Narcissism and well‐being: A longitudinal perspective

Abstract

This study used a longitudinal design to examine both concurrent and prospective relations between narcissism and several indicators of well-being in a non-clinical population. Consistent with previous research, the concurrent analyses showed that (1) narcissism was related to greater well-being with self-esteem fully mediating the association, and (2) narcissism was related to greater self-esteem contingency on negative interpersonal events. The prospective analyses showed that greater well-being predicted an increase in narcissism; however, higher narcissism did not predict changes in well-being. Lower affective reactivity to negative interpersonal events also predicted an increase in narcissism. The ''would-be'' narcissist appears to be a person reporting feeling well and not overly concerned by an aversive social environment. However, narcissism does not appear to predict future benefits for one's well-being.

Antecedents, Consequences, and Mechanisms: On the Longitudinal Interplay Between Academic Self‐Enhancement and Psychological Adjustment

“…Second, the results indicate that self‐enhancement may not only be a cause, but also a consequence of adjustment (see also Kwan, Love, Ryff, & Essex, ; Zuckerman & O'Loughlin, ). Self‐enhancement was moderately stable over time, a finding that mirrors earlier results (e.g., Dufner et al., ; Zuckerman & O'Laughlin, ) and confirms its trait‐like properties. Nevertheless, well‐being and popularity predicted increases in self‐enhancement, and these findings suggest that trait levels can systematically change over time, in response to positive adjustment outcomes.…”

“…The according assumption is that by adopting or maintaining illusory positive beliefs about their abilities, individuals elevate their self‐esteem. In line with this possibility, studies demonstrated positive prospective effects of initial self‐enhancement on subsequent self‐esteem (Dufner et al., ; Zuckerman & O'Loughlin, ; but see Robins & Beer, ). Thus, both theory and empirical evidence suggest that self‐enhancement increases self‐esteem.…”

“…A more stringent test of the proposed causal mechanism requires a longitudinal test of prospective effects of the predictor on the mediator and prospective effects of the mediator on the outcome, while controlling for initial levels of the predictor and the mediator (MacKinnon, ). Zuckerman and O'Loughlin () aimed for such a test and did not find that self‐esteem longitudinally mediated an effect of narcissism on subsequent well‐being because narcissism was not linked to well‐being in the first place. Yet this study did not use a criterion‐based self‐enhancement measure and had relatively low statistical power.…”

“…Some people entertain highly inflated self‐perceptions, whereas others think realistically or even overly negatively of themselves (John & Robins, ; Kwan, John, Kenny, Bond, & Robins, ). Supporting the conceptualization of self‐enhancement as a trait‐like construct, self‐enhancement has proven to be consistent across evaluative traits (Asendorpf & Ostendorf, ) and moderately stable over time (e.g., Dufner et al., ; Zuckerman & O'Loughlin, ).…”

Narcissism in Midlife: Longitudinal Changes in and Correlates of Women's Narcissistic Personality Traits

“…At first blush, narcissistic traits appear maladaptive, and indeed both NPD and narcissistic traits have been associated with impaired interpersonal functioning and psychological maladjustment (e.g., Miller, Campbell, & Pilkonis, 2007). Upon closer examination, however, the picture is more complex: Narcissistic traits also predict many positive outcomes, including higher levels of self-esteem, happiness, and wellbeing (e.g., Zuckerman & O′Loughun, 2009).…”