The Vulnerable Dark Triad (secondary psychopathy, vulnerable narcissism, and borderline personality) was proposed in 2010 as a counterpart of the Dark Triad and combines socially undesirable ...behaviors with emotionally vulnerable traits. Despite being proposed more than a decade ago, no study (to our knowledge) has sought to map the existing evidence. Thus, we performed a scoping review with a meta-analysis of materials published about the Vulnerable Dark Triad. We searched materials in the following databases: PsychARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, using Google Scholar as a complement. We found a total of 200 materials, of which 27 were included in our qualitative and meta-analysis procedure. Our results indicate that all Vulnerable Dark Triad traits are intercorrelated (secondary psychopathy-vulnerable narcissism r¯ = 0.44; secondary psychopathy-borderline personality r¯ = 0.49; vulnerable narcissism-borderline personality r¯ = 0.56). Furthermore, emotional instability is the vulnerable triad core. All traits are positively associated with impulsive behaviors, difficulties in emotional regulation, and higher rejection sensitivity.
•Emotional instability is the core of the Vulnerable Dark Triad.•Difficulties in emotional regulation and impulsive behaviors are highly associated with the Vulnerable Dark Triad.•All studies were published with WEIRD (i.e., Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democracies) populations.
•Is multidimensional perfectionism related to grandiose or vulnerable narcissism?•Data from 375 university students were analyzed.•Other-oriented perfectionism related mainly to narcissistic ...grandiosity.•Socially prescribed perfectionism related mainly to narcissistic vulnerability.•Results advance our understanding of what it is to be a narcissistic perfectionist.
Multidimensional perfectionism is related to grandiose narcissism, with other-oriented perfectionism showing the strongest, most consistent relationships. The relationships with vulnerable narcissism, however, are unclear. Our study investigated how three forms of perfectionism—self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism (Hewitt & Flett, 1991)—are related to narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability. A sample of 375 university students completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Raskin & Terry, 1988), Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (Hendin & Cheek, 1997), and Pathological Narcissism Inventory (Pincus et al., 2009) capturing various facets of narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability. Multiple regressions were conducted controlling for the overlap between the three forms of perfectionism and gender. Other-oriented perfectionism showed unique positive relationships with key facets of grandiose narcissism. In contrast, socially prescribed perfectionism showed positive relationships with all facets of vulnerable narcissism. Self- and other-oriented perfectionism showed positive relationships with individual facets only. Other-oriented perfectionism appears to represent a form of perfectionism predominantly related to narcissistic grandiosity, whereas socially prescribed perfectionism is predominantly related to narcissistic vulnerability. As the first study to examine perfectionism in relation to narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability, our research both extends and clarifies the nomological network of the perfectionism construct in important ways.
Grandiose narcissism is defined as increased motivation for status and viewing oneself as entitled and superior to others. We hypothesized that these tendencies might be associated with basal levels ...of testosterone because testosterone is considered the most social hormone—driving dominance and the motivation to achieve social status. We distinguished between two facets of grandiose narcissism: agentic (i.e., the tendency to self-promotion in order to win others’ admiration and social influence) and antagonistic (i.e., a reactive strategy used to restore threatened status). In 283 adult men, we examined the association between these facets of narcissism and blood-tested and self-reported testosterone levels. Agentic narcissism—the default narcissistic strategy—was positively associated with both testosterone indicators. Moreover, self-reported and objectively measured testosterone were positively correlated. These findings extend previous work by showing that the facets of narcissism have distinct hormonal underpinnings.
Narcissism, a personality trait characterized by entitlement and conceit, is increasingly prevalent in society. Two subtypes of narcissism exist: grandiose narcissism (characterized by arrogance and ...dominance) and vulnerable narcissism (characterized by social insecurity and overreliance on others’ feedback). We posit that both narcissistic subtypes will engage in ostentatious, showy purchases, that is, conspicuous consumption. Since the two subtypes differ so profoundly in their self‐esteem regulation strategies, we further posit that their motivations to consume conspicuously may vary. Specifically, we hypothesize that grandiose narcissists’ conspicuous consumption will be driven by their need‐for‐uniqueness, whilst that of vulnerable narcissists by their need to avoid social disapproval. We test our hypotheses using data obtained from 382 participants. Our results support our expectations that both narcissism subtypes predict conspicuous consumption and that the relationship between grandiose narcissism and conspicuous consumption is mediated by their need‐for‐uniqueness. Meanwhile, we find that approval‐seeking (AS) is only a marginally significant mediator of vulnerable narcissism and conspicuous consumption in females. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications.
Narcissism is often seen as a unidimensional construct, however, more recently, a plethora of studies have pointed to its multidimensional nature. Despite this, the role of narcissism as a ...multifaceted construct in the quality of interpersonal relationships has rarely been tested. In addition, less is known about what mechanisms may underly this association. In this study, we investigated how grandiose, vulnerable, and isolated narcissism, are associated with relational capacity and whether identity integration and social concordance may underly these associations. The sample included 222 male participants with a mean age of 37.71 (
SD
= 13.25). Of these, 157 were participants from the community, and 65 were in outpatient treatment at four Dutch forensic centers. The Dutch Narcissism Scale was used to measure three forms of narcissism, while The Severity Indices of Personality Problems – Short Form was used to measure identity integration, social concordance, and relational capacity. The mediation model was tested in R and adjusted for age and criminal behavior. Despite significant bivariate correlations between three narcissistic types and relational capacity only isolated narcissism was directly and negatively associated with relational capacity in the mediation model. Likewise, both identity integration and social concordance were positively associated with relational capacity. Grandiose narcissism was positively, while vulnerable narcissism was negatively associated with relational capacity, but only through identity integration. Identity integration was also a significant mediator in the association between isolated narcissism and relational capacity along with social concordance. Finally, criminal behavior appeared to be the only significant covariate indicating that forensic outpatients (versus community participants) were more likely to have impaired relational capacity. The findings of this study could be useful in clinical practice to improve the treatment of narcissistic individuals and make them less harmful to others in social and intimate relationships.
•Overt narcissism was positively associated with self-esteem and self-efficacy.•Covert narcissism was negatively associated with self-esteem and self-efficacy.•NPI Special Person was linked to higher ...self-esteem, but not self-efficacy.•NPI Power was not linked to self-esteem, but was related to higher self-efficacy.•NPI Exhibitionism was not significantly linked to self-esteem or self-efficacy.
Past literature has suggested a dual nature of trait based narcissism, comprising overt and covert forms. While several studies have examined the two subtypes in relation to self-esteem, very few studies have examined narcissistic subtypes and self-efficacy. 115 Psychology undergraduates filled in self-report measures of overt narcissism, covert narcissism, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Results demonstrated no significant relationship between overt and covert narcissism, suggesting two distinct subtypes. Overt and covert forms of narcissism were found to significantly contribute to self-efficacy beyond self-esteem. Further, overt narcissism positively predicted both self-esteem and self-efficacy beyond self-esteem. Conversely, covert narcissism was found to negatively predict self-esteem and self-efficacy beyond self-esteem. Overt narcissism subscale associations were also computed, with Power being associated with higher self-efficacy but not self-esteem, suggesting Power to be a more adaptive subscale. The Special Person subscale was associated with higher self-esteem but not self-efficacy, suggesting it forms the maladaptive core of overt narcissism. Exhibitionism was not associated with either self-esteem or self-efficacy. Results appear congruent with past literature, and have given an additional insight into the implications of trait based narcissism regarding self-efficacy. Findings appear to suggest trait based overt narcissism is a more adaptive construct to individual self-concept than covert narcissism.
In a nationally representative sample from Poland (N = 755), we examined the relationships between the Dark Triad traits (i.e., psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) and collective ...narcissism (i.e., agentic and communal) on the one hand, and behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic at (1) the zero-order level, at (2) the latent variance level, and (3) indirectly through health beliefs about the virus (i.e., the health belief model) on the other. We focused on preventive and hoarding behaviors as common reactions toward the pandemic. Participants characterized by the Dark Triad traits engaged less in prevention and more in hoarding, whereas those characterized by collective narcissism engaged in more hoarding only. Coronavirus-related health beliefs mediated patterns of prevention (fully) and hoarding (partially) in the latent Dark Triad (Dark Core) and collective narcissism. However, specific beliefs worked in opposite directions, resulting in a weak indirect effect for prevention and a null indirect effect for hoarding. The results point to the utility of health beliefs in predicting behaviors during the pandemic, explaining (at least in part) problematic behaviors associated with the dark personalities (i.e., Dark Triad, collective narcissism).
•Examined dark personality correlates and health beliefs related to the COVID-19•Correlated the Dark Triad traits with less prevention and more hoarding•Collective narcissism was only associated with more hoarding.•Health beliefs mediated patterns of prevention and hoarding.
This is the first study to investigate narcissism in relation to multiple self-presentation behaviors. In Study 1, we tested the relation between grandiose narcissism and 12 self-presentation tactics ...(as measured by the Self-Presentation Tactics Scale). In Study 2, we replicated Study 1 and included a measure of vulnerable narcissism. Our review of the literature implied that vulnerable narcissism and grandiose narcissism might relate differentially to self-presentation tactic categories. Results generally supported the idea that grandiose narcissism is associated with heightened use of assertive but not defensive self-presentation tactics. Vulnerable narcissism was associated with heightened use of both assertive and defensive self-presentation tactics. Overall, narcissists' utilization of self-presentation tactics seemed largely rational: grandiose narcissists assumed that assertive self-presentation tactics were more effective (Study 1), and both grandiose and vulnerable narcissists did not over-utilize tactics that convey identity images inconsistent with their narcissistic identity (Studies 1 and 2). Self-presentation is central to narcissism, and the present findings offer the first empirical evidence for a descriptive profile of self-presentation tactics that are most typical of grandiose and vulnerable narcissists.
•We profiled grandiose and vulnerable narcissists based on self-presentation tactic use.•Grandiose narcissism related to frequent use of assertive but not defensive tactics.•Vulnerable narcissism related to frequent use of both assertive and defensive tactics.•Narcissists' tactic use seemed rational and congruous with narcissistic identities.
•We locate communal narcissism within the three-factor model of narcissism.•Residualised communal narcissism is negatively related to agreeableness, donating money, and being liked.•Communal ...narcissism might be interpreted as superficial self-presentation in grandiose narcissism.
There are three facets of narcissism: agentic, antagonistic, and neurotic. However, not all narcissistic constructs fit into this structural organization. Across two self-report studies (N = 1154) and one social network study (N = 246; N = 5986 total observations), we analyse if communal narcissism could be meaningfully integrated with this three-factor conceptualization of narcissism. We provide evidence that communal narcissism is negatively related to agreeableness when controlling for communion. Also, such residualised communal narcissism negatively predicts objective prosociality as well as being liked less (when controlled for liking others). Relations of the residualised communal narcissism to the facets of narcissism allows to fit this construct within the spectrum of narcissistic personality.
Narcissists are described as individuals with dysfunctional personality traits such as lack of psychological awareness and empathy. Theories of ethical behaviour assume that unethical actions trigger ...moral emotions of guilt and shame. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on moral emotions as dispositional traits and their potential influences on behaviour in individuals with narcissistic traits. The present study examined vulnerable and grandiose narcissism's differences in the propensity to experience guilt and shame as a proneness, across a range of personal transgressions. Guilt proneness was measured by negative evaluation of unethical behaviour, and whether this evaluation could influence reparation of tendencies of unethical action in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism. Shame proneness was investigated by negative evaluation of the self, and then whether the previous tendency could affect unethical decision making and behaviour (e.g., hiding), in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism. Two hundred and sixteen participants responded to the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory Scale and the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale in an online questionnaire. Findings indicate that grandiose narcissism was negatively associated with guilt proneness, and the relation between the vulnerable narcissism and guilt proneness was negative. Additionally, the results confirm a negative association between grandiose narcissism and shame proneness, especially related to the subscale 'shame negative self-evaluation'. Furthermore, guilt and shame proneness explained 20% of the variance in vulnerable narcissism and 11% in grandiose narcissism. This research indicates that both vulnerable and grandiose narcissism have the tendency to make unethical decisions, and they are more likely to enact in unethical behaviour. These findings are relevant for the detection of narcissistic individual's propensity to act unethically in social context.
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