Collective Narcissism as a Basis for Nationalism

Abstract

Recent work suggests that collective narcissism-an exaggerated, unrealistic belief in an in-group's greatness that demands constant external validation-is a strong predictor of a variety of political attitudes. In the present study, we use nationally-representative panel data from Poland to examine the relationship between national collective narcissism and nationalism, a belief that the national ingroup is superior and should dominate other nations. We first demonstrate that national collective narcissism, nationalism and mere satisfaction with national ingroup are distinct. In turn, in both cross-sectional and panel analyses, we find (1) that national collective narcissism is positively related to nationalism, whereas satisfaction with the national-ingroup is not; and (2) that national collective narcissism is a stronger predictor of nationalism than national-ingroup satisfaction is in absolute terms. Our analyses thus provide evidence that nationalism may be rooted in narcissistic exaggeration of the greatness of the national in-group rather than non-narcissistic national ingroup satisfaction.

National identity and environmentalism: why national narcissism might undermine pro-environmental efforts

“…This mirrors the dynamics of individual narcissism, but individual narcissism tends to be regulated by the protection and enhancement of the individual-rather than the collective-self (Back et al, 2013). Needs for image enhancement and protection mean that national narcissism tends to predict support for actions that either boost one's nation's image (Główczewski et al, 2022) or display outgroup hostility, especially under threat (Golec de Zavala et al, 2013;Cichocka and Cislak, 2020;Federico et al, 2023). Importantly, the effect of national narcissism on such tendencies have been observed in various contexts (Cislak and Cichocka, 2023).…”

Appearance Schemas Inventory–Revised: Validation on a Polish Sample

“…In future studies, it would be advisable to add control questions to make sure that participants are actually attentive to the material (such as self-report indicators, bogus items, and instructed items; DeSimone & Harms, 2018). While studies on data from panels are gaining popularity (Federico et al, 2021;Jasielska et al, 2022;Zagefka, 2021), it is important to note the specificity of this form of recruitment. It would be advisable to replicate these results in other cultures, including countries with different characteristics on cultural dimensions (Hofstede et al, 2010), to check whether the ASI-R scale is culturally sensitive.…”

Double trouble: How sectarian and national narcissism relate differently to collective violence beliefs in Lebanon

“…For instance, God's love, exceptional loss, suffering, and martyrdom are the bases for collective narcissism in Hungary (Forgas & Lantos, 2020) and Poland (Skarżyńska et al, 2012). National narcissism also differs from nationalism (Cichocka & Cislak, 2020;Federico et al, 2023), which has been described as a belief in national superiority (Kosterman & Feshbach, 1989) and 'chauvinistic arrogance and desire for dominance in international relations' (Li & Brewer, 2004, p. 728).…”

“…For instance, God's love, exceptional loss, suffering, and martyrdom are the bases for collective narcissism in Hungary (Forgas & Lantos, 2020) and Poland (Skarżyńska et al, 2012). National narcissism also differs from nationalism (Cichocka & Cislak, 2020; Federico et al, 2023), which has been described as a belief in national superiority (Kosterman & Feshbach, 1989) and ‘chauvinistic arrogance and desire for dominance in international relations’ (Li & Brewer, 2004, p. 728). Nationalism captures the perception that its superiority entitles the nation to use force and hostility to achieve and maintain dominance in international affairs (Blank & Schmidt, 2003; de Figueiredo & Elkins, 2003; Kosterman & Feshbach, 1989; Mummendey et al, 2001; Pehrson et al, 2009).…”