What you get is what you see : Other-rated but not self-rated leaders’ narcissistic rivalry affects followers negatively

Individuals with high levels of narcissism often ascend to leadership positions. Whereas there is evidence that narcissism is linked to unethical behavior and negative social outcomes, the effects of leader narcissism on an organization’s most important resource—its employees—have not yet been studied thoroughly. Using theoretical assumptions of the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept (NARC) and social exchange theories, we examined how leaders’ narcissistic rivalry was related to follower outcomes in a sample of matched leaders and followers. Followers of leaders high in narcissistic rivalry reported less perceived supervisor support, lower quality leader-member relationships, lower performance-based self-esteem, and lower job engagement. These effects were only found when follower-rated leaders’ narcissistic rivalry was used in the model but not when self-rated leaders’ narcissistic rivalry was used as a predictor. This implies that the negative effects of leaders’ narcissistic rivalry on followers are driven by the expression of narcissistic tendencies (i.e., destructive leader behavior). Leader development should thus focus on changing destructive leader behavior. We propose that leaders high in narcissistic rivalry can be motivated to make such changes by showing them that by hurting their followers, they will eventually undermine their own reputation and status. Furthermore, selection and promotion practices should incorporate objective measures to weaken the effects of narcissists’ self-promotional tactics in these contexts and thus prevent people high in narcissistic rivalry from rising to leadership positions

No Effect of Red on Personality Trait Self-Ratings : Testing for Effects of Font Color

Unlike most other mammals, humans are trichromats and have the ability to perceive the color red. An explanation for the evolution of humans’ trichromatic color vision is that it offers humans the advantage to detect ripe fruit. Apart from this explanation, psychological theories have proposed that color, especially the color red, conveys information that affects psychological functioning, but results have been mixed. Whereas studies have extensively tested effects of red on performance measures, it is unclear whether this effect generalizes to self-ratings, one of the most frequently used methods in psychological research. In line with theory and empirical evidence, we argue that exposure to red can lead to distorted responses in self-ratings on the basis of the same underlying mechanism that affects results on performance measures. We varied the font color (hue values) of self-ratings in two online studies. In a first exploratory study, we found an effect of font color on personality trait self-ratings (N = 145). We attempted to rigorously replicate this finding in a larger sample (N = 1,007) but did not detect any effect. The findings underline the importance of rigorous research on effects of color on psychological functioning and call into question the proposition that red has ubiquitous effects

Power, Self-Esteem, and Body Image

We expected power – the perceived capacity to influence others – to be an antecedent of positive body image because power is closely linked to self-esteem, which in turn is linked to body image. In a cross-sectional study (N = 318), sense of power was positively related to body appreciation and satisfaction with one’s appearance. Self-esteem partially mediated this effect. In an experimental study (N = 114), participants assigned to a high-power group indicated more body appreciation, reported more body satisfaction, and estimated themselves to be taller than participants assigned to a low-power group. Self-esteem mediated all the effects. Altogether, power affected body image directly but also indirectly through elevated self-esteem. Implications refer to clinical prevention and intervention programs

Power in romantic relationships: How positional and experienced power are associated with relationship quality

First Published May 17, 2021Power dynamics have been described as being constitutive of romantic relationships and can impact outcomes such as relationship quality. Yet, in relationships nowadays, power may be less important than in the past due to changes in gender roles and society’s expectations. We analyzed four power characteristics and their effects on a multidimensional measure of relationship quality using an actor-partner interdependence model framework with 181 heterosexual couples. There was usually a balance of power in the couples with respect to a personal sense of power but an imbalance in positional power. We found actor and partner effects: Personal sense of power and satisfaction with power predicted actors’ and partners’ relationship quality. By contrast, positional power, the general power motive, and the balance of power were not associated with relationship quality. There were hardly any differences in actor or partner effects between men and women. Apparently, it is not objective, positional power but subjective, experienced power that is relevant to overall relationship quality. Furthermore, what matters most for satisfaction with the relationship is not the balance of power but rather the perceived personal level of power. Future research may extend these findings by using domain-specific power measures and behavioral power indicators

Examining the links between self-tracking and perfectionism dimensions

Background: Self-tracking – the collection, storage, analysis, and evaluation of self-related data (e.g., on one’s diet, fitness activities, sports performance, or finances) – is a recent and widespread trend. Less is known about who engages in self-tracking. We expected perfectionism to be linked to self-tracking because performance optimization is central to this activity. Participants and procedure: A German convenience sample (N = 145; 64% women, mean age = 32 years) was recruited for this cross-sectional study. The sample comprised a mix of students and community participants. Participants completed an online questionnaire with scales on self-tracking (Self Quantification Scale), perfectionism (Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale with subscales striving for achievement and evaluative concerns), and personality (Big Five Inventory-10). Results: Using a two-dimensional conceptualization of perfectionism and controlling for the Big Five, we found that striving for achievement was strongly positively related to self-tracking, whereas evaluative concerns was not significantly linked. Apparently, people who set high goals and want to meet high standards are more likely than others to engage in self-tracking. However, people’s engagement in self-tracking was independent of their personality. Conclusions: The results point to the importance of distinguishing between different perfectionism dimensions in relation to self-tracking. Future research could explore additional performance-related traits (e.g., grit) to expand the understanding of self-tracking

Power Balance and Relationship Quality : an Overstated Link

Power balance, that is, equal levels of potential influence between relationship partners, has been linked to relationship happiness. This study examined whether power balance is indeed positively related to relationship quality (RQ) for both couple members using dyadic response surface analysis (total N = 879 couples). In Studies 1 to 3, we found linear but no similarity effects of power on RQ. Experiencing power was positively related to both actor’s and partner’s RQ. In Study 4, again, no similarity but actor and partner effects were found on sexual satisfaction. These findings show that the link between power balance and RQ found in previous research does not hold with sophisticated analysis techniques that overcome issues of previous approaches (e.g., difference scores). In fact, the absolute level of experienced power, not power balance, matters for both RQ and sexual satisfaction. Practitioners may target strengthening an individual’s power instead of focusing on issues of power balance

Healthy Leaders : Core Self-Evaluations Affect Leaders’ Health Behavior Through Reduced Exhaustion

Leaders’ self-directed health behavior (i.e., SelfCare behavior) plays an important role in the health and well-being of both leaders and employees but has been neglected in research so far. This study was aimed at investigating the antecedents of SelfCare behavior in terms of the personal characteristics of the leaders. In a sample of 150 (98 male, 52 female) German leaders from a wide range of organizations, we examined the direct and indirect effects of core self-evaluations (i.e., CSEs) on leaders’ SelfCare behavior. We predicted that CSEs would be positively related to SelfCare behavior with reduced exhaustion as a mediator and organizational health climate (i.e., OHC) as a moderator of this relationship. Results showed that CSEs were positively related to SelfCare behavior and that reduced exhaustion mediated this relationship. There was no evidence that OHC moderated the positive relationship between CSEs and SelfCare behavior. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed

The German Standard and Short Authentic and Hubristic Pride Scales : Psychometric Properties, Validity Testing, Self-Other Agreement, and Linguistic Correlates

The authentic and hubristic pride (A&HP) model is the domineering paradigm in pride research. Authentic pride (AP) comprises feelings of accomplishment and self-worth, whereas hubristic pride (HP) includes conceit and arrogance. We provide a German version of the A&HP scale (Tracy & Robins, 2007), the GAHPS. We found a good fit for a two-factor solution. Internal consistencies were high. Nomological validity was supported for personality, self-esteem, and narcissism (Study 1, N = 569), status (Study 2, N = 565), and other emotions (Study 3, N = 204). In Study 4 (N = 184), AP and HP had different associations with prosocial and antisocial behavior. We found high self-other agreement (109 dyads) for AP but not for HP. Further, people used different words to describe AP and HP when they described themselves and peers, thus suggesting that the two forms are associated with different linguistic styles. Finally, using an Ant Colony Optimization algorithm, we derived a short form for the scale. Researchers are advised to choose the standard or short scale, depending on the research purpose. This research broadens the validity testing of the A&HP model and, for the first time, provides linguistic correlates of the two forms of pride

How to Deal With a Difficult Boss : The Roles of Leaders’ Narcissistic Rivalry and Followers’ Behavior in Abusive Supervision Intentions

As abusive supervision entails negative outcomes for individuals and organizations, a better understanding of leader- and follower-related antecedents of abusive supervision can help organizations prevent destructive leadership. In an experimental vignette study with 140 leaders, we tested an integrative model that includes leaders’ narcissism as an antecedent of their abusive supervision intentions. We also tested for the moderating role of followers’ behavior and indirect effects via leaders’ evaluations of followers. We employed the narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept (NARC) to distinguish between adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of grandiose narcissism and found that the maladaptive dimension, narcissistic rivalry, predicted abusive supervision intentions. This effect was strongest when followers behaved dominantly. Finally, we found preliminary evidence that leaders’ evaluations of followers’ likeability, but not of followers’ competence, mediated the relationship between leaders’ narcissistic rivalry and abusive supervision intentions. These indirect effects were not conditional on followers’ behavior. We discuss these findings in light of theoretical and practical implications for individuals and organizations

Science-utility and science-trust associations and how they relate to knowledge about how science works

Knowledge about how science works, trust in scientists, and the perceived utility of science currently appear to be eroding in these times in which “alternative facts” or personal experiences and opinions are used as arguments. Yet, in many situations, it would be beneficial for the individual and all of society if scientific findings were considered in decision-making. For this to happen, people have to trust in scientists and perceive science as useful. Still, in university contexts, it might not be desirable to report negative beliefs about science. In addition, science-utility and science-trust associations may differ from explicit beliefs because associations were learned through the co-occurrence of stimuli rather than being based on propositional reasoning. We developed two IATs to measure science-utility and science-trust associations in university students and tested the psychometric properties and predictive potential of these measures. In a study of 261 university students, the IATs were found to have good psychometric properties and small correlations with their corresponding self-report scales. Science-utility and science-trust associations predicted knowledge about how science works over and above self-reported beliefs. The results suggest that indirect measures are useful for assessing beliefs about science and can be used to predict outcome measures