Narcissists know they're annoying, study suggests

Oh dear. I have narcissists in my family, so I worried I might be one, but thought that since I wondered if I could be one, it was evidence that I'm not. Now what?

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/01/7544811-narcissists-know-theyre-annoying-study-suggests

Sept. 9, 2011
By Cari Nierenberg

Narcissists are well aware of their me-first tendencies and may not be completely clueless of how their personalities and reputations come across to others, a new study claims. This finding challenges the belief that people with super-sized egos -- and even bigger heads -- lack self-insight.

In a study cleverly titled "You Probably Think This Paper's About You" in the July issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers were surprised to find that narcissists did, in fact, see themselves as narcissistic and realized that other people view them less positively as they see themselves.

A narcissist is someone who is arrogant and condescending, enjoys bragging and arguing, and often tries to be the center of attention, says Erika Carlson, a graduate student in psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, and the study's lead author.

Carlson and her research team wanted to determine to what extent the perceptions of people who are full of themselves varies based on how they view themselves, how they are seen by others, and how they believe others see them.

[...] [They did two studies. One on college students who worked in small groups once a week throughout a semester.]

A second experiment involved 274 Air Force recruits (154 men, 120 women) who had spent six weeks together in basic training. Unlike the previous study, the recruits knew each other better than mere acquaintances, and scientists used a clinical tool to measure narcissism instead of self-reported information.

Researchers found once again that people who were the most self-centered viewed themselves that way and believed their coworkers would perceive them as big-headed, too.

"Narcissists know that others do not share their positive self-views," says Carlson. But her hunch is these self-absorbed individuals view their narcissism as a character strength that brings them personal gain and helps them get ahead.

When asked how best to handle the narcissists in our lives, Carlson suggests, "My guess is the trick is to use their desire for respect and status as a carrot to evoke positive changes."

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