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Ego, Elevation, and Exclusion: Bidirectional Prospective Associations Between Narcissism and Status and Inclusion
Christian H Jordan1, Nikhila Mahadevan2
1Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada.
Journal of Personality
|May 19, 2026
Summary
Grandiose narcissism may drive status seeking and attainment, potentially creating a feedback loop. Vulnerable narcissism, however, may decrease desires for both status and social inclusion over time.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Narcissism is a personality construct characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance.
- Different facets of narcissism, such as grandiose and vulnerable, may have distinct effects on social motivations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prospective relationship between different expressions of narcissism and social motivations.
- To examine whether narcissism predicts desires for status versus inclusion, and vice versa.
Main Methods:
- A three-wave longitudinal study with 528 university students.
- Assessment of narcissism, desires for status and inclusion, perceived attainment, assertiveness, and affiliativeness at 2-week intervals.
Main Results:
- Grandiose narcissism predicted increased desires for and attainment of status.
- Vulnerable narcissism predicted decreased desires for both status and social inclusion.
- Bidirectional relationships were observed between narcissism facets and social motivations.
Conclusions:
- Grandiose narcissism may foster status aspirations and achievement, with perceived status potentially reinforcing grandiose traits.
- Vulnerable narcissism may lead to a withdrawal from social validation, diminishing desires for status and inclusion.
- Findings support and extend current models of grandiose narcissism and its relation to status.
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