Narcissism on Venus and Mars: The Impact of Sex on Types of Narcissistic Behaviors
Narcissism on Venus and Mars: The Impact of Sex on Types of Narcissistic Behaviors

Summary/Abstract: Narcissism is a multifaceted construct – meaning that one can be narcissistic in various ways, and narcissism can differently impact interpersonal interactions. However, until now, it has not been studied how narcissism influences behavior in relation to the sex of the person with whom contact is made. This study attempts to assess whether interactions with same-sex and opposite-sex individuals induce specific kinds of narcissistic behaviors. To answer this question, first-year high school students were examined (N = 648; n = 403 females; M = 14.30; SD = 0.56). The students completed a shortened version of the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire, in which the instructions were modified to examine behaviors separately in relation to female and male classmates. The results of the dependent sample t-tests showed that women more often use admiration strategy towards other women, while men more frequently use rivalry strategy towards other men. No differences were noted in the case of rivalry strategy among women and admiration strategy among men. These results indicate that the sex of the person being interacted with is a significant factor determining the type of narcissistic behaviors displayed.

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