Perseverance, a measure of conscientiousness, is a valid predictor of achievement and truancy across the globe.

Is Conscientiousness a useful construct across cultures? Using the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment data, we examined whether perseverance, a measure of Conscientiousness, was related to achievement and truancy across 62 countries/regions (N > 470,000). We investigated whether these relationships were linear or curvilinear in nature and assessed the utility of item-level information. After establishing partial metric invariance of the perseverance measure across various countries/regions and cultural regions, our findings unveiled that perseverance consistently predicted both math achievement and truancy, with predominantly linear associations. Notably, among the five items of the Perseverance scale, the item reflecting one's tendency to give up easily in the face of challenges emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of math achievement. Further, country-level correlations between perseverance and both math achievement and truancy displayed contradictory patterns compared to individual-level correlations, suggesting the presence of biasing factors in how people respond to these measures. Nonetheless, it appears reasonable to conclude that measures of Conscientiousness are pan-cultural predictors of achievement and truancy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Age and gender differences in narcissism: A comprehensive study across eight measures and over 250,000 participants.

Age and gender differences in narcissism have been studied often. However, considering the rich history of narcissism research accompanied by its diverging conceptualizations, little is known about age and gender differences across various narcissism measures. The present study investigated age and gender differences and their interactions across eight widely used narcissism instruments (i.e., Narcissistic Personality Inventory, Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale, Dirty Dozen, Psychological Entitlement Scale, Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version IV, Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire-Short Form, Single-Item Narcissism Scale, and brief version of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory). The findings of Study 1 (N = 5,736) revealed heterogeneity in how strongly the measures are correlated. Some instruments loaded clearly on one of the three factors proposed by previous research (i.e., Neuroticism, Extraversion, Antagonism), while others cross-loaded across factors and in distinct ways. Cross-sectional analyses using each measure and meta-analytic results across all measures (Study 2) with a total sample of 270,029 participants suggest consistent linear age effects (random effects meta-analytic effect of r = -.104), with narcissism being highest in young adulthood. Consistent gender differences also emerged (random effects meta-analytic effect was -.079), such that men scored higher in narcissism than women. Quadratic age effects and Age × Gender effects were generally very small and inconsistent. We conclude that despite the various conceptualizations of narcissism, age and gender differences are generalizable across the eight measures used in the present study. However, their size varied based on the instrument used. We discuss the sources of this heterogeneity and the potential mechanisms for age and gender differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigating the Normativity of Trait Estimates from Multidimensional Forced-Choice Data.

The Thurstonian item response model (Thurstonian IRT model) allows deriving normative trait estimates from multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) data. In the MFC format, persons must rank-order items that measure different attributes according to how well the items describe them. This study evaluated the normativity of Thurstonian IRT trait estimates both in a simulation and empirically. The simulation investigated normativity and compared Thurstonian IRT trait estimates to those using classical partially ipsative scoring, from dichotomous true-false (TF) data and rating scale data. The results showed that, with blocks of opposite keyed items, Thurstonian IRT trait estimates were normative in contrast to classical partially ipsative estimates. Unbalanced numbers of items per trait, few opposite keyed items, traits correlated positively or assessing fewer traits did not decrease measurement precision markedly. Measurement precision was lower than that of rating scale data. The empirical study investigated whether relative MFC responses provide a better differentiation of behaviors within persons than absolute TF responses. However, criterion validity was equal and construct validity (with constructs measured by rating scales) lower in MFC. Thus, Thurstonian IRT modeling of MFC data overcomes the drawbacks of classical scoring, but gains in validity may depend on eliminating common method biases from the comparison.

Investigating the Link between Narcissism and Problem Behaviors in Adolescence.

Previous research has shown that narcissistic traits such as exploitativeness, exhibitionism, and entitlement are associated with delinquency and aggression in childhood and adolescence. However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research examining these associations, and virtually no research examining other problem behaviors such as drug use and early sexual behavior. In this study, we extended previous research by testing whether two facets of narcissism, exploitativeness and superiority, assessed at age 14, predicted problem behaviors at age 16, while controlling for problem behaviors at age 14. We applied two-part count models to data from a longitudinal study of 674 Mexican-origin adolescents living in the United States followed over a two-year period from age 14 to 16. Adolescents with higher exploitativeness levels at age 14 were more likely to engage in drug use, commit delinquent acts, have sexual intercourse, and exhibit symptoms of conduct disorder at age 16, compared to adolescents with lower exploitativeness levels. Superiority had almost no associations with problem behaviors. Thus, exploitativeness may be one personality risk factor that underlies the development of multiple forms of problem behaviors in adolescence.

Measurement Invariance of Three Narcissism Questionnaires Across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

With a recent surge of research on narcissism, narcissism questionnaires are increasingly being translated and applied in various countries. The measurement invariance of an instrument across countries is a precondition for being able to compare scores across countries. We investigated the cross-cultural measurement invariance of three narcissism questionnaires (Brief Pathological Narcissism Inventory [B-PNI], Narcissistic Personality Inventory [NPI], and Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire [NARQ]) and mean-level differences across samples from the United States (N = 2,464), the United Kingdom (N = 307), and Germany (N = 925). Overall, the B-PNI and NARQ functioned equivalently for the U.S. and U.K. participants. More violations of measurement invariance were found between Germany and the combined U.S. and U.K. samples, and for the NPI. In the B-PNI and NARQ, Americans scored higher than individuals from the United Kingdom regarding agentic aspects (self-sacrificing self-enhancement, admiration), while Germans scored lower than both Americans and U.K. individuals regarding antagonistic (entitlement rage, rivalry) and neurotic (hiding the self, contingent self-esteem) aspects. More inconsistent results were found for NPI facets. When noninvariance was present, observed means yielded biased results. Thus, the degree of measurement invariance across translated instrument versions should be considered in cross-cultural comparisons, even with culturally similar countries.

Does multidimensional forced-choice prevent faking? Comparing the susceptibility of the multidimensional forced-choice format and the rating scale format to faking.

A common concern with self-reports of personality traits in selection contexts is faking. The multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) format has been proposed as an alternative to rating scales (RS) that could prevent faking. The goal of this study was to compare the susceptibility of the MFC format and the RS format to faking in a simulated high-stakes setting when using normative scoring for both formats. Participants were randomly assigned to 3 groups (total N = 1,867) and filled out the Big Five Triplets once under an honest instruction and once under a fake-good instruction. Latent mean differences between the honest and fake-good administrations indicated that the Big Five domains were faked in the expected direction. Faking effects for all traits were larger for RS compared with MFC. Faking effects were also larger for the MFC version with mixed triplets compared with the MFC version with triplets that were fully matched regarding their social desirability. The MFC format does not prevent faking completely, but it reduces faking substantially. Faking can be further reduced in the MFC format by matching the items presented in a block regarding their social desirability. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Taking the Test Taker's Perspective: Response Process and Test Motivation in Multidimensional Forced-Choice Versus Rating Scale Instruments.

The multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) format has been proposed as an alternative to the rating scale (RS) response format. However, it is unclear how changing the response format may affect the response process and test motivation of participants. In Study 1, we investigated the MFC response process using the think-aloud technique. In Study 2, we compared test motivation between the RS format and different versions of the MFC format (presenting 2, 3, 4, and 5 items simultaneously). The response process to MFC item blocks was similar to the RS response process but involved an additional step of weighing the items within a block against each other. The RS and MFC response format groups did not differ in their test motivation. Thus, from the test taker's perspective, the MFC format is somewhat more demanding to respond to, but this does not appear to decrease test motivation.

You're still so vain: Changes in narcissism from young adulthood to middle age.

To date, there have been no long-term longitudinal studies of continuity and change in narcissism. This study investigated rank-order consistency and mean-level changes in overall narcissism and 3 of its facets (leadership, vanity, and entitlement) over a 23-year period spanning young adulthood (Mage = 18, N = 486) to midlife (Mage = 41, N = 237). We also investigated whether life experiences predicted changes in narcissism from young adulthood to midlife, and whether young adult narcissism predicted life experiences assessed in midlife. Narcissism and its facets showed strong rank-order consistency from age 18 to 41, with latent correlations ranging from .61 to .85. We found mean-level decreases in overall narcissism (d = -0.79) and all 3 facets, namely leadership (d = -0.67), vanity (d = -0.46), and entitlement (d = -0.82). Participants who were in supervisory positions showed smaller decreases in leadership, and participants who experienced more unstable relationships and who were physically healthier showed smaller decreases in vanity from young adulthood to middle age. Analyses of the long-term correlates of narcissism showed that young adults with higher narcissism and leadership levels were more likely to be in supervisory positions in middle age. Young adults with higher vanity levels had fewer children and were more likely to divorce by middle age. Together, the findings suggest that people tend to become less narcissistic from young adulthood to middle age, and the magnitude of this decline is related to the particular career and family pathways a person pursues during this stage of life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparing the validity of trait estimates from the multidimensional forced-choice format and the rating scale format.

The multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) format has been proposed as an alternative to rating scales (RS) that may be less susceptible to response biases. The goal of this study was to compare the validity of trait estimates from the MFC and the RS format when using normative scoring for both formats. We focused on construct validity and criterion-related validity. In addition, we investigated test-retest reliability over a period of six months. Participants were randomly assigned the MFC (N = 593) or the RS (N = 622) version of the Big Five Triplets. In addition to self-ratings on the Big Five Triplets and other personality questionnaires and criteria, we also obtained other-ratings (N = 770) for the Big Five Triplets. The Big Five in the Big Five Triplets corresponded well with the Big Five in the Big Five Inventory except for agreeableness in the MFC version. The majority of the construct validity coefficients differed between the MFC and the RS version, whereas criterion-related validities were very similar. The self- and other-rated Big Five Triplets showed higher correlations in the MFC format than in the RS format. The reliability of trait estimates on the Big Five and test-retest reliabilities were lower for MFC compared to RS. For the MFC format to be able to replace the RS format, more research on how to obtain ideal constellations of items that are matched in their desirability is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The development of narcissistic admiration and machiavellianism in early adulthood.

We investigated the development of narcissistic admiration (i.e., the assertive or extraverted dimension of narcissism; Back et al., 2013) and Machiavellianism (Mach) in early adulthood. Specifically, we examined (a) mean-level changes in narcissistic admiration and Mach during early adulthood and (b) how studying economics and experiencing any of 30 life events were related to individual differences in changes in narcissistic admiration and Mach. We used longitudinal data from 2 cohorts of young adults in Germany (N1 = 4,962 and N2 = 2,572). The mean levels of narcissistic admiration remained stable over time. Life events analyses indicated that narcissistic admiration increased among people who experienced a positively evaluated change in their eating or sleeping habits, a positively evaluated romantic break-up, or a negatively evaluated failure on an important exam. The mean levels of Mach decreased during early adulthood in both cohorts. Life events analyses showed that Mach decreased for only the 91% of young adults who had started a new job and evaluated it positively, suggesting that mastering occupational roles mitigates Mach in early adulthood. The results will be discussed in the light of previous longitudinal studies on narcissism and the Big Five and cross-sectional studies on how age is related to narcissism and Mach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

A Comparison of Unidimensionality and Measurement Precision of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire.

The current study compares the closeness to unidimensionality (CU) and measurement precision (MP) of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI)-with either a pairwise forced-choice or 5-point Likert-type scale response format-to the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ). Minimum rank factor analysis and item information curves from item response models were utilized. The results mainly confirmed our expectations that NPI subscales are lower in CU and MP compared with NARQ subscales when the NPI was administered with its traditional forced-choice response format. When the NPI was administered with a 5-point Likert-type scale response format, the NPI subscale Leadership/Authority and NPI Grandiose Exhibitionism showed similarly high levels of CU and MP as the two NARQ subscales. While the NPI subscale Entitlement/Exploitativeness had a higher CU than the NARQ subscales it showed considerably lower levels of MP.

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. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Narcissism Epidemic Is Dead; Long Live the Narcissism Epidemic.

Are recent cohorts of college students more narcissistic than their predecessors? To address debates about the so-called "narcissism epidemic," we used data from three cohorts of students (1990s: N = 1,166; 2000s: N = 33,647; 2010s: N = 25,412) to test whether narcissism levels (overall and specific facets) have increased across generations. We also tested whether our measure, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), showed measurement equivalence across the three cohorts, a critical analysis that had been overlooked in prior research. We found that several NPI items were not equivalent across cohorts. Models accounting for nonequivalence of these items indicated a small decline in overall narcissism levels from the 1990s to the 2010s ( d = -0.27). At the facet level, leadership ( d = -0.20), vanity ( d = -0.16), and entitlement ( d = -0.28) all showed decreases. Our results contradict the claim that recent cohorts of college students are more narcissistic than earlier generations of college students.

Simple construct evaluation with latent class analysis: An investigation of Facebook addiction and the development of a short form of the Facebook Addiction Test (F-AT).

In psychological research, there is a growing interest in using latent class analysis (LCA) for the investigation of quantitative constructs. The aim of this study is to illustrate how LCA can be applied to gain insights on a construct and to select items during test development. We show the added benefits of LCA beyond factor-analytic methods, namely being able (1) to describe groups of participants that differ in their response patterns, (2) to determine appropriate cutoff values, (3) to evaluate items, and (4) to evaluate the relative importance of correlated factors. As an example, we investigated the construct of Facebook addiction using the Facebook Addiction Test (F-AT), an adapted version of the Internet Addiction Test (I-AT). Applying LCA facilitates the development of new tests and short forms of established tests. We present a short form of the F-AT based on the LCA results and validate the LCA approach and the short F-AT with several external criteria, such as chatting, reading newsfeeds, and posting status updates. Finally, we discuss the benefits of LCA for evaluating quantitative constructs in psychological research.

Are Parenting Practices Associated with the Development of Narcissism? Findings from a Longitudinal Study of Mexican-origin Youth.

Narcissism is an important and consequential aspect of personality, yet we know little about its developmental origins. Using data from a longitudinal study of 674 Mexican-origin families, we examined cross-lagged relations between parenting behaviors (warmth, hostility, monitoring) and narcissism (superiority, exploitativeness). Parental hostility at age 12 was associated with higher levels of exploitativeness at age 14, whereas parental monitoring at age 12 was associated with lower levels of exploitativeness at age 14. These effects replicated across three different parenting measures: child reports, spouse reports, and behavioral coding of parent-child interactions. None of the parenting dimensions was related to superiority, suggesting that parenting practices are more strongly related to the maladaptive than the adaptive component of narcissism.

The Stability of Extreme Response Style and Acquiescence Over 8 Years.

This study investigated the stability of extreme response style (ERS) and acquiescence response style (ARS) over a period of 8 years. ERS and ARS were measured with item sets drawn randomly from a large pool of items used in an ongoing German panel study. Latent-trait-state-occasion and latent-state models were applied to test the relationship between time-specific (state) response style behaviors and time-invariant trait components of response styles. The results show that across different random item samples, on average between 49% and 59% of the variance in the state response style factors was explained by the trait response style factors. This indicates that the systematic differences respondents show in their preferences for certain response categories are remarkably stable over a period of 8 years. The stability of ERS and ARS implies that it is important to consider response styles in the analysis of self-report data from polytomous rating scales, especially in longitudinal studies aimed at investigating stability in substantive traits. Furthermore, the stability of response styles raises the question in how far they might be considered trait-like latent variables themselves that could be of substantive interest.

A Simulation Study on Methods of Correcting for the Effects of Extreme Response Style.

The impact of response styles such as extreme response style (ERS) on trait estimation has long been a matter of concern to researchers and practitioners. This simulation study investigated three methods that have been proposed for the correction of trait estimates for ERS effects: (a) mixed Rasch models, (b) multidimensional item response models, and (c) regression residuals. The methods were compared with respect to their ability of recovering the true latent trait levels. Data were generated according to a unidimensional model with only one trait, a mixed Rasch model with two populations of ERS and non-ERS, and a two-dimensional model incorporating a trait and an ERS dimension. The data were analyzed using the same models as well as linear regression where the trait estimate is regressed on an ERS score and the resulting residual is considered the corrected trait estimate. Over all conditions, the two-dimensional model achieved the best trait recovery, though the difference to the unidimensional model was rather small. Mixed Rasch models were in general inferior to the other correction methods. When the trait and ERS showed no to weak correlations, ERS appeared to have a minor impact on trait estimation.

Development of a brief version of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory.

With theoretical and empirical interest in narcissism growing, there is a need for brief measures of pathological narcissism that can be used more practically while assessing the construct comprehensively. Data from four samples (total N = 3,851) collected across two separate research groups and representing undergraduate, community, and clinical populations were used to establish the reliability, validity, and utility of the Brief-Pathological Narcissism Inventory (B-PNI). Item response theory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine the best-performing 28 items from the original PNI and ensure that the B-PNI exhibited a factor structure consistent with the original PNI. Items were retained for all seven pathological narcissism facet scales. Additional results also support the criterion validity of the B-PNI, suggesting that it can be used in place of the original PNI to assess the various facets of pathological narcissism effectively and without loss of information, which may enhance the ability of researchers to investigate pathological narcissism in future work.

An Alternative Way to Model Population Ability Distributions in Large-Scale Educational Surveys.

In large-scale educational surveys, a latent regression model is used to compensate for the shortage of cognitive information. Conventionally, the covariates in the latent regression model are principal components extracted from background data. This operational method has several important disadvantages, such as the handling of missing data and the high model complexity. The approach introduced here to identify multiple groups that can account for the variation among students is to conduct a latent class analysis (LCA). In the LCA, one or more latent nominal variables are identified that can be used to classify respondents with respect to their background characteristics. These classifications are then introduced as predictors in the latent regression. The primary goal of this study was to explore whether this approach yields similar estimates of group means and standard deviations compared with the operational procedure. The alternative approaches based on LCA differed regarding the number of classes, the items used for the LCA, and whether manifest class membership information or class membership probabilities were used as independent variables in the latent regression. Overall, recovery of the operational approach's group means and standard deviations was very satisfactory for all LCA approaches. Furthermore, the posterior means and standard deviations used to generate plausible values derived from the operational approach and the LCA approaches correlated highly. Thus, incorporating independent variables based on an LCA of background data into the latent regression model appears to be a viable alternative to the operational approach.

Reversed thresholds in partial credit models: a reason for collapsing categories?

When questionnaire data with an ordered polytomous response format are analyzed in the framework of item response theory using the partial credit model or the generalized partial credit model, reversed thresholds may occur. This led to the discussion of whether reversed thresholds violate model assumptions and indicate disordering of the response categories. Adams, Wu, and Wilson showed that reversed thresholds are merely a consequence of low frequencies in the categories concerned and that they do not affect the order of the rating scale. This article applies an empirical approach to elucidate the topic of reversed thresholds using data from the Revised NEO Personality Inventory as well as a simulation study. It is shown that categories differentiate between participants with different trait levels despite reversed thresholds and that category disordering can be analyzed independently of the ordering of the thresholds. Furthermore, we show that reversed thresholds often only occur in subgroups of participants. Thus, researchers should think more carefully about collapsing categories due to reversed thresholds.