“In the Mind of the Beholder: Narcissism Relates to a Distorted and Enhanced Self-Image”, 2021-04 ():
To date, prominent theories still disagree on whether the pathological grandiosity that underlies narcissism stems from a defensive, compensatory process in response to insecurity or from years of unjustified overvaluation during formative stages of development.
Across two studies, we introduce a novel method to test these theories by examining visual representations of self:
In Study 1, we measured Self-Concept Clarity and the distortion of (n = 96) participants’ self-images (generated using the reverse correlation technique) relative to their actual appearances.
In Study 2, we then compared attractiveness ratings of the actual photographs of participants with their self-images generated in Study 1, through judgments made by independent raters (n = 45).
Our work revealed that (1) lower Self-Concept Clarity predicts self-image distortion, (2) the narcissistic desire to conceal flaws mediates this association, and (3) self-image distortion led to self-enhancement, consistent with a compensatory reaction to insecurity.
[Keywords: Narcissism, self-image, grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism]