Comparing Public Perceptions of Narcissism and Anxiety

Abstract

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)  exhibits a relatively enduring character pathology of grandiosity, lack of empathy, and need for admiration, whereas General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is marked by excessive worry, restlessness, fear of the future, and irritability (Graspas et al. 2020; Skodol & Bender, 2013; Dugas et al. 2022). People stigmatize individuals with anxiety disorders; that is, they perceive them as being weak-not-sick (Curcio & Curboy, 2020). Individuals with personality disorders are stigmatized as being unpredictable and dangerous, though research on the stigmas surrounding individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder is limited (Sheehan et al., 2016). Here, we compared the public stigma of narcissism and anxiety. We hypothesized that narcissism would be perceived more negatively than anxiety because narcissism is associated with aggressive and extroverted behaviors while anxious behaviors are more covert. To examine this, 297 participants completed measures of narcissism and generalized anxiety. We also measured participants' stigma towards individuals with NPD and GAD. Last, participants read a vignette about a person who is narcissistic and a person who is anxious and rated their perceptions of each individual. Our results indicated that individuals high in narcissism perceived NPD and GAD, as a sign of personal weakness and a disorder that they could snap out of, if they wanted to, but not as a medical illness. They also reported preferring a relationship with someone who is narcissistic but not with someone who is anxious. Those high (vs. low) in anxiety feel personally stigmatized by others; in addition, they do not perceive NPD as a sign of personal weakness, laziness, and dangerousness, but think others view narcissism in this way. They would also welcome a relationship with another anxious individual but not with someone who is narcissistic.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Miranda Giacomin