Task 6: narcissism Flashcards
social learning theory
- narcissism is cultivated by parental overvaluation
- acquire narcissism through internalizing parents’ inflated views of them
parenting style in infancy/very young childhood & narcissism
-authoritarian: too little responsiveness + too much demandingness
parenting style in adolescence & narcissism
-indulgent: too great responsiveness + too little demandingness
permissive parenting & narcissism and aggression
not related to development of cognitive schemas (including narcissistic view) or aggression
lack of parental warmth & narcissism and aggression
-important in development of narcissism, negative self-views and child-to parent aggression
parental warmth & narcissism
- girls: decrease in disconnection and rejection
- boys: predicted narcissism
defense of denial
- Narcissism may be defensive process
- Defend individual from anxiety associated with negative sense of self
- Maintaining façade of self-importance, entitlement and condescension
- Narcissist defends against recognition of self-doubt, vulnerability, and worthlessness
- > the immature defense of denial at age 23 is associated with maladaptive narcissism
- May explain continuity of maladaptive narcissism: protecting the individual over time from recognizing the negative consequences of maladaptive narcissistic behavior
Psychoanalytic theory of narcissism
narcissism cultivated by lack of warmth
General characteristics of Narcissism
- Feel superior, fantasize about personal success, believe they deserve special treatment
- When feeling humiliated: prone to lash out aggressively or violently
- Increased risk for mental health problems: drug addiction, depression, anxiety
- Higher in western countries
- Levels increase in youth
- 7 to 12 years: key developmental phase in which individual differences in narcissism first emerge
possible interventions narcissism
-Parent-training: help parents convey affection and appreciation to children without conveying that they are superior to others
adapative/autonomous
- Healthy ambitions, energy, creativity and empathy
- Underlying sense of self that is firm and cohesive
- May be overly ambitious but have sufficient interpersonal sensitivity not to suffer the eventual rejection
- Difference to self-esteem: high ambitions, preference to function without collaboration, idiosyncratic thought processes
maladaptive narcissism
- Self-aggrandizement, power seeking, condescension, inflated sense of self that masks underlying feelings of vulnerability and insecurity
- 2 subgroups:
1) overt/grandiose: open expression of grandiosity, self-confidence, and condescension, willful manipulation and exploitation
2) covert
precursors of narcissism in childhood
- excessive need for attention and admiration, exhibitionism, impulsivity, aggression, and chronic violation of rules
- possible to identify precursors at young age (3yo)
authoritarian/autocratic parenting style
-shape, control, evaluate according to a set standard
-obedience to authority is stressed
-orders are expected to be obeyed without explanation
-demanding & unresponsive
> child feels incompetent
autoritative/responsive parenting
-clear standards
-reasoning and explanation to influence behavior
-assertive but not intrusive
-consider child’s point of view
-assume that child has rights
-demand & responsive
> supports competent skill building and self-regulation, supports autonomy