Adverse childhood experiences and grandiose narcissism - Findings from a population-representative sample.

BACKGROUND: In the development of narcissism, besides genetic factors, hostile educational conditions, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are discussed as causal factors. ACE may play a causal role in the development of antagonistic behavior due to negative interpersonal experiences. However, studies assessing the role of ACEs in the etiology of narcissism are still inconsistent, particularly regarding grandiose narcissism. This may be due to the complexity of grandiose narcissism, which can be distinguished into agentic (admiration) and antagonistic (rivalry) facets. Understanding the role of early traumatic events in the etiology of grandiose narcissism may be important for psychotherapeutic treatment in both, patients with trauma history and narcissistic patients. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to specify the role of ACEs in grandiose narcissism by differentiating between admiration and rivalry. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: In a cross-sectional survey conducted from November 2017 to February 2018, a representative sample of the German population above the age of 14 (N = 2531) was selected in a random route approach. RESULTS: Increased numbers of ACEs were associated with higher mean scores for rivalry in females (B = 0.04, p = 0.02) and males (B = 0.08, p < 0.01), while no significant associations were seen for admiration. Focusing on individual ACEs, in males, all maltreatment experiences were associated with narcissistic rivalry, with the exception of physical neglect, while in women only emotional maltreatment and emotional neglect were significant. Associations with household dysfunction were shown only in men. There were no significant associations between individual ACEs and admiration. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest emotional coldness and negative relationship experiences play a role in the development of, in particular, antagonistic and unfavorable narcissistic traits, such as admiration. Therapy with individuals who have experienced ACEs should take into account possible narcissistic personality traits related to ACEs to facilitate successful treatment. Thus, our findings may help building a therapeutic alliance though a better understanding of the development of current behavioral problems for both patient and psychotherapist.

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.

Community Feeling and Narcissism as Two Opposite Phenomena.

The objective of the current study was to examine the relations between narcissism and Adler's community feeling. Based on theoretical considerations, we claim that community feeling can be treated as an opposite pole of narcissism and we expected that: (1) both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism would be negatively related to community feeling and that (2) grandiose and vulnerable narcissism would be positively related to anti-community domination and isolation. A sample of 520 university students (Mage = 21.37, SDage = 4.31) completed the Community Feeling Questionnaire (CFQ), the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ) and the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (HSNS). Structural equation modeling largely confirmed our expectations. These results suggest that narcissism can be understood in terms of a deficit in community feeling. It turned out that community feeling and narcissism are related constructs but they are not reducible to each other.

Face Perception and Narcissism: Variations of Event-Related Potential Components (P1 & N170) with Admiration and Rivalry.

Previous studies have demonstrated that highly narcissistic individuals perceive themselves as grandiose and devaluate and sometimes overvalue others. These results are mainly based on behavioural data, but we still know little about the neural correlates underlying, such as perceptional processes. To this end, we investigated event-related potential components (ERP) of visual face processing (P1 and N170) and their variations with narcissism. Participants (N = 59) completed the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire and were shown pictures of their own face, a celebrity's face, and a stranger's face. Variations of P1 and N170 with Admiration and Rivalry were analysed using multilevel models. Results revealed moderating effects of both narcissism dimensions on the ERP components of interest. Participants with either high Admiration or low Rivalry scores showed a lower P1 amplitude when viewing their own face compared with when viewing a celebrity's face. Moreover, the Self-Stranger difference in the N170 component (higher N170 amplitude in the Self condition) was larger for higher Rivalry scores. The findings showed, for the first time, variations of both narcissism dimensions with ERPs of early face processing. We related these effects to processes of attentional selection, an expectancy-driven perception, and the mobilisation of defensive systems. The results demonstrated that by linking self-report instruments to P1 and N170, and possibly to other ERP components, we might better understand self- and other-perception in narcissism.

Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry: An Interpersonal Approach to Construct Validation.

The present study applied the interpersonal perspective in testing the narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept (NARC) and examining the construct validity of the corresponding Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ). Two undergraduate samples (Sample 1: N = 290; Sample 2: N = 188) completed self-report measures of interpersonal processes based in the interpersonal circumplex (IPC), as well as measures of related constructs. In examining IPC correlates, the authors used a novel bootstrapping approach to determine if admiration and rivalry related to differing interpersonal profiles. Consistent with the authors' hypotheses, admiration was distinctly related to generally agentic (i.e., dominant) interpersonal processes, whereas rivalry generally reflected (low) communal (i.e., hostile) interpersonal processes. Furthermore, NARQ-admiration and NARQ-rivalry related to generally adaptive and maladaptive aspects of status-related constructs, emotional, personality, and social adjustment, respectively. This research provides further support for the NARC, as well as construct validation for the NARQ.