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How Need for Power Explains Why Narcissists Are Antisocial
Megan Brooke Alexander1, Jonathan Gore1, Caitlin Estep1
16885Eastern Kentucky University, KY, United States.
Psychological Reports
|May 29, 2020
Summary
Narcissism is linked to aggression and criminal behavior, with the need for power acting as a key mediator. Specifically, the desire to resist subordination explains why narcissists engage in antisocial actions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- Antisocial behavior in narcissists lacks a fully understood psychological basis.
- The role of 'need for power' as a potential driver of these behaviors is underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate 'need for power' as a mediator between narcissism and antisocial behavior.
- To explore the relationship between various facets of narcissism, 'need for power', and criminal actions.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted using online surveys.
- Study 1 involved 408 undergraduates assessing narcissism, 'need for power', and aggression.
- Study 2 involved 323 adults assessing seven narcissism types, four 'need for power' types, need for influence, and lifetime criminal behavior.
Main Results:
- Need for power fully mediated the link between narcissism and aggression in Study 1.
- Most narcissism types correlated with criminal behavior in Study 2.
- The desire to resist subordination significantly mediated the narcissism-criminal behavior link in Study 2.
Conclusions:
- 'Need for power', particularly the desire to resist subordination, is a crucial factor explaining why narcissists exhibit antisocial and criminal behaviors.
- Findings highlight specific power-related motivations underlying narcissistic antisociality.
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