(PS6-2) Adolescent Narcissism: Relations with Peer-reported Popularity and Likability over Time

Features of adolescent personality (e.g., narcissism) and peer perceptions have important implications for social status. Narcissism involves an exaggerated, grandiose self-view, entitlement, exploitativeness, and preoccupation with status and admiration (Morf & Rhodewalt, 2001). Narcissism is related to aggression (Fossati et al., 2010), conduct problems (Barry et al., 2007), and low self-esteem (Barry et al., 2003). Alternatively, aspects of narcissism have shown relations with positive qualities, such as emergent leadership (Grijalva et al., 2015), self-assurance, and assertiveness (Raskin & Terry, 1988). Thus, there may be maladaptive and adaptive aspects of narcissism that influence peer perceptions. Most research examines this issue in adults (Giacomin & Jordan, 2019), and often conflates likability with popularity (e.g., Rentzsch & Gebauer, 2019). Further, research focuses on grandiose (i.e., superiority, exhibitionism), rather than vulnerable, narcissism (i.e., fragile self-esteem, hypersensitivity). This study examined how vulnerable and grandiose narcissism may influence adolescent peer perceptions of social status (i.e., popularity, likability) over time. Grandiose narcissism was expected to relate to nominations of popularity and likability at Time 1 (T1) and associated with decreased popularity and likability from T1 to Time 2 (T2; approximately 3 months later), consistent with previous adult research (Campbell et al., 2006). Vulnerable narcissism was expected to relate to decreased popularity and likability from T1 to T2. The relations between peer-ratings of unpopularity and being disliked and both types of narcissism were also explored.

Participants were 238 adolescents ages 15-18 enrolled in a program for at-risk youth. Self-reported vulnerable and grandiose narcissism were assessed at T1, and peer-ratings of popularity, likability, unpopularity, and disliked were obtained at T1 and T2. Hypothesis one was partially supported, grandiose narcissism was positively correlated with T1 popularity but not with T1 likability, indicating that some aspects of grandiose narcissism may have been initially seen as positive in terms of popularity. Vulnerable narcissism was positively correlated with T1 unpopularity and being disliked and was negatively correlated with likability at T2. Thus, vulnerable narcissism seemed to be connected to negative peer appraisals initially and over time. A series of multiple regressions were conducted to test changes in peer perceptions over time. In all models, there was a significant effect of peer ratings at T1 in prediction of the same peer-rated construct at T2. Results indicate that initial peer perceptions of social status are critical for later perceptions of social status, above and beyond personality constructs like narcissism. Findings provide some support for use of peer nominations as measures of social status for adolescents, given that ratings were relatively stable 3 months later. Adolescents appeared to distinguish between constructs, as popularity and likability were only moderately correlated. Results may inform interventions aimed at forming healthy initial peer relationships.