Do narcissists act differently with their romantic partner in public vs. private settings?

Abstract

Narcissistic individuals use two strategies to attain and maintain status: those high in admiration seek status through self-enhancement, whereas those high in rivalry defend one’s own superiority through the devaluation of others. In our study, we are investigating the strategies individuals high (vs. low) in narcissistic admiration and rivalry use to acquire status within their romantic relationships and whether these strategies differ depending on whether they are engaging with their partner in a public versus private setting. To do so, 298 participants completed a measure of their narcissistic admiration and rivalry. Participants also reported the extent to which they use dominance (e.g., using aggressive tactics and derogation) and prestige (e.g., sharing their partner's achievements with others) strategies with their partner in public and in private. We predict that those who score higher (vs. lower) in narcissistic admiration will use more prestige-based strategies to gain status with their partner particularly in public (vs. private). In private, where there is less of a need to impress others, we predict they will use more dominance-based strategies to preserve their self-views and maintain the hierarchy within their relationship. We also predict that those who score higher (vs. lower) in narcissistic rivalry will engage in more dominance-based strategies to gain status with their partner in both public and private settings.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Miranda Giacomin