Pathological narcissism and the social world: The impact of social factors on narcissism in Australia

Abstract

Narcissism is a personality construct which influences how individuals relate to themselves and others in society. Characterized by a heightened sense of entitlement, grandiosity, self-focus, and a need for admiration, high levels of narcissism can impair function. Little is known about how narcissism develops, but past research indicates that narcissism may be influenced by social factors across the lifespan, including childhood experiences, social norms, social status, celebrity culture and social technology use. Previous research has focused on grandiose narcissism and used only limited cultural samples. The impact of social factors on narcissism in Australia is unknown, as is the relationship between social factors and vulnerable narcissism. This thesis builds on previous research by examining the relationship between social factors and grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in Australia across four studies. Childhood experiences, such as cold or overly indulgent environments, have been associated with the development of narcissism. Invalidation, a common factor to both extremes, has not been examined in relation to narcissism. Study 1 used retrospective reporting in a sample of 442 Australian participants to examine the relationship between invalidating behavior from parents and narcissism. Results indicate recollections of invalidating behavior from either parent are associated with higher levels of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism when controlling for previously examined parenting behaviors of rejection, coldness, and overprotection. Narcissism has also been linked with broader social factors. Study 2 examined how narcissism subtypes associate with individualistic descriptive norms and attitudes, celebrity culture, and technology use in 471 Australian participants. Study 3 examined whether these social factors predicted changes in narcissism over six months in 207 participants. Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism were associated with different patterns of social attitudes, norms and social technology use. These variables do not predict change in narcissism over a six-month period. Finally, previous studies indicate that grandiose narcissism is positively associated with social status, and may be reduced by inducing egalitarian values. Study 4 examined the relationship between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, entitlement attitudes and social dominance orientation (SDO), socioeconomic status (SES), and whether narcissism can be reduced by inducing egalitarian norms in a sample of 194 Australian university students. Contrary to our hypotheses, socioeconomic status was not associated with narcissism or entitlement. The findings indicate that the relationship between narcissism, social status and entitlement is more complex than previously thought. Overall, these studies expand our understanding of narcissism and how social factors impact on its development and expression. The findings indicate that grandiose and vulnerable narcissism are associated with overlapping but distinct patterns of social factors across childhood and adulthood. In addition, although they are associated with different social attitudes, both subtypes appear to resist change over a six-month period and experimental manipulation. These studies collectively inform our understanding of how narcissism is associated with social factors in Australia. They deepen our understanding of pathological narcissism, and how this personality construct influences an individual’s interactions with their social environment.