Narcissism, perfectionism, and self-promoting behavior on social networking sites among university students in Pakistan / Narcisismo, perfeccionismo y comportamiento de autopromoción en sitios de redes sociales entre estudiantes universitarios en Pakistán

Existe un debate considerable en la literatura sobre cómo el narcisismo predice diversos comportamientos asociados con la utilidad de los sitios de redes sociales, pero los investigadores han prestado menos atención a explorar los mediadores potenciales de esta relación. Con base en la literatura existente, anticipamos que el narcisismo predice comportamientos de autopromoción en los sitios de redes sociales. El estudio actual también investigó el papel mediador del perfeccionismo multidimensional entre el narcisismo y el comportamiento de autopromoción. Se recopiló un total de 605 cuestionarios completos de estudiantes de universidades de Rawalpindi e Islamabad, Pakistán, mediante un muestreo conveniente. El estudio utilizó el Inventario de Personalidad Narcisista (Ames et al., 2006), un cuestionario de desarrollo propio sobre comportamiento de autopromoción en sitios de redes sociales y la Escala de Perfeccionismo Multidimensional (Hewitt et al., 1991). Los hallazgos indicaron que las mujeres en comparación con los hombres y las solteras en comparación con las casadas obtuvieron puntuaciones más altas en narcisismo. Los niveles educativos más altos se asociaron con tasas más altas de narcisismo. Los resultados también sugieren que el narcisismo se correlaciona con el perfeccionismo orientado a uno mismo y, más significativamente, con el narcisismo orientado a los demás. El perfeccionismo orientado a uno mismo y a los demás medió significativamente la relación entre el narcisismo y el comportamiento de autopromoción en los sitios de redes sociales.(AU)

There is considerable debate in the literature about how narcis-sism predicts various behaviors associated with the utility of social net-working sites, but researchers have paid less attention to exploring the po-tential mediators of this relationship.Based on the existing literature, we anticipated that narcissism predicts self-promoting behaviors on social networking sites. The current study also investigated the mediating role of multidimensional perfectionismbetween narcissism and self-promoting behavior. A total of 605 complete questionnaires weregathered fromstu-dents from universities from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan using convenient sampling. The study used Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Ames et al., 2006), self-developed Self-promoting Behavior on social net-working sites questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Hewitt et al., 1991). Findings indicated that females as compared to males and single as comparedto married individuals scored higher on narcissism. Higher educational levels were associated with higher rates of narcissism. The results also suggestthat narcissism correlated with self-oriented per-fectionism, and more significantlywith others-oriented narcissism. Self-oriented and others-oriented perfectionism significantly mediated the rela-tionship between narcissism and self-promoting behavior on social net-working sites.(AU)

Linking grandiose and vulnerable narcissism to managerial work performance, through the lens of core personality traits and social desirability.

While grandiose narcissism is well-studied, vulnerable narcissism remains largely unexplored in the workplace context. Our study aimed to compare grandiose and vulnerable narcissism among managers and people from the general population. Within the managerial sample, our objective was to examine how these traits diverge concerning core personality traits and socially desirable responses. Furthermore, we endeavored to explore their associations with individual managerial performance, encompassing task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Involving a pool of managerial participants (N = 344), we found that compared to the general population, managers exhibited higher levels of grandiose narcissism and lower levels of vulnerable narcissism. While both narcissistic variants had a minimal correlation (r = .02) with each other, they differentially predicted work performance. Notably, grandiose narcissism did not significantly predict any work performance dimension, whereas vulnerable narcissism, along with neuroticism, predicted higher CWB and lower task performance. Conscientiousness emerged as the strongest predictor of task performance. This study suggests that organizations might not benefit from managers with vulnerable narcissism. Understanding these distinct narcissistic variants offers insights into their impacts on managerial performance in work settings.

Exploring grandiose narcissism among surgeons: a comparative analysis.

The concept of narcissism encompasses various personality traits, including cognitive, emotional and behavioural characteristics, which often lead to difficulties in maintaining a healthy self-esteem. This study examines the prevalence of narcissism traits (Admiration and Rivalry) in the surgical profession and their association with age, gender and professional experience. A total of 1390 participants (408 women, 982 men) took part in an online survey. The results show that female participants have significantly lower levels of rivalry than male colleagues. Additionally, age was found to be inversely correlated with both facets of narcissism, demonstrating that levels of narcissism decrease as age increases. Participants who are still in education tend to show higher levels of both facets. These results improve our understanding of personality traits in surgery and provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.

Dark Tetrad personality traits, paraphilic interests, and the role of impulsivity: an EEG-study using a Go/No-Go paradigm.

Maladaptive personality traits, such as 'dark personalities' are found to result in a diverse set of negative outcomes, including paraphilic interests and associated (illegal) behaviors. It is however unclear how these are exactly related, and if related, if then only those individuals higher on dark personality traits and higher impulsivity engage in paraphilic behaviors. In the current study, 50 participants were recruited to investigate the relationship between Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism and everyday sadism), paraphilic interests (arousal and behavior) and the moderating role of impulsivity. Personality and paraphilic interests were investigated through self-report questionnaires. Impulsivity was measured both through self-reported dysfunctional impulsivity and the P3 event related potential using electroencephalography during the Go/No-Go task (i.e. response inhibition). The results showed that there was a positive association between psychopathy, sadism and paraphilic interests. Whereas everyday sadism was associated with paraphilic (self-reported) arousal, psychopathy was associated with paraphilic behavior. Although P3 amplitude was not associated with paraphilic interests, self-reported dysfunctional impulsivity was associated with paraphilic behavior specifically. However, there was no moderating role of dysfunctional impulsivity and response inhibition (P3) in the relationship between psychopathy and paraphilic behavior. Findings indicate that the relation between specific dark personalities and paraphilic interests may be more complex than initially thought. Nevertheless, risk assessment and intervention approaches for paraphilia and related behavior both may benefit from incorporating Dark Tetrad and impulsivity measurements.

Grandiose narcissism associates with higher cognitive performance under stress through more efficient attention distribution: An eye-tracking study.

Narcissism is a part of the Dark Triad that consists also of the traits of Machiavellianism and psychopathy. Two main types of narcissism exist: grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Being a Dark Triad trait, narcissism is typically associated with negative outcomes. However, recent research suggests that at least the grandiose type may be linked (directly or indirectly) to positive outcomes including lower levels of psychopathology, higher school grades in adolescents, deeper and more strategic learning in university students and higher cognitive performance in experimental settings. The current pre-registered, quasi-experimental study implemented eye-tracking to assess whether grandiose narcissism indirectly predicts cognitive performance through wider distribution of attention on the Raven's Progressive Matrices task. Fifty-four adults completed measures of the Dark Triad, self-esteem and psychopathology. Eight months to one year later, participants completed the Raven's, while their eye-movements were monitored during high stress conditions. When controlling for previous levels of psychopathology, grandiose narcissism predicted higher Raven's scores indirectly, through increased variability in the number of fixations across trials. These findings suggest that grandiose narcissism predicts higher cognitive performance, at least in experimental settings, and call for further research to understand the implications of this seemingly dark trait for performance across various settings.

Initial tweet valence, abuse volume, and observer Dark Tetrad characteristics influence perceptions of female celebrity abuse on Twitter.

Research into relationships between victim-generated content, abuse received, and observer characteristics when considering Twitter abuse has been limited to male victims. We evaluated participant perceptions of female celebrity victims and abuse received on Twitter. We used a 3 (Initial Tweet Valence; negative, neutral, positive) × 2 (Abuse Volume; low, high) repeated measures design and online survey method. Participants were shown tweets generated by six female celebrities, counterbalanced such that each participant saw each celebrity in one Valence-Volume condition. Stimuli were presented across six 'lists' such that celebrity 'victims' could be rotated across Valence-Volume pairings. Participants rated-per target stimulus-the level of blame attributable to the victim and the perceived severity of the incident. Furthermore, participants were asked to complete a Dark Tetrad scale-measuring their Machiavellianism, Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Sadism. Analyses determined that victim-blaming was influenced by victim Initial Tweet Valence (greater victim-blaming associated with more-negative content) and observer Machiavellianism. Perceived severity was influenced by victim Initial Tweet Valence, Volume of Abuse received, and observer Machiavellianism. Results were consistent with previous research involving male celebrity victims. Further research is needed to understand the contributions of participants' hostile and benevolent sexism, as well as the role of victim attractiveness.

Impulsivity mediates the association between narcissism and substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use: a longitudinal observational study.

BACKGROUND: Narcissism has been implied as a putative risk factor for substance use disorders (SUDs). However, previous research did not disentangle the degree of substance use from substance-related problems, the symptoms of SUDs. This preregistered study addressed the open question whether grandiose and vulnerable narcissism and their constituent traits convey specific SUD risk, that is, explain substance-related problems beyond the degree of use. Furthermore, we tested whether impulsivity or substance use motives linked to narcissistic self-regulation mediate this association. METHODS: Narcissism, impulsivity, substance use motives, past-year substance use, and substance-related problems were assessed in 139 (poly-)substance users, 121 of whom completed a one-year follow-up. For significant longitudinal associations between narcissism factors and substance-related problems controlled for the degree of use, we tested impulsivity and substance use motives as mediators. RESULTS: Grandiose narcissism (r =.24, p =.007) and its constituent factors antagonistic (r =.27, p =.003) and agentic narcissism (r =.18, p =.050), but not vulnerable narcissism, prospectively predicted substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use. Associations of grandiose narcissism and antagonistic narcissism with substance-related problems were fully mediated by impulsivity, but not substance use motives. Impulsivity explained roughly one third of the association of both grandiose (P̂M = 0.30) and antagonistic narcissism (P̂M = 0.26) with substance-related problems. DISCUSSION: We demonstrate that grandiose narcissism- particularly antagonistic but also agentic narcissism- is specifically linked to substance-related problems beyond the degree of substance use. The mediating effect of impulsivity but not substance use motives suggests that impulsivity may be a more important mechanism than narcissistic self-regulation in promoting SUD in narcissism. However, future studies may use more targeted measures than substance use motives to further probe the role of self-regulation. Similar result patterns for alcohol compared to all substances together indicate that mechanisms may be alike across substances. In conclusion, narcissistic individuals may not use substances more but have a higher SUD risk, informing prevention and treatment.

Structure of resilience: A Machiavellian contribution or 'paddle your own canoe'.

According to biobehavioral synchronicity model, empathy-a fundamental requirement for reciprocal and prosocial behavior-is at the core of rebound from stress, an essential feature of resilience. However, there are also reports on antagonistic traits-characterized by empathic deficit-bolstering immunity to stress. In the literature there is also inconclusive evidence regarding gender-related differences in resilience. In separate female and male subsamples we analyzed the network constellation entailing resilience (assessed as rebound from stress), empathic (cognitive empathy, affective resonance, and affective dissonance) and antagonistic personality traits (Machiavellianism, grandiose- and vulnerable narcissism). For both genders, Machiavellian agency instigated by narcissistic admiration occupied the central position in the network indicating that personality's resources for proactivity and control are essential for successful rebound. Empathy, and in particular its affective component, occupied only a peripheral position in the network. Machiavellian antagonism in men and grandiose narcissism in females bridged prosocial mechanism of resilience with antagonistic nodes of the network. In the female subsample both types of malign narcissism (rivalry and vulnerable narcissism) directly thwarted rebound. This process was not detected in the male subsample network dominated by antagonism. That is, gender-related differences were associated with the avoidance strategies rather than with the proactive strategies. Thus, resilience assessed as rebounding from stress primarily involves personality resources which modulate proactive- and prosocial- but not necessarily reciprocal behavior.

Adult ADHD and pathological narcissism: A retrospective-analysis.

Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often associated with personality pathology. However, only few studies have been conducted on the link between ADHD and pathological narcissism (PN), with or without a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). In order to fill this gap, PN and NPD were assessed in 164 subjects suffering from ADHD, with several other measures including ADHD severity, quality of life, depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and emotion dysregulation (ED). We found that a significant proportion of ADHD patients suffered from NPD, and that both narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability were associated with ADHD hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms, but not with inattentive symptoms. These two dimensions seemed to be negatively associated with well-being and positively associated with most of the other studied psychiatric dimensions except ED, the latter being only associated with vulnerability, even after adjustment on borderline symptoms. Overall, despite important limitations that limit the generalizability of our findings to the overall ADHD population (notably linked to selection bias), we believe that this exploratory study sheds light on the potential clinical relevance of narcissistic pathology in adult ADHD patients.

Role of narcissism in parental alienation phenomenon. A narrative review.

Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is a term addressed to describe negative, psychopathological feelings, thinking and behaviours, including hostility and fear, exhibited by children who have been alienated from one parent by the other parent. Despite its relevance in the clinical psychology field, theoretical and empirical contributions to understanding and deepening the many facets of this concept are still few. In particular, literature aimed at disentangling the alienating parent's psychological characteristics is scarce and fragmented. Our contribution encompasses a narrative review of scientific literature since the term PAS was coined in 1987 by Gardner, to delineate narcissistic proneness in alienating parents. Namely, considering the narcissistic drift the western society is going toward, we hypothesised that narcissism has a pivotal role in parents' alienating behaviours against the alienated ones. Firstly, the elements that emerged from our literature search confirmed our theoretical hypothesis, in terms of the likely role of narcissism/narcissistic marked traits in alienating parents. In the second section, we contextualised the phenomenon in a psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theoretical framework. Finally, based on previous findings/considerations, the developmental trajectories of children with PAS have been traced. An improved theoretical knowledge of this phenomenon, also in terms of the psychopathology associated with its genesis, means to refine the diagnostic and treatment tools to prevent it.

The differential effect of psychopathy on active and bystander trolling behaviors: the role of dark tetrad traits and lower agreeableness.

This study aimed to develop the Global Assessment of Active Trolling and Passive Bystanderism (GAATPB) scale and investigate the influence of personality traits on trolling behaviors. Focusing on the Dark Tetrad (DT) traits and agreeableness, the present study examined their associations and predictive utility on active trolling and passive bystanderism. Participants were recruited from social networking sites (SNSs), and eligibility criteria included active SNS usage and engagement in online interactions. A total of 797 healthy adult students participated in the study, with data from 300 used for the initial exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the remaining 497 (Mage = 22.25 years, SD = 3.37) for the subsequent analyses. Results indicated a significant correlation between DT traits and agreeableness across both active trolling and passive bystanderism, revealing a shared personality profile. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that narcissism, Machiavellianism, and trait sadism were predictors of active trolling, with psychopathy being the strongest predictor. However, psychopathy did not emerge as a predictor for passive bystanderism. The study also highlighted that DT traits mediated the relationship between lower agreeableness and overall trolling behavior, suggesting that trolling manifests from lower agreeableness through the instigation of callous-unemotional, manipulative, and self-centered traits inherent in DT.

The Spanish Short Dark Tetrad (SD4): Association With Personality and Psychological Problems.

BACKGROUND: The Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) is a recently developed instrument for assessing the "dark" personality traits of psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and sadism. We aimed to examine the SD4's psychometric properties, adapting it into Spanish and exploring its structure, gender invariance, reliability, concurrent validity, and nomological network. METHOD: A sample of 668 adults (Mage = 26.36, SD = 10.64, 69.2% females) completed the SD4 and other self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: The results demonstrated sound indices of reliability and concurrent validity, an adequate four-factor structure, and support for gender invariance. Furthermore, most of the findings about the nomological network were in line with prior hypotheses: All four SD4 scales were associated with low levels of agreeableness and antagonism; psychopathy was also related to low conscientiousness, disinhibition and impulse-control problems; narcissism was positively associated with extraversion and negatively associated with internalizing symptoms; Machiavellianism was uncorrelated with impulsivity-related problems, which made it distinct from the psychopathy profile; finally, sadism showed a similar pattern of associations to psychopathy, albeit less strongly linked to impulsivity problems and externalizing behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the SD4 presents sound psychometric properties, although the overlap between psychopathy and sadism warrants some caution.

Perfectionistic Self-Presentation and Psychopathology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Decades of research implicate perfectionism as a risk factor for psychopathology. Most research has focused on trait perfectionism (i.e., needing to be perfect), but there is a growing focus on perfectionistic self-presentation (PSP) (i.e., the need to seem perfect). The current article reports the results of a meta-analysis of previous research on the facets of PSP and psychopathology outcomes (either clinical diagnoses of psychiatric disorders or symptoms of these disorders). A systematic literature search retrieved 30 relevant studies (37 samples; N = 15,072), resulting in 192 individual effect-size indexes that were analysed with random-effect meta-analysis. Findings support the notion of PSP as a transdiagnostic factor by showing that PSP facets are associated with various forms of psychopathology, especially social anxiety, depression, vulnerable narcissism and-to lesser extent-grandiose narcissism and anorexia nervosa. The results indicated that there both commonalities across the three PSP and some unique findings highlighting the need to distinguish among appearing perfect, avoiding seeming imperfect and avoiding disclosures of imperfections. Additional analyses yielded little evidence in the results across studies including undergraduates, community samples and clinical samples. Our discussion includes a focus on factors and processes that contribute to the association between PSP and psychopathology.

Can clinical and subclinical forms of narcissism be considered risk factors for suicide-related outcomes? A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and subclinical forms of narcissism may increase suicide risk. However, little is known and there are controversies on this topic. This systematic review aims at providing an overview of studies investigating this association. METHODS: We used PubMed, Scopus, and PsycInfo databases and followed PRISMA. We focused on cohort, case-control, cross-sectional and case series studies. We referred to both clinical (i.e., narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and/or NPD criteria) and subclinical forms (i.e., grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic traits) of narcissism. Moreover, we considered: Suicidal Ideation (SI), Non-Suicidal Self-Injury(s) (NSSI), Deliberate Self-Harm (DSH), Suicide Attempt(s) (SA), Suicide Risk (SR), and Capability for Suicide. RESULTS: We included 47 studies. Lack of association between NPD diagnosis/criteria and suicide-related outcomes (SI) or mixed results (SA) were found. Higher homogeneity emerged when considering narcissistic traits. Vulnerable narcissism was associated with SI, less impulsive NSSI, and DSH. Grandiose narcissism was associated with severe NSSI and multiple SA with high intent to die, but it was protective against SI and SR. Vulnerable narcissism seemed to be associated with suicide-related outcomes characterized by low intent to die, while grandiose narcissism seemed to be a risk factor for outcomes with high planning and severity. LIMITATIONS: Between-study heterogeneity and lack of longitudinal studies. CONCLUSIONS: Assessing suicide risk in subjects with clinical or subclinical forms of narcissism may be useful. Moreover, considering the most vulnerable form of narcissism, and not just the grandiose one, may contribute to a more nuanced risk stratification and to the identification of distinct therapeutic approaches.

Validation of the Italian version of the Dark Tetrad at Work scale.

This study presents and validates the Italian adaptation of the Dark Tetrad at Work (DTW) scale, an instrument for assessing four socially aversive personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism) in the context of the workplace. A total of 300 Italian-speaking participants (50% female, M age = 32 years ± 9.2) and 253 English-speaking participants (38% female, M age = 39 years ± 12.1) were recruited via an online survey platform. The Italian-speaking sample was used to test the factorial structure, reliability and criterion-related validity of the Italian version of the DTW, whereas the English-speaking sample was used to test cross-language measurement invariance. Results from confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original four-factor model provided the best fit to the data. The Italian DTW scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with reliability coefficients of ω = .77 for narcissism, ω = .80 for Machiavellianism, and ω = .81 for both psychopathy and sadism. Concurrent associations between the DTW scales and negative and positive workplace outcomes supported the criterion validity of the scale. Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism positively correlated with counterproductive work behaviors and workplace bullying, and negatively with organizational citizenship behaviors and affective organizational commitment. In contrast, narcissism exhibited a unique pattern: It correlated positively with positive workplace behaviors and negatively with counterproductive behaviors toward the organization, but it was also found to be a significant predictor of workplace bullying. This finding may reflect multidimensional nature of narcissism, but a note of caution is warranted in interpreting this result, as all measurements relied on self-report instruments, introducing the possibility of socially desirable associations influencing the outcomes. Finally, the comparison with the English sample established configural, full metric and partial scale invariance, allowing for valid cross-language comparisons between Italian and English-speaking populations in the future. Preliminary Italian normative data were provided to offer a benchmark for the interpretation of DTW values. This study provides a reliable and valid instrument tailored to the Italian workforce, enhancing our understanding of dark personality traits within organizational contexts and providing organizations with an effective means to address and manage dark personality traits for a healthier workplace culture.

The Dark Tetrad: analysis of profiles and relationship with the Big Five personality factors.

The Dark Tetrad (DT) is composed of the traits of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy, and Sadism. Most studies analyzing the DT have employed a variable-centered approach, analyzing the traits separately. In the present study, we treat DT as a whole, adopting a person-centered approach. We analyzed different homogeneous subgroups of individuals characterized by specific DT profiles, aiming to examine their relationship with Big Five personality factors. A sample of 1149 participants (50.1% women, 18-79 years) completed The Short Dark Triad and the Assessment of Sadistic Personality instrument to assess DT, while the Mini-IPIP was used to assess the Big Five personality factors. Cluster analysis yielded five groups: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Mean DT, Low DT, and High DT group. The main results showed that the High DT group was distinguished by higher levels of extraversion and lower levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness (compared with the Low DT group). Moreover, the Narcissism group was characterized by higher scores on emotional stability, openness to experience, and extraversion. Finally, distribution according to gender varied across DT groups (more men than women in the High DT group and the opposite in the Low DT group). Limitations and future lines of research are discussed.

Ripples in the water: Fluctuations of narcissistic states in daily life.

Narcissistic traits are traditionally viewed as consistent similar to the mirrorlike self-reflection of Narcissus in the water. However, evidence suggests that state levels of narcissism are more dynamic than previously believed. The current research explored fluctuations within and between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in daily life. We investigated whether individuals' levels of grandiosity and vulnerability (a) vary, (b) are instable, and (c) display inertia and cross-lagged effects in their daily narcissistic expressions. Participants (N = 253; Mage = 22, 85% female) completed grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic trait questionnaires. Using ecological momentary assessment, they further completed up to 60 grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic state questionnaires over 6 days. The results showed that higher grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic traits led to more within-person variability within their corresponding states. Additionally, higher grandiose leadership/authority traits related to greater vulnerable within-person variability, while grandiose self-absorption/self-admiration reduced this. Similarly, all narcissistic traits, except for exploitativeness/entitlement and egocentrism, were positively related to increased instability in their corresponding state. Further, both grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic states demonstrated significant inertia, that is, lingering narcissistic endorsements within their own states. Overall, though the effect sizes were limited, the results showed that grandiosity and vulnerability include time-variant states that are intertwined and need to be acknowledged as additional moving, dimensional constructs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

What do we need in order to successfully treat persons with pathological narcissism? How does change happen? Treatment principles and mechanisms of change emerging from single cases treated by experts: A commentary.

Persons with pathological narcissism (PN) or narcissistic personality disorder present with a wide array of symptoms and social problems. They need effective psychotherapies but empirical evidence for what works with them is mostly lacking. In this issue of the Journal and Clinical Psychology: In Session four authors from different orientations described single cases of patients suffering from different manifestations of PN. In this commentary we reviewed in detail the four cases and tried to distill (a) the treatment principles adopted; (b) the actual mechanisms of therapeutic change. We hope that the list of principles and mechanisms and change we identified here can help both clinicians and researchers develop and test effective options for persons with PN who are difficult to treat but do have chances to change in a meaningful way in treatment.

Social appearance anxiety among the dark tetrad and self-concealment.

This study analyzed the effects of the Dark Tetrad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism) and self-concealment on social appearance anxiety. Empirical investigations on which personality traits influence social appearance anxiety are yet missing. In this study, a sample of N = 1186 Chinese students performed a questionnaire-based survey assessing different personality facets and social appearance anxiety tendencies. Measures included the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, the Machiavellian Personality Scale, the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, the Self-concealment Scale, and the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale. The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that psychopathy, Machiavellianism, sadism, and self-concealment positively predicted social appearance anxiety and narcissism negatively predicted social appearance anxiety. Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism, and self-concealment were positive predictors of social appearance anxiety, whereas narcissism was a negative predictor. These findings provide insight into the complex nature of the Dark Tetrad and their influence on social appearance anxiety.