Narcissists more likely to feel ostracized
American Psychological Association
"Feeling ostracized is a subjective experience based on
the perception of social cues by the individual. Some may be intentionally
ostracized, while others may merely believe they are being excluded when that's
not the case," said lead author Christiane Büttner, PhD, of the University
of Basel. "Our findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of
narcissism are more sensitive to exclusion cues, leading them to perceive
ostracism more frequently."
The research was published in the Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology.
While narcissism can take various forms, the researchers
chose to focus exclusively on grandiose narcissism, which includes traits such
as entitlement, dominance, a strong desire for admiration and a tendency to
seek status and recognition.
The research team first analyzed data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, a long-term, nationally representative survey of approximately 22,000 households in Germany. Focusing on 1,592 individuals who answered questions about narcissism and ostracism in 2015, the study found that people with higher narcissism levels reported experiencing significantly more ostracism.
To confirm these findings, the researchers conducted a
two-week study with 323 participants. These individuals completed narcissism
assessments and reported past feelings of ostracism. For the next 14 days, they
logged moments when they felt excluded or neglected using a mobile app.
"Participants with higher narcissism scores reported
feeling excluded more frequently in daily life, aligning with our earlier
survey results," Büttner noted.
A series of experiments involving over 2,500 participants
further explored the link between narcissism and feeling excluded. In one
experiment, participants joined a virtual ball-tossing game where two other
players either included or excluded them. Another experiment presented
hypothetical social scenarios and asked participants to assess how excluded
they felt.
The results showed that narcissistic individuals were more
likely to perceive ambiguous social interactions, where ostracism is not
explicitly made clear, as exclusionary. Further reinforcing this perception of
social exclusion, additional experiments revealed that people often prefer to
avoid highly narcissistic individuals.
Interestingly, the researchers also found evidence that the
relationship between narcissism and social exclusion works both ways.
"Narcissism may contribute to social exclusion, but
ostracism itself can also fuel the development of narcissistic traits,"
Büttner explained.
Analyzing 14 years of data from a national survey in New
Zealand involving over 72,000 participants, researchers observed that changes
in feelings of exclusion were followed by changes in narcissism levels a year
later -- and vice versa.
These findings highlight the complex interplay between
personality traits and social experiences, according to Büttner. Understanding
this relationship can help better address workplace conflicts, social isolation
and even broader societal issues.
"If people with high narcissistic traits are more likely to feel and be excluded, this could contribute to escalating tensions in workplaces or social groups. At the same time, their heightened sensitivity to exclusion might make them more likely to react aggressively," she said. "These findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving interpersonal relationships and reducing social friction should consider both the perceptions and behaviors of the individuals involved."
