Narcissistic self-esteem or optimal self-esteem? A Latent Profile Analysis of self-esteem and psychological entitlement

Patterns of relational aggression, narcissism, and self-esteem: Adolescents’ social goals unraveled

This study applies latent profile analysis to identify profiles of adolescents differentiated on levels of relational aggression (RAgg), self-esteem, and narcissism. To understand the social aspects of these profiles within the adolescent peer context, we compare them to their reported social goals of dominance, popularity, and intimacy. Greek junior high school students ( N = 2,207), selected via random stratified cluster sampling, aged 13–16 ( M = 14.04, SD =.81), completed a self-report survey. Based on self-esteem, narcissism, and RAgg scores, four groups emerged: the group with the lowest scores in RAgg, narcissism, and self-esteem (“low risk”), the group with the highest scores in RAgg, narcissism, and self-esteem (“relational aggressors with narcissistic self-esteem”), the group with moderate scores in RAgg, narcissism, and self-esteem (“moderate risk”), and the group with high RAgg and narcissism scores but low self-esteem (“relational aggressors with vulnerable self-esteem”). Relational aggressors with high narcissism and self-esteem scored higher on social goals than those with vulnerable self-esteem (high narcissism but low self-esteem). Preventive policies should replace excessive and unconditional praise with more realistic self-esteem sources and teach adolescents how to respond to negative feedback and to cope with ego threats or social placement concerns.

Entitlement: friend or foe of work-family conflict?

Purpose

Guided by Hobfoll’s (1989) conservation of resources theory, we examined how psychological entitlement moderates the negative relationship between work-family conflict (WFC) and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 119 accountants from the Midwestern United States, we tested our hypotheses with hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

Results indicate a strong, negative relationship between WFC and job satisfaction for employees low in psychological entitlement, but an insignificant relationship for entitled employees.

Practical implications

The results suggest that some entitlement may be beneficial to employees when coping with WFC. However, organizations should limit WFC in order to foster their least entitled employees’ job satisfaction.

Originality/value

This is the first study that investigates how psychological entitlement affects employees' reactions to WFC. Not only does it contribute to the growing body of research that examines how this individual difference affects workplace functioning, but it suggests there may be some benefits to entitlement, which largely has been disparaged.

Measurement of shopping addiction and its relationship with personality traits and well-being among Polish undergraduate students

There is still a scarcity of studies showing the relative contribution of different personality characteristics differentiating various behavioral addictions within an integrated model. In comparison to other addictions, fairly little is known about the role of specific personality traits in compulsive shopping. In addition, few studies have investigated the unique contribution of shopping addiction in terms of explaining different facets of well-being above and beyond personality characteristics previously shown to be related to psychosocial functioning. The present study shows validation of the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS) and a tentative integrated model of potential shopping addiction personality risk factors. BSAS was administered to 1156 Polish students. In addition, demographic variables, and personality traits (Big Five), self-esteem, self-efficacy, perceived narcissism, loneliness, social anxiety, and well-being indicators were measured. BSAS had acceptable fit with the data and demonstrated good reliability. The investigated model showed that shopping addiction was related to higher extraversion, perceived narcissism, and social anxiety, and lower agreeableness and general self-efficacy. Woman and older participants scored higher on BSAS. Shopping addiction was further related to all facets of impaired well-being and explained worse general health, and decreased sleep quality above and beyond other variables in the model. The results support the notion that shopping addiction may have specific personality risk factors with low agreeableness as an outstanding characteristic. This has implications for the development of early prevention and intervention programs.

Profiles of narcissism and self-esteem associated with comprehensive mental health in adolescents

INTRODUCTION

This study firstly aimed to identify different profiles of narcissism and self-esteem in adolescents using latent profile analysis (LPA). A secondary aim was to examine associations between the identified profiles and subsequent measures of comprehensive mental health.

METHODS

Chinese adolescents (N = 1009, 50.8%girls, M_age = 12.99, SD = 0.66) completed a packet of measures on two occasions at 6-month intervals. Narcissism and self-esteem were assessed at Time 1. Positive and negative indicators of mental health were assessed at Time 2.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis of narcissism and self-esteem identified six profiles: (1) high narcissism and high self-esteem; (2) high-moderate self-regard; (3) moderate self-regard; (4) low-moderate self-regard; (5) high narcissism but low self-esteem; (6) low self-regard. Adolescents in the high narcissism and high self-esteem and high-moderate self-regard profiles displayed positive mental health outcomes whereas adolescents in the high narcissism but low self-esteem and low self-regard profiles reported problematic mental health outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Differing profiles of narcissism and self-esteem in adolescents were identified; these profiles provide new insight into the structure of self-concept for adolescents. Further, the identified profiles of narcissism and self-esteem were differentially related to subsequent comprehensive mental health outcomes.

Are People Becoming More Entitled Over Time? Not in New Zealand

It is a common conception that entitlement is increasing among younger generations over time. However, although there is some evidence for this trend, other findings are less conclusive. The current research investigated change in psychological entitlement across the adult lifespan for men and women (ages 19-74), using six annual waves of data (2009-2014) from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study ( N = 10,412). We employed Cohort-Sequential Latent Growth Modeling to assess mean-level change in entitlement. Entitlement was found to be generally unchanging over time for both men and women, with only those aged 65 and above showing increasing entitlement. Entitlement showed a steady downward trend across age. These findings from a large national probability sample suggest that change in entitlement may follow a decreasing developmental trend across the lifespan. In New Zealand, at least, there is no evidence for a narcissism epidemic.

The Narcissism Spectrum Model: A Synthetic View of Narcissistic Personality

The narcissism spectrum model synthesizes extensive personality, social-psychological, and clinical evidence, building on existing knowledge about narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability to reveal a view of narcissism that respects its clinical origins, embraces the diversity and complexity of its expression, and reflects extensive scientific evidence about the continuity between normal and abnormal personality expression. Critically, the proposed model addresses three key, inter-related problems that have plagued narcissism scholarship for more than a century. These problems can be summarized as follows: (a) What are the key features of narcissism? (b) How are they organized and related to each other? and (c) Why are they organized that way, that is, what accounts for their relationships? By conceptualizing narcissistic traits as manifested in transactional processes between individuals and their social environments, the model enables integration of existing theories of narcissism and thus provides a compelling perspective for future examination of narcissism and its developmental pathways.