Narcissism

Abstract

Narcissism is a personality trait that is characterized by excessively positive self-views and low empathy. It is a complex constellation consisting of mostly positive individual correlates and mostly negative social correlates. We present two different theoretical models that attempt to reconcile these apparently contradictory implications of narcissism. There are predictable age and gender differences in narcissism. In addition, narcissism is relatively high in Western individualistic cultures, and increasing over time in the United States, yet it is relatively lower in Eastern collectivistic cultures. This suggests that cultural norms and developmental experiences can possibly influence it.