Narcissism, Perceived Social Status, and Social Cognition and Their Influence on Aggression

Abstract

This study had three primary goals: to explore the relationship between narcissism, participant roles, and aggression; to examine the role of gender as a moderating influence on narcissism-based aggression; and to examine how these variables work together to influence aggressive outcomes in a sample of aggressive middle and high school students. Narcissism and aggression appear to be similarly related for males and females; however, when examining high aggression males and high aggression females, we found that males were more influenced by leadership and authority aspects of narcissism and females were more influenced by self-absorption/self-admiration aspects of narcissism. Participants break down into three primary groups: perpetrators, helpers, and bystanders. For both genders, being a helper (either as a help-seeker or defender) is positively correlated with exploitiveness.