Cited by 704Social and Intergroup PsychologyDeath Anxiety and Social ExclusionBullying, Victimization, and Aggression

Collective narcissism and its social consequences.

de Zavala, Agnieszka Golec, Cichocka, Aleksandra, Eidelson, Roy, Jayawickreme, Nuwan·2009·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Abstract

This article introduces the concept of collective narcissism--an emotional investment in an unrealistic belief about the in group's greatness--aiming to explain how feelings about an ingroup shape a tendency to aggress against outgroups. The results of 5 studies indicate that collective, but not individual, narcissism predicts intergroup aggressiveness. Collective narcissism is related to high private and low public collective self-esteem and low implicit group esteem. It predicts perceived threat from outgroups, unwillingness to forgive outgroups, preference for military aggression over and above social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, and blind patriotism. The relationship between collective narcissism and aggressiveness is mediated by perceived threat from outgroups and perceived insult to the ingroup. In sum, the results indicate that collective narcissism is a form of high but ambivalent group esteem related to sensitivity to threats to the ingroup's image and retaliatory aggression.

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  • Collective narcissism has been assessed with reference to ethnic and religious groups, professional organizations, football teams, students of the same university, and a fictitious nation, and in all cases it made similar predictions for intergroup attitudes.

    “Collective narcissism has been assessed with reference to ethnic and religious groups (Golec de Zavala et al., 2009), professional organizations (Galvin, Lange, & Ashforth, 2015), football teams (Larkin, 2017), students of the same university (Golec de Zavala, Cichocka, & Bilewicz, 2013a;Golec de Zavala, Cichocka, & Iskra-Golec, 2013b), and a fictitious nation of Minay in a role-playing game (Keen”

    From Collective Narcissism: Political Consequences of Investing Self‐Worth in the Ingroup’s Image (2019) · cites this paper as Golec de Zavala et al., 2009

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • Collective narcissism is associated with social dominance orientation, with correlations ranging from r(198) = .08, p > .05 in Mexico and r(115) = .11, p > .05 in Poland to r(261) = .53, p < .001 in the United States.

    “The overlap between collective narcissism and social dominance orientation ranged from r (198) = .08,p >.05 in Mexico (Golec de Zavala et al., 2009) and r (115) = .11;p >.05 in Poland (Golec de Zavala et al., 2013b) to r (261) = .53;p <.001 in the United States (Golec de Zavala et al., 2009).”

    From Collective Narcissism: Political Consequences of Investing Self‐Worth in the Ingroup’s Image (2019) · cites this paper as Golec de Zavala et al., 2009

    The Results report no significant overall correlation between collective narcissism and social dominance orientation in the Mexican sample, and Discussion Study 1 reports an association in the American sample. Our copy does not verify the cited coefficients or p-values of .08 for Mexico and .53 for the United States. The Polish figure is attributed to a different source in the citing sentence, so it is not judged here. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • The relationship between collective narcissism and authoritarianism ranges from r(198) = .02, p > .05 in Mexico to r(132) = .56, p < .001 in Poland.

    “Their relationship ranges from r (198) = .02,p >.05 in Mexico (Golec de Zavala et al., 2009) to r (132) = .56,p <.001 in Poland (Golec de Zavala et al., 2013a).”

    From Collective Narcissism: Political Consequences of Investing Self‐Worth in the Ingroup’s Image (2019) · cites this paper as Golec de Zavala et al., 2009

    The Results and Discussion of Study 5 report no significant correlation between collective narcissism and authoritarianism in the Mexican sample, supporting the Mexican finding in substance. The Results give r(198) = .02 for collective narcissism and opposition to equality, not explicitly for authoritarianism; the exact coefficient attributed to the Mexican authoritarianism relationship is therefore not verified. The Polish coefficient is cited to a different paper in the sentence and is not assessed here. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • In the United States, collective narcissism, social dominance orientation, and authoritarianism independently predicted support for military actions in Iraq in 2003, and only the effect of collective narcissism was mediated by perceived threat from aggression of others.

    “In the United States, collective narcissism, social dominance orientation, and authoritarianism independently predicted support for military actions in Iraq in 2003.Only the effect of collective narcissism was mediated by perceived threat from aggression of others (Golec de Zavala et al., 2009).”

    From Collective Narcissism: Political Consequences of Investing Self‐Worth in the Ingroup’s Image (2019) · cites this paper as Golec de Zavala et al., 2009

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • American collective narcissism predicted support for military intervention in Iraq in 2003, and this relationship was mediated by the perception that the national ingroup was threatened by the hostility of others.

    “American collective narcissism predicted support for military intervention in Iraq in 2003.This relationship was mediated by the perception that the national ingroup was threatened by the hostility of others (Golec de Zavala et al., 2009).”

    From Collective Narcissism: Political Consequences of Investing Self‐Worth in the Ingroup’s Image (2019) · cites this paper as Golec de Zavala et al., 2009

    The Study 1 results (Collective Narcissism Scale Reliability; page unavailable) report that collective narcissism predicted support for military aggression and that perceived threat from out-groups partially mediated the relationship. The Measures section includes support for the Iraq war in a broader military-aggression scale, but the copy does not report a separate mediation result for support for the 2003 Iraq intervention specifically. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Arendt, H. (1971). The life of the mind : Vol. 1: Thinking . San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
  2. Bazi ń ska, R., & Drat-Ruszczak, K. (2000). Struktur narcyzmu w polskiej adaptacji kwestionariusza NPI Raskina i Halla. [Structure of narcissism in Polish adaptation of Raskin's and Hall's NPI]. Czasopismo Psychologiczne, 6( 3-4), 171-188.
  3. Brown, R. (2000). Social identity theory: past achievements, current problems and future challenges . European Journal of Social Psychology, 30 ,745-778.
  4. Federico C., Golec A., & Dial J. (2005). The relationship between need for closure and attitudes toward international conflict: moderating effects of national attachment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31 , 621-632.
  5. Greenwald, A. G., & Banaji, M. R. (1995). Implicit social cognition: Attitudes, selfesteem, and stereotypes. Psychological Review , 102 , 4-27.
  6. Long, K. M., & Spears. (1998). Opposing effects of personal and collective selfesteem on interpersonal and intergroup comparisons . European Journal of Social Psychology, 28, 913-930.
  7. Schmitt, M.T., Branscombe, N.R., & Kappen, D. (2003). Attitudes toward groupbased inequality: Social dominance or social identity. British Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 161-186.
  8. Schopler, J., & Insko, C. A. (1992). The discontinuity effect: Generality and mediation. In W. Stroebe & M. Hewstone (Eds.), European Review of Social Psychology, 3 (pp. 121-151). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
  9. Sidanius, J., & Pratto, F. (1999). Social dominance . New York: Cambridge University Press.

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Authors
de Zavala, A. G., Cichocka, A., Eidelson, R., & Jayawickreme, N.
Affiliations
  • University of Warsaw (PL)
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
Venue
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Published
2009
Volume
97
Issue
6
Pages
1074-1096
ISSN
  • 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1315
OpenAlex
W2119548570
Cited by
704
References
167
Citations by year
2026: 53 · 2025: 69 · 2024: 98 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 91 · 2021: 90 · 2020: 52 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 61 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 6
FWCI
27.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Goldsmiths Research Online (acceptedVersion)
  • Middlesex University Research Repository (Middlesex University Of London) (acceptedVersion)
  • Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (1 H01F 052 30)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
Keywords
collective narcissism, intergroup aggression, outgroup threat, group self-esteem, forgiveness, military aggression, social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, blind patriotism
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aggression, Authoritarianism, Conflict, Psychological, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Dominance-Subordination, Ethnicity, Female, United Kingdom, Group Processes, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Mexico, Middle Aged, Narcissism, Poland, Predictive Value of Tests, Self Concept, Social Behavior, Social Identification, Social Perception, Students, United States, Reproducibility of Results, Young Adult

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