Psychological and Neural Correlates of Social Affect and Cognition in Narcissism: A Multimethod Study of Self-Reported Traits, Experiential States, and Behavioral and Brain Indicators

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Abstract

“Lack of empathy” is a diagnostic criterion of narcissism, but the nature of interpersonal functioning in narcissism is still being debated. Both, empathy and narcissism, are multidimensional constructs, and their relation might depend upon contextual factors. We investigated social affect and cognition in narcissism spanning self-reported traits and experiential states (Ecological Momentary Assessment) as well as behavioral and brain indicators (task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging). N = 140 individuals were selected to cover the full dimensional range of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, including their constituent self-regulatory dimensions of agentic, antagonistic, and neurotic narcissism. Grandiose narcissism was associated with lower social affect at almost all analysis levels. The associations can be attributed to antagonistic self-regulatory dynamics, and are associated with lower brain activation during subjective experiencing of social affect in regions of the salience network. Social cognition was habitually lowered but not impaired in antagonistic narcissism. Our findings do not support a general “lack of empathy.”

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)157–171
Seitenumfang15
FachzeitschriftPersonality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment
Jahrgang15
Ausgabenummer2
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - März 2024
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 38095994
ORCID /0000-0002-9375-2222/work/159608557
ORCID /0000-0003-2906-7471/work/159608917

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Schlagwörter

  • empathy, narcissism, perspective taking, social affect, social cognition, Brain/diagnostic imaging, Humans, Self Report, Narcissism, Cognition, Empathy