Cooper, Patrick J

Pauletti, Rachel E

English

This study explored the influences of positive and negative peer relationships on narcissism over time. Results suggest that interactions of both sorts with male (but not female) peers predicted increases in narcissism over the school year

Lynn University: SPIRAL (Scholarly Publications, Institutional Repository and Archives at Lynn)

Introduction• Several studies have identified cognitive andparenting variables that contribute to thedevelopment of narcissism during middlechildhood (e.g., Cooper, Pauletti, Aults, &Perry, 2017).• Given that narcissists often seekreinforcement and attention from theirinteraction partners, it is surprising that littleresearch has examined the influence of peerrelationships on narcissism duringpreadolescence.N = 195 4th-7th graders were tested in both the fall andthe spring of the school year.• Narcissism - Participants completed self-reports ofnarcissism (Thomaes et al., 2007)• Quality of interpersonal relationships - Participantsreported on how much they liked each classmate andhow much they thought each classmate liked them.Participants also provided peer reports of aggressionbetween classmates (Pauletti, Cooper, & Perry, 2014).Ratings were amalgamated across targets, separatelyby sex, yielding measures seen in Table 1.Multiple hierarchical regression was used todetermine whether any interpersonal measurepredicted spring (T2) narcissism .Sex, age, and fall (T1) narcissism scores were enteredon Step 1, while each fall interpersonal measure tooka turn on Step 2.• Results revealed positive main effects of likingtoward boys (β = .14, p = .027) and perceived likingby boys (β = .17, p = .007).• An additional step was added to determine whetherany main effects were qualified by age or sex. Therewere no interactions with sex. However, ageinteracted with aggression toward boys (β = .12, p =.049). Follow-up analyses revealed that high scoreson aggression toward boys were associated withincreased narcissism, but only in older children.MethodsResultsResults suggest that both positive (liking) and negative (aggression)interactions with male (but not female) peers are conducive to thedevelopment of narcissism during preadolescence, and it should not gounnoticed that these effects were not moderated by participant sex. Onepossible explanation for this pattern is that boys provide interpersonalfeedback consistent with a grandiose self-image, such as reinforcementfor outlandish or aggressive behavior, whereas girls may be more likelyto shun these behaviors. It should also be noted that the objectivemeasure of liking by boys did not predict narcissism, a findingconsistent with the notion that the narcissist’s self-image is often notbased in reality, but in perception. Future research should be gearedtoward examining the cognitive variables that may account for therelationships reported here (e.g., greater weight attached to liking bymale, rather than female, peers).DiscussionBoy, You Really Like Me! Positive Interactions with Male Peers Predict Increased Narcissism Over TimePatrick J. Cooper & Rachel E. Pauletti, Lynn UniversityThe purpose of the current study was to explore whether the quality of peer relationships predicted increases in narcissism over a one-year period.Table 1 shows T1 and T2 partial correlations for allmeasures.Figure 1. Interacting influences of age and aggression toward boyspredicting a change in narcissism across the school year.

Boy, You Really Like Me! Positive Interactions with Male Peers Predicts Increased Narcissism Over Time During Preadolescence

https://spiral.lynn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1475&amp;context=facpubs

Boy, You Really Like Me! Positive Interactions with Male Peers Predicts Increased Narcissism Over Time During Preadolescence

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Lynn University: SPIRAL (Scholarly Publications, Institutional Repository and Archives at Lynn)