data is not immune to a number of typical trade-offs: (1) Prediction versus explanation, pertaining to the overall research goals; (2) induction versus deduction, regarding the epistemological focus; (3) bigness versus representativeness in sampling approaches; and (4) data access versus scientific independence, addressing the forms of data usage. In this paper, we discuss these trade-offs and how Big Data and traditional approaches typically relate to them, and propose ways to overcome each trade-off by integrating advantages of different research approaches in the social and behavioral sciences with Big Data.

Understanding physical (in-) activity, overweight, and obesity in childhood: Effects of congruence between physical self-concept and motor competence

Both the physical self-concept and actual motor competence are important for healthy future physical activity levels and consequently decrease overweight and obesity in childhood. However, children scoring high on motor competence do not necessarily report high levels of physical self-concept and vice versa, resulting in respective (in-) accuracy also referred to as (non-) veridicality. This study examines whether children’s accuracy of physical self-concept is a meaningful predictive factor for their future physical activity. Motor competence, physical self-concept and physical activity were assessed in 3rd grade and one year later in 4th grade. Children’s weight status was categorized based on WHO recommendations. Polynomial regression with Response surface analyses were conducted with a quasi-DIF approach examining moderating weight status effects. Analyses revealed that children with higher motor competence levels and higher self-perceptions show greater physical activity. Importantly, children who perceive their motor competence more accurately (compared to less) show more future physical activity. This effect is strong for underweight and overweight/obese children, but weak for normal weight children. This study indicates that an accurate self-perception of motor competence fosters future physical activity beyond single main effects, respectively. Hence, the promotion of actual motor competence should be linked with the respective development of accurate self-knowledge.

Tackling Longitudinal Round-Robin Data: A Social Relations Growth Model.

The social relations model (SRM) is commonly used in the analysis of interpersonal judgments and behaviors that arise in groups. The SRM was developed only for use with cross-sectional data. Here, we introduce an extension of the SRM to longitudinal data. The social relations growth model represents a person’s repeated SRM judgments of another person as a function of time. We show how the model’s parameters can be estimated using restricted maximum likelihood, and how the effects of covariates on interindividual and interdyad variability in growth can be computed. An example is presented to illustrate the suggested approach. We also present the results of a small simulation study showing the suitability of the social relations growth model for the analysis of longitudinal SRM data.

Modeling Intraindividual Variability in Three-Level Multilevel Models

The mixed-effects location scale model is an extension of a multilevel model for longitudinal data. It allows covariates to affect both the within-subject variance and the between-subject variance (i.e., the intercept variance) beyond their influence on the means. Typically, the model is applied to two-level data (e.g., the repeated measurements of persons), although researchers are often faced with three-level data (e.g., the repeated measurements of persons within specific situations). Here, we describe an extension of the two-level mixed-effects location scale model to such three-level data. Furthermore, we show how the suggested model can be estimated with Bayesian software, and we present the results of a small simulation study that was conducted to investigate the statistical properties of the suggested approach. Finally, we illustrate the approach by presenting an example from a psychological study that employed ecological momentary assessment.

Is Accurate, Positive, or Inflated Self-Perception Most Advantageous for Psychological Adjustment? A Competitive Test of Key Hypotheses

Empirical research on the (mal-)adaptiveness of favorable self-perceptions, self-enhancement, and self-knowledge has typically applied a classical null-hypothesis testing approach and provided mixed and even contradictory findings. Using data from 5 studies (laboratory and field, total N = 2,823), we used an information-theoretic approach combined with Response Surface Analysis to provide the first competitive test of 6 popular hypotheses: that more favorable self-perceptions are adaptive versus maladaptive (Hypotheses 1 and 2: Positivity of self-view hypotheses), that higher levels of self-enhancement (i.e., a higher discrepancy of self-viewed and objectively assessed ability) are adaptive versus maladaptive (Hypotheses 3 and 4: Self-enhancement hypotheses), that accurate self-perceptions are adaptive (Hypothesis 5: Self-knowledge hypothesis), and that a slight degree of self-enhancement is adaptive (Hypothesis 6: Optimal margin hypothesis). We considered self-perceptions and objective ability measures in two content domains (reasoning ability, vocabulary knowledge) and investigated 6 indicators of intra- and interpersonal psychological adjustment. Results showed that most adjustment indicators were best predicted by the positivity of self-perceptions. There were some specific self-enhancement effects, and evidence generally spoke against the self-knowledge and optimal margin hypotheses. Our results highlight the need for comprehensive and simultaneous tests of competing hypotheses. Implications for the understanding of underlying processes are discussed.