The effect of pathological narcissism on interpersonal and affective processes in social interactions.

Abstract

Narcissism has significant interpersonal costs, yet little research has examined behavioral and affective patterns characteristic of narcissism in naturalistic settings. Here we studied the effect of narcissistic features on the dynamic processes of interpersonal behavior and affect in daily life. We used interpersonal theory to generate transactional models of social interaction (i.e., linkages among perceptions of others’ behavior, affect, and one’s own behavior) predicted to be characteristic of narcissism. Psychiatric outpatients (N=102) completed clinical interviews and a 21-day ecological momentary assessment protocol using smartphones. After social interactions (N=5,781), participants reported on perceptions of their interaction partner’s behavior (scored along the dimensions of dominant-submissive and affiliative-quarrelsome), their own affect, and their own behavior. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to examine dynamic links among behavior and affect across interactions, and the role of narcissism in moderating these links. Results showed that perceptions of others’ dominance did not predict dominant behavior, but did predict quarrelsome behavior, and this link was potentiated by narcissism. Further, the link between others’ dominance and one’s own quarrelsome behavior was mediated by negative affect. Moderated mediation was also found: Narcissism amplified the link between ratings of others’ dominance and one’s own quarrelsomeness and negative affect. Narcissism did not moderate the link between other dominance and own dominance, nor the link between other affiliation and own affiliation. These results suggest that narcissism is associated with specific interpersonal and affective processes, such that sensitivity to others’ dominance triggers antagonistic behavior in daily life.

Interpersonal problems across levels of the psychopathology hierarchy

“…Such work has yielded results that highlight the importance of contextual factors and the interpersonal behavior of one's interactants (Pincus et al, 2014; Thomas et al, 2014b; Wright et al, 2017; Zuroff et al, 2007). …”

Belief in narcissistic insecurity: Perceptions of lay raters and their personality and psychopathology relations

“…In support of this viewpoint, Wright et al found that individuals with high levels of grandiose narcissistic traits experience intense negative emotion when perceiving others as dominant in social interactions. Further, grandiose narcissism appears to be related to attempting to promote a ‘perfect’ self‐image to others .…”

Attachment and Borderline Personality Disorder: Differential Effects on Situational Socio-Affective Processes

“…From these we created two subscales corresponding to dominance (Dominance = Dominant -Submissive) and affiliation (Affiliation = Agreeable -Quarrelsome). Prior work has treated the four scales as separate, but we collapsed them based on theoretical grounds, and to reduce number of statistical models/tests, as we have done in our prior work (Wright et al, 2017).…”

“…As a way to address these limitations, Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory of personality and psychopathology (Hopwood et al, 2019;Wright et al, 2020) provides an ideal framework for studying the shared and distinct contributions of insecure attachment and BPD to impairments in socio-affective functioning. Key to interpersonal theory is the assumption that indiviual differences are reflected in characteristic patterns of affective and behavioral processes arising during social interactions in response to perceived internal (i.e., mental construal) and external (i.e., proximal behavior of others) social cues (Kiesler, 1996;Wright et al, 2017).…”