TY - JOUR
T1 - In the mind of the beholder
T2 - Narcissism relates to a distorted and enhanced self-image
AU - Steiner, Troy G.
AU - Levy, Kenneth N.
AU - Brandenburg, Joseph C.
AU - Adams, Reginald B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (Grant No. DGE1255832 ). We thank Kierstin Barbieri, Brittney Jessick, and Brandon McCormick for their help in conducting assessments. We also acknowledge the helpful comments of Irena Gorski Steiner. Finally, we thank the participants in the study for their time and effort.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - To date, prominent theories still disagree on whether the pathological grandiosity that underlies narcissism stems from a defensive, compensatory process in response to insecurity or from years of unjustified overvaluation during formative stages of development. Across two studies, we introduce a novel method to test these theories by examining visual representations of self. In Study 1, we measured Self-Concept Clarity and the distortion of (n = 96) participants' self-images (generated using the reverse correlation technique) relative to their actual appearances. In Study 2, we then compared attractiveness ratings of the actual photographs of participants with their self-images generated in Study 1, through judgments made by independent raters (n = 45). Our work revealed that a) lower Self-Concept Clarity predicts self-image distortion, b) the narcissistic desire to conceal flaws mediates this association, and c) self-image distortion led to self-enhancement, consistent with a compensatory reaction to insecurity.
AB - To date, prominent theories still disagree on whether the pathological grandiosity that underlies narcissism stems from a defensive, compensatory process in response to insecurity or from years of unjustified overvaluation during formative stages of development. Across two studies, we introduce a novel method to test these theories by examining visual representations of self. In Study 1, we measured Self-Concept Clarity and the distortion of (n = 96) participants' self-images (generated using the reverse correlation technique) relative to their actual appearances. In Study 2, we then compared attractiveness ratings of the actual photographs of participants with their self-images generated in Study 1, through judgments made by independent raters (n = 45). Our work revealed that a) lower Self-Concept Clarity predicts self-image distortion, b) the narcissistic desire to conceal flaws mediates this association, and c) self-image distortion led to self-enhancement, consistent with a compensatory reaction to insecurity.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110608
DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110608
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85099216326
VL - 173
JO - Personality and Individual Differences
JF - Personality and Individual Differences
SN - 0191-8869
M1 - 110608
ER -