The Relationship between Personality, Subjective Wellbeing and Narcissism among College Students

Background: The current study intends to enrich the content of the relationship between personality, subjective well-being, and narcissism. Previous studies have shown that extroverted individuals have higher subjective well-being. Methodology: In order to study the relationship between personality, subjective well-being, and narcissistic behavior of college students, a convenient sampling method was used to select college students; they were tested by Eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ), total well-being scale, and overt narcissism questionnaire (NPI16). The collected data were analyzed by t-test and correlation analysis. Results: The findings suggest that there is a positive correlation between College Students' personality type (extraversion) and subjective well-being. College students with extraversion personalities have high subjective well-being, while college students with introversion personalities have low subjective well-being. There is a positive correlation between College Students' personality type (extraversion) and narcissistic behavior. College students with extraverted personalities are more narcissistic, and college students with introverted personalities are less likely to be narcissistic. There is a positive correlation between College Students' subjective well-being and narcissistic behavior. College students with high subjective well-being are more narcissistic, and college students with low subjective well-being are less likely to be narcissistic. Contributions of the study: This study provides an important basis and Enlightenment for discussing the relationship between College Students' personalities, subjective well-being, and narcissistic behavior. College students with different personality types will feel different levels of well-being and narcissistic behavior. There is also a close relationship between College Students' overall well-being and narcissistic behavior.

Self-expression and Entitlement among Individuals with High Narcissistic Traits

Narcissism is one among the most disregarded personality trait. However, it is important to acknowledge that narcissism need not be always negative in nature. The study attempts to explore the facets of self-expression and entitlement among individuals who are characterized by high narcissistic traits in a culture where self-importance and sense of entitlement is regarded with contempt. Though narcissism is one among the most researched personality characteristic, most of the studies have not attempted to explore the self-expression and entitlement among individuals with high narcissistic traits especially from the oriental point of view where overt narcissism or self-importance is looked down upon by the societies as collectivism is the rule rather than exception. The specific objectives of the study are to explore the recurring themes in the self –expression and expression of self-views, the expression of agentic and communal self-views and to understand the expression of entitlement, how each individual feel about their own earnestness. The study followed a qualitative research design with a social constructivist worldview as it was believed that realties are molded by social forces. The work was many a times rhetoric and relativistic in nature. The researcher explored the constructs of self-expression and entitlement using a validated semi-structured interview. The sample included young adults within the age range of 18-25 and were selected into the study based on their scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI-16). The consent participants was sort and they were recruited for a semi structured personal interview. Since the study employed the paradigm of qualitative approach and the constructs were hard to be quantified, the method of thematic analysis was used. The recurring themes that emerged from the data were grouped and analyzed with respect to the constructs studied. The three global themes perceived sense of desirable self, apprehensions in perception of self and dilemmas in expression of self, encompasses the organizing themes and the basic themes. The study concludes that the narcissistic structure is often expressed in relation to a communal self-view and the self-sacrificing behavior was more common than expected in the sample especially among female participants. It was also found that the entitlement was often related to moral supremacy and upholding morale rather than preferential benefits in social or interpersonal domains.

Are Narcissists More Likely to Be Involved in Cyberbullying? Examining the Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

Although cyberbullying, a new type of aggressive behavior via electronic means, has been found to be strongly linked with individuals’ personality characteristics, few studies to date have investigated its relationship with narcissism, especially overt and covert narcissism. The current study tested the associations between overt and covert narcissism on one hand and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization on the other. To explain these differences further, self-esteem was tested as a mediator through which the two types of narcissism may exert their influences on cyberbullying. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 814 Chinese adolescents aged 11 to 18. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that after controlling for gender and student status (middle or high school students), covert narcissism positively predicted both cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, whereas overt narcissism had no association with either perpetration or victimization. Furthermore, when gender and student status were controlled, self-esteem mediated the relationships between overt/covert narcissism and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, highlighting the possibility that self-esteem is an explanatory mechanism for the associations between the two types of narcissism and cyberbullying. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing engagement in cyberbullying may be more urgent and important for individuals with high levels of covert narcissism. Boosting self-esteem needs to be particularly highlighted in developing anti-bullying measures and policies.

The mediating effects of attribution styles on the relationship between overt-covert narcissism and forgiveness

The aim in the current study was to investigate the causal relationships among the variables of covert-overt narcissism, causal attribution, responsibility attribution, and forgiveness based on the entailment model. Our aim was to differentiate between overt and covert narcissism in terms of their relationship with forgiveness. First, our findings in this study demonstrated that only covert narcissism was associated with forgiveness, whereas there was no association between overt narcissism and forgiveness. Second, path analysis revealed that both causal attribution and responsibility attribution mediated the relationship between covert narcissism and forgiveness, but this was not the case for overt narcissism. In addition, responsibility attributions mediated the relationship between causal attributions and forgiveness. Study implications are discussed.

Erratum

Zondag, H. J. (2013) Narcissism and boredom revisited: an exploration of correlates of overt and covert narcissism among Dutch university students. Psychological Reports: Mental & Physical Health, 112, 2, 563–576. On pages 566–567, Hypothesis 1. through the end of Hypothesis 3., should be corrected to read as follows: Hypothesis 1. There will be a positive correlation between covert narcissism and boredom, as was shown in research by Wink and Donahue (1995, 1997). Covert narcissism has also been negatively correlated to psychological wellbeing (Rose, 2002). Since boredom is closely related to a lack of psychological well-being, a positive correlation is also expected between boredom and covert narcissism. Hypothesis 2. Boredom may also be expected to be positively correlated with overt narcissism, as Wink and Donahue have found (1995, 1997). However, an alternative hypothesis can be drawn up for the relation between overt narcissism and boredom. Overt narcissism has several times been found to be positively correlated with psychological well-being (Rose, 2002), which, in turn, is correlated with the absence of boredom (Vodanovich, 2003). A negative correlation between overt narcissism and boredom therefore seems to be another possibility. Hypothesis 3. In regard to the correlations between overt and covert narcissism on the one hand and boredom on the other, no sex differences are to be expected. Correlations between narcissism and other variables are generally found to be equal for men and women (Campbell & Foster, 2007). So there will be no sex differences in correlations between narcissism and other study variables. Table 1 was published with correct data, but should be aligned as follows: [Table: see text]

Narcissism and Boredom Revisited: An Exploration of Correlates of Overt and Covert Narcissism among Dutch University Students

This article presents a study of the relationship between narcissism, overt and covert, and seven aspects of boredom, defined as listlessness, drawn out experience of time, depletion, lack of concentration, restlessness, experience seeking, and lack of interest. The survey was conducted using questionnaires administered to 32 men and 177 women. The mean age of male respondents was 30.9 yr. ( SD = 11.9), that of female respondents 30.2 yr. ( SD = 12.2). In general terms, covert narcissism was found to be positively, and overt narcissism negatively, associated with boredom. The results showed a more complex pattern than was found in previous research into the relationship between narcissism and boredom and suggest that overt and covert narcissism are at opposite ends of the adjustment continuum.