Communal narcissism.
An agency-communion model of narcissism distinguishes between agentic narcissists (individuals satisfying self-motives of grandiosity, esteem, entitlement, and power in agentic domains) and communal narcissists (individuals satisfying the same self-motives in communal domains). Five studies supported the model. In Study 1, participants listed their grandiose self-thoughts. Two distinct types emerged: agentic ("I am the most intelligent person") and communal ("I am the most helpful person"). In Study 2, we relied on the listed communal grandiose self-thoughts to construct the Communal Narcissism Inventory. It was psychometrically sound, stable over time, and largely independent of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-the standard measure of agentic narcissism. In Studies 3 and 4, agentic and communal narcissists shared the same self-motives, while crucially differing in their means for need satisfaction: Agentic narcissists capitalized on agentic means, communal narcissists on communal means. Study 5 revisited the puzzle of low self-other agreement regarding communal traits and behaviors. Attesting to the broader significance of our model, this low self-other agreement was partly due to communal narcissists: They saw themselves as high, but were seen by others as low, in communion.
Institut für Psychologie, Humboldt-Universität zuBerlin, Berlin, Germany. mail@JochenGebauer
Jochen E
JE
Gebauer
Constantine
C
Sedikides
Bas
B
Verplanken
Gregory R
GR
Maio
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology; D009289:Narcissism; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult