Emotional reactivity and the association between psychopathy-linked narcissism and aggression in detained adolescent boys

Abstract

Citation for published item:gentifnti @n¡ ee wu£ nozAD vFgF nd uimonisD iFF nd prikD FtF nd euoinD uFtF @PHIQA 9imotionl retivity nd the ssoition etween psyhopthyElinked nrissism nd ggression in detined dolesent oysF9D hevelopment nd psyhopthologyFD PS @PAF ppF RUQERVSF Further information on publisher's website: Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. In press. This paper has been accepted for publication in 'Development and Psychopathology'and will appear in a revised form, subsequent to editorial input by Cambridge University Press.© Cambridge University Press. EMOTIONAL REACTIVITY IN NARCISSISM 2Abstract Different patterns of emotional reactivity characterize proactive and reactive functions of aggressive behavior, and theory also suggests a link of both types with narcissism. Importantly, how people with narcissistic traits respond emotionally to competitive scenarios could influence their aggressiveness.Participants were 85 adolescent boys from a detention center. Several indices of emotional functioning were assessed including attentional bias to negative emotional stimuli and psychophysiological responding. In addition, we included self-report and laboratory measures of aggression and measures of psychopathy-linked narcissism, callous-unemotional traits, and impulsivity. Psychopathy-linked narcissism was uniquely related to unprovoked aggression (i.e., proactive aggression) and to heightened attention to pictures depicting others' distress. Compared with those scoring low on narcissism, those high on narcissism who were the least physiologically reactive group evinced greater proactive aggression, whereas those showing a pattern of coactivation (i.e., sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic reactivity) evinced greater reactive aggression.Results are consistent with descriptions of narcissistic individuals as being hypervigilant to negative cues and exhibiting poor emotion regulation. These characteristics may lead to aggressive and violent behavior aimed at maintaining dominance over others.

How do different dimensions of adolescent narcissism impact the relation between callous‐unemotional traits and self‐reported aggression?

“…In general, high levels of narcissism are thought to be linked to reactive aggression because of perceived threats to a grandiose sense of self (e.g., Bushman & Baumeister, 1998;Thomaes, Bushman, De Castro, & Stegge, 2009). However, youth high in narcissism may also be prone to engage in proactive aggression as a useful strategy to exploit and manipulate others for interpersonal gain, a connection that is also supported in previous research (Muñoz Centifanti, Kimonis, Frick, & Aucoin, 2013;Seah & Ang, 2008;Washburn et al, 2004).…”

Narcissism, Low Self-Control, and Violence Among a Nationally Representative Sample

“…In particular, they will aggress against the source of the threat. (p. 8) what followed this proposition was a line of research focused on "threatened egotism" and whether it is a required element of the narcissism-violence link (Barry et al, 2007;Baumeister et al, 2000;Bushman & Baumeister, 1998;Centifanti et al, 2013;Stucke & Sporer, 2002;Thomaes et al, 2008;Twenge & Campbell, 2003;washburn, McMahon, King, Reinecke, & Silver, 2004).…”

“…Importantly, however, not all research supports the proposition that narcissism is only associated with violence when a narcissistic individual is provoked (Barry et al, 2007;Centifanti et al, 2013;Reidy, Foster, & Zeichner, 2010;washburn et al, 2004). For example, washburn et al (2004) determined that narcissism is associated with proactive (i.e., unprovoked) displays of aggression among young adolescents.…”

A game for emotional regulation in adolescents: The (body) interface device matters

“…ER strategies have been researched mainly in adults, although recent studies have shown their relevance in childhood and adolescence (Betts, Gullone, & Allen, 2009;Gullone, Hughes, King, & Tonge, 2010;Gullone & Taffe, 2012;Larsen et al, 2013), and they have been related to psychological disorders in this population, such as anxiety, depression (i.e., Garber, Braafladt, & Weiss, 1995;Mathews, Kerns, & Ciesla, 2014;Silk, Steinberg, & Morris, 2003;Southam-Gerow & Kendall, 2002;Suveg & Zeman, 2004), aggressiveness (i.e., Bohnert, Crnic, & Lim, 2003;Dearing, Relyea, & Simons, 2002;Muñoz, Kimonis, Frick, & Aucoin, 2013;Sullivan, Helms, Kliewer, & Goodman, 2010) or eating disorders (i.e., Sim & Zeman, 2005, 2006, among others.…”