Distinguishing Subgroups of Narcissists with Latent Class Analysis

Abstract

This study investigated grandiose narcissism from a categorical perspective. We tested whether subgroups of narcissists can be distinguished that differ in their expressions of more agentic (narcissistic admiration, ADM) and more antagonistic (narcissistic rivalry, RIV) pathways of narcissism. We analysed three German samples (total N = 2211; M age = 26; 70% female) and one US sample (N = 971; M age = 35; 74% female) using latent class analysis. Four subgroups of narcissists were consistently identified across samples from Germany and the United States: low narcissists, moderate narcissists primarily characterized by agentic aspects (ADM), moderate narcissists characterized by both agentic and antagonistic aspects (ADM + RIV), and high narcissists. The subgroups were systematically related to a number of personality traits (e.g. Machiavellianism, impulsivity) and adjustment indicators (e.g. selfesteem, empathy). Members in the moderate narcissists-ADM subgroup showed the most adaptive characteristics while members in the moderate narcissists-ADM + RIV subgroup showed the most maladaptive characteristics. Investigating grandiose narcissism-a primarily quantitative trait-from a categorical perspective can yield valuable insights that would otherwise be overlooked. In addition, our results underline the utility of a self-regulatory process approach to grandiose narcissism that distinguishes between agentic and antagonistic dynamics.

Longitudinal Associations of Narcissism with Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Institutional Outcomes: An Investigation Using a Representative Sample of the German Population

“…Residualized narcissistic rivalry (i.e., the tendency to engage in antagonistic narcissistic self-defense), in contrast, was most strongly negatively associated with intrapersonal adjustment (e.g., general dissatisfaction, increased negative affect, and decreased happiness and self-esteem) and success in the institutional domain (e.g., lower job prestige, communal involvement, satisfaction with work and income). These results align well with previous research showing that people higher in agentic aspects of narcissism are focused on getting ahead and strive for positions of power (Campbell & Campbell, 2009;Rogoza et al, 2016;Rosenthal & Pittinsky, 2006) as well as findings that indicate that agentic aspects of narcissism are generally related to higher self-esteem (Geukes et al, 2017;Miller, Lynam, Hyatt, & Campbell, 2017;Wetzel, Leckelt, Gerlach, & Back, 2016), positive affect (Rhodewalt, Madrian, & Cheney, 1998), and negatively to depression (Sedikides et al, 2004;Watson & Biderman, 1993). Similarly, antagonistic aspects of grandiose narcissism have previously been found to predict counter-productive work behaviors as well as different forms of dissatisfaction (Foster, 2008;Rose, 2002), and lower self-esteem level and higher self-esteem fragility (Geukes et al, 2017;Zeigler-Hill & Besser, 2013).…”

Measurement invariance of three narcissism questionnaires across the US, the UK, and Germany

“…Participants could win one of six vouchers worth 50€. The data from this sample were also analyzed in Study 1 in Back et al (2013), Study 2 in Wetzel, Leckelt, Gerlach, and Back (2016), Leckelt et al (2018), and Grosz, Lösch, and Back (2017). There is no overlap with the research questions and analyses of the current study.…”

Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry: An Interpersonal Approach to Construct Validation

“…Our results also confirm prior work indicating that despite clear distinctions, these aspects of narcissism are correlated. Future research should examine how they combine (e.g., Wetzel, Leckelt, Gerlach, & Back, 2016) and interact. For example, among individuals scoring high on both dimensions, narcissistic admiration may be the initial tendency, with rivalry emerging over time when needs for admiration are not met.…”