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Cited by 180Personality Traits and PsychologyEmotions and Moral BehaviorPersonality Disorders and Psychopathology

Trait entitlement: A cognitive-personality source of vulnerability to psychological distress.

Grubbs, Joshua B., Exline, Julie J.·2016·Psychological Bulletin
DOI 10.1037/bul0000063
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Abstract

Psychological entitlement is a personality trait characterized by pervasive feelings of deservingness, specialness, and exaggerated expectations. The present review expands upon this understanding by conceptualizing entitlement as a cognitive-personality vulnerability to psychological distress. A review of research is conducted, and a novel, multipart model is described by which entitlement may be seen as such a vulnerability. First, exaggerated expectations, notions of the self as special, and inflated deservingness associated with trait entitlement present the individual with a continual vulnerability to unmet expectations. Second, entitled individuals are likely to interpret these unmet expectations in ways that foster disappointment, ego threat, and a sense of perceived injustice, all of which may lead to psychological distress indicators such as dissatisfaction across multiple life domains, anger, and generally volatile emotional responses. Furthermore, in the wake of disappointment, ego threat, or perceived injustice, entitled individuals are likely to attempt to bolster their entitled self-concept, leading to a reinforcement of entitled beliefs, thereby initiating the cycle again. At each stage of this process, entitlement presents the individual with the possibility of experiencing distress, predisposes further risk factors for distress (e.g., the subsequent steps in the model), and increases the risk of interpersonal conflict, again leading to distress. A review of relevant empirical data suggests preliminary support for this conceptual model of entitlement. (PsycINFO Database Record

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  • Narcissists form exaggerated expectations of status acquisition because of their heightened sense of entitlement.

    “Second, because of their heightened sense of entitlement (i.e., their sense of inherent deservedness), narcissists might form exaggerated expectations of status acquisition (Grubbs & Exline, 2016).”

    From The "Why" and "How" of Narcissism: A Process Model of Narcissistic Status Pursuit (2020) · cites this paper as Grubbs & Exline, 2016

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Authors
Grubbs, J. B., & Exline, J. J.
Affiliations
  • Bowling Green State University (US)
  • Case Western Reserve University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Psychological Bulletin
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2016-11
Volume
142
Issue
11
Pages
1204-1226
ISSN
  • 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1455
DOI
10.1037/bul0000063
OpenAlex
W2512067553
Cited by
180
References
249
Citations by year
2026: 25 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 2
FWCI
16.09
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
John Templeton Foundation (36094)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
Keywords
psychological entitlement, psychological distress, self-concept, ego threat, perceived injustice, disappointment, anger, emotional volatility, interpersonal conflict, self-concept maintenance
MeSH terms
Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Personality, Self Concept, Stress, Psychological

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