The Effects of Anticipated Negative Feedback on Psychological States Among Narcissists

Abstract

Although narcissism has long been researched in relation to anger, previous research examined narcissistic anger toward negative feedback that had already occurred. In this study, we investigated the effects of anticipation of evaluation (present vs. absent) and negative feedback (present vs. absent), using a creativity task paradigm, on state anger scores among 231 U.S. undergraduates (76% White, 60% women). We also measured undergraduates’ narcissistic tendencies and impressions of the creativity task. Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between narcissism and negative feedback on total anger scores, with narcissists responding with more anger than non-narcissists in the condition of negative feedback. We also found a significant two-way interaction between narcissism and anticipation of evaluation on total enjoyment scores. Anticipation of feedback inhibited narcissist-prone individuals from enjoying the task in the anticipation condition, but this pattern was not present in the no-anticipation condition. Implications and recommendations to better understand the nature of narcissism are discussed.