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Published on: May 4, 2020
Cognitive performance and stress states in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism
Oliwia M Maciantowicz1, Joanna Witowska2, Marcin Zajenkowski1
1Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Background:
We examined the associations between grandiose narcissism (GN), vulnerable narcissism (VN), cognitive inhibition, and task-related state responses.
Participants And Procedure:
Participants (N = 154; age: M = 23.60, SD = 3.71) completed measures of narcissism, performed a cognitive inhibition task (the antisaccade task), and reported stress states (distress, worry and engagement) before and after the task.
Results:
The results revealed that VN was negatively linked to cognitive inhibition. Furthermore, VN predicted higher levels of distress and lower levels of engagement during the task, whereas GN predicted higher engagement and lower distress.
Conclusions:
These findings demonstrate a negative impact of VN on cognitive performance and stress responses during task performance. Understanding these dynamics enhances our knowledge of how narcissism may influence cognitive functioning.
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