Can neuroscience help to understand narcissism? A systematic review of an emerging field

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

Abstract

Narcissism is a Janusian personality construct, associated with both grandiose self-assuredness and dominance, as well as vulnerable insecurity and reactivity. Central questions of intra- and interpersonal functioning in narcissism are still a matter of debate. Neuroscience could help to understand the paradoxical patterns of experience and behavior beyond the limitations of selfreports. We provide a systematic review of 34 neuroscience studies on grandiose, vulnerable, pathological narcissism, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), spanning experimental investigations of intra- and interpersonal mechanisms, research on neurophysiological and neuroendocrine aspects of baseline function, and brain structural correlates. While neuroscience has scarcely directly studied vulnerable narcissism, grandiose narcissism is associated with heightened vigilance to ego threat and stress responses following ego threat, as well as heightened stress indicators in baseline measures. Such responses are not commonly observed in self-reports, highlighting the potential of neuroscience to augment our understanding of self-regulatory dynamics in narcissism. Interpersonal functioning is characterized by deficits in social–affective processes. Both involve altered activity within the salience network, pointing to a double dissociation regarding the expression of narcissism and self/other oriented situational focus. Findings are summarized in an integrative model providing testable hypotheses for future research along with methodological recommendations.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)1-29
FachzeitschriftPersonality Neuroscience
Jahrgang4
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 28 Mai 2021
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

Scopus 85121450739

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • Grandiose narcissism, Vulnerable narcissism, Pathological narcissism, Narcissistic personality disorder, Personality functioning, Stress reactivity, Social affect, Social cognition