Narcissistic self-esteem or optimal self-esteem? A Latent Profile Analysis of self-esteem and psychological entitlement

Research into the relationship between self-esteem and narcissism has produced conflicting results, potentially caused by hidden subpopulations that exhibit distinct positive or negative associations. This research uses Latent Profile Analysis to identify profiles within a national panel study (N = 6471) with differing relationships between psychological entitlement and self-esteem. We identified a narcissistic self-esteem profile (9%) characterised by high entitlement and high self-esteem, an optimal self-esteem (38.4%) profile characterised by high self-esteem but low entitlement, and three profiles that reported low entitlement but different levels of self-esteem. We additionally predicted profile membership using Big-Five traits. Results indicate that self-esteem is a necessary but not sufficient condition for high entitlement, and entitlement is not highly prevalent in New Zealand.     

Decomposing a Sense of Superiority: The Differential Social Impact of Self-Regard and Regard for Others

The tendency to self-enhance has been related to a host of beneficial psychological outcomes (Taylor & Brown, 1988), although some negative social consequences have also been identified (Colvin et al., 1995, Paulhus, 1998). One operationalization of self-enhancement is derived by subtracting the rater's evaluations of others from his or her self-ratings to yield a measure of the rater's sense of superiority/inferiority, i.e., rater-derived self-enhancement. The present research assessed the psychological and social correlates of a person's sense of superiority in groups whose members worked on tasks together for 3 months. A sense of superiority was scored as a composite but also separated into its two components, self-regard and regard for others, to determine if these components of a sense of superiority have separate relationships to psychological and social processes. A sense of superiority evidenced the same self-rated psychological benefits as had been found in Western research, though it showed both positive and negative social outcomes, as assessed on an eight-factor measure of the target's personality rated by his or her other group members. Positive psychological characteristics and a stereotypically masculine reputation were associated with higher levels of self-regard; lower levels of self-rated Agreeableness, a stereotypically nonfeminine reputation, and lower liking were associated with lower levels of regard for others. Given their different functions, it is proposed that self-regard and regard for others be separated in future research and attention directed toward characterizing the behavioral profiles of those high and low in these two measures of basic personality orientation.     

Latent profiles of work motivation in adolescents in relation to work expectations,goal engagement,and changes in work experiences

Motivation plays a key role in successful entry into working life. Based on a cross-sectional and a one-year longitudinal study, we used a person-centered approach to explore work-related motivation (i.e., autonomous goals, positive affect, and occupational self-efficacy) among 577 students in 8th grade (Study 1) and 949 adolescents in vocational training (Study 2). Based on latent profile analysis, in both studies we identified four groups that were characterized by different levels of overall motivation and one group characterized by low positive affect and mean levels in autonomous goals and self-efficacy. Profiles characterized by high levels of motivation showed the highest levels of positive work expectations and goal engagement and the lowest levels of negative work expectations in Study 1 and the highest levels of person-job fit, work engagement, and job satisfaction in Study 2. Moreover, latent difference score analysis showed that motivational profiles predicted changes in person-job fit and work engagement across one year but not in job satisfaction. The results imply that career counselors should be aware of characteristic motivational patterns of clients that may require specific counseling approaches.     

Psychological Entitlement and Ambivalent Sexism: Understanding the Role of Entitlement in Predicting Two Forms of Sexism

Recent research has shown that narcissistic men in the United States express more ambivalent sexism than their non-narcissistic counterparts. The present study sought to extend these findings by hypothesizing that psychological entitlement would be a predictor of ambivalent sexism but that that this relationship may vary by gender. Given entitlement’s associations with hostility and aggression and the previously established link between narcissism and sexism in men, we hypothesized that entitlement would predict hostile sexism in men. Given that entitlement is characterized by a pervasive sense of deservingness for special treatment and goods, we expected that entitled women would endorse attitudes of benevolent sexism. These hypotheses were tested using two cross-sectional samples in the U.S.—a sample of undergraduates from a private university in the Midwest (N?=?333) and a web-based sample of adults across the U.S. (N?=?437). Results from regression analyses confirmed that psychological entitlement is a robust predictor of ambivalent sexism, above and beyond known predictors of sexism such as low openness and relevant covariates such as impression management. In addition, entitlement was a consistent predictor of benevolent sexism in women, but not in men, and a consistent predictor of hostile sexism in men, but not in women. These relationships were largely robust, persisting even when relevant covariates (e.g., socially desirable responding, trait openness) were controlled statistically, although in one sample the link between entitlement and hostile sexism in men was reduced to non-significance when benevolent sexism was controlled for statistically. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Differential Influence of Social Support in Emerging Adulthood Across Sources of Support and Profiles of Interpersonal and Non-Interpersonal Potentially Traumatic Experiences

Social support is protective against the negative effects of trauma, yet how these effects vary across sources of support and patterns of trauma exposure has not been examined. High co-occurrence exists among different types of trauma across domains and ages, yielding patterns of trauma exposure that may affect social support. This study identified profiles of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) experienced by 252 college students and examined the relationships between social support and mental health across these profiles. Five profiles emerged: “Non-Interpersonal Trauma Exposure,” “Adult Intimate Partner Violence,” “Poly-trauma Exposure,” “Low Trauma Exposure,” and “Childhood Family Violence.” The link between social support and adjustment differed across profiles. Family support was valuable for promoting resilience across patterns of PTEs. Friend and romantic partner support were related to lower mental health problems. Support from family and friends is particularly valuable in the context of adult intimate partner violence and childhood family violence.     

Persistent career indecision over time: Links with personality,barriers, self-efficacy,and life satisfaction

Taking control over one's career requires the ability to make career decisions; thus, remaining in a state of career indecision is problematic. However, the stability of career indecision has not yet been investigated using advanced statistical modeling approaches. We present two studies of German university students applying three-wave, longitudinal designs. Study 1 investigated the stability of career indecision by means of latent state-trait analysis within two samples with different time lags (Sample 1: N = 363, 7 weeks; Sample 2: N = 591, 6 months). The results indicated that career indecision was determined by a stable component (i.e., trait career indecisiveness) that was associated with lower core self-evaluations, lower occupational self-efficacy, and higher perceived career barriers. Study 2 (N = 469) examined career indecision over one year. We found that the stable career indecision component explained 5% of the variance in student life satisfaction beyond self-evaluated generalized indecisiveness.     

Multidimensional motivation for exercise: A latent profile and transition analysis

ObjectivesTo: a) identify motivational profiles for exercise, using Self-Determination Theory as a theoretical framework, among a sample of parents of UK primary school children; b) explore the movement between motivational profiles over a five year period; and c) examine differences across these profiles in terms of gender, physical activity and BMI.DesignData were from the B-Proact1v cohort.Methods2555 parents of British primary school children participated across three phases when the child was aged 5–6, 8–9, and 10–11. Parents completed a multidimensional measure of motivation for exercise and wore an ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometer for five days in each phase. Latent profile and transition analyses were conducted using a three-step approach in MPlus.ResultsSix profiles were identified, comprising different combinations of motivation types. Between each timepoint, moving between profiles was more likely than remaining in the same one. People with a more autonomous profile at a previous timepoint were unlikely to move to more controlled or amotivated profiles. At all three timepoints, more autonomous profiles were associated with higher levels of MVPA and lower BMI.ConclusionsThe results show that people’s motivation for exercise can be described in coherent and consistent profiles which are made up of multiple and simultaneous types of motivation. More autonomous motivation profiles were more enduring over time, indicating that promoting more autonomous motivational profiles may be central to facilitating longer-term physical activity engagement.     

心理特权:概念、测量及相关研究

心理特权是指一种感到有权利获得优待、被豁免社会责任的稳定而普遍的主观信念或知觉,在不同的领域可以表现为学业特权感、消费者特权感、职场特权感等。心理特权能够使个体变得自恋,诱发人际冲突、自私行为和攻击行为等。影响心理特权的因素主要有生活经历、教养方式、依恋类型、社会经济地位、组织环境等情境因素和自我同情、主观建构、平等主义价值观等个体因素。未来研究应深入探究心理特权的概念与结构,拓展其研究方法,强化纵向研究以及本土化研究,并进一步探究影响心理特权的可能因素和避免(或减弱)心理特权消极后果的方法。     

A latent profile analysis of attributions for poverty: Identifying response patterns underlying people’s willingness to help the poor

Attribution theory posits that poverty beliefs vary along the causal properties of locus, stability, personal control, and other control. The current paper extends this framework by using a latent profile analysis to identify the unique response patterns (latent profiles) that underlie these beliefs. Results indicated that participants (N = 315) displayed one of three attributional profiles: Blaming (high internal locus; moderate stability; high personal control; high other control), Caring (low internal locus; moderate stability; low personal control; high other control), or Ambivalent (moderate across causal properties). Subsequent analyses showed that levels of conservatism and system justification positively correlated with membership in the Blaming (vs. Caring) profile. In turn, belonging in the Blaming (vs. Caring) profile predicted more anger, less sympathy, and less support for the poor. These findings advance attribution theory by taking a person-centered perspective and demonstrating that three distinct response patterns underlie individual differences in people’s poverty beliefs.     

Profiles of career adaptivity and their relations with adaptability,adapting, and adaptation

Career adaptivity is the first factor in a chain of putative effects posited in the career construction theory (CCT): Adaptivity → Adaptability → Adapting → Adaptation. Hitherto, research on adaptivity has chiefly used variable-centered strategies to investigate the independent effects of adaptivity-related traits on adaptability, adapting, and adaptation averaged over all individuals constituting a sample. The present research, comprising two studies, seeks to extend this work by using person-centered analytic strategies to identify distinct profiles of adaptivity based on combinations of the Big-Five personality dimensions. We also examine the associations of profile membership with adaptability, adapting, and adaptation from the CCT perspective. Latent profile analyses revealed that a comparable 3-profile solution, comprising so-called “adaptive ready”, “ordinary”, and “rigid” adaptivity profiles, fit best in both studies using distinct measures of the Big-Five. Furthermore, across both studies, the latent subgroups were found to differ on levels of adaptability measured using two distinct instruments. Adaptability was highest in the “adaptive ready” subgroup followed by the “ordinary” and “rigid” subgroups, respectively. Finally, Study 2 showed that the adaptivity profiles differed with respect to indices of adapting (viz., organized study behaviors) and adaptation (viz., academic and career-choice satisfaction) in line with expectations from the CCT. The present findings constitute the first evidence showing that career adaptivity can be adequately represented via trait interactions. The findings also add to the empirical literature underpinning the CCT. Furthermore, this research is an informative demonstration of the utility of finite mixture analyses.     

Methodological and practical issues regarding phenomenological subtypes of highly suggestible individuals: A response to Kumar

A hypnotic induction produces different patterns of spontaneous experiences across individuals. The magnitude and characteristics of these responses covary moderately with hypnotic suggestibility, but also differ within levels of hypnotic suggestibility. This study sought to identify discrete phenomenological profiles in response to a hypnotic induction and assess whether experiential variability among highly suggestible individuals matches the phenomenological profiles predicted by dissociative typological models of high hypnotic suggestibility. Phenomenological state scores indexed in reference to a resting epoch during hypnosis were submitted to a latent profile analysis. The profiles in the derived four-class solution differed in multiple experiential dimensions and hypnotic suggestibility. Highly suggestible individuals were distributed across two classes that exhibited response patterns suggesting an inward attention subtype and a dissociative subtype. These results provide support for dissociative typological models of high hypnotic suggestibility and indicate that highly suggestible individuals do not display a uniform response to a hypnotic induction.     

“Put Away Childish Things”: Psychological entitlement has weaker negative associations with wellbeing for emerging adults

Across the lifespan, narcissism is highest amongst emerging adults (aged 18–25), but narcissism may also be more adaptive for emerging adults. We replicate and extend upon previous research by examining the relative adaptiveness of psychological entitlement (a facet of narcissism) across the entire adult lifespan. Using data from a national panel study in New Zealand (N = 47,487), we investigate whether negative associations between entitlement and life satisfaction, self-esteem, and perceived social support are weaker for both emerging adults and for older adults (aged 65+). Results supported this theory for emerging adults, but only weak evidence was found for a similar effect among older adults. These findings support the idea that narcissism may serve different developmental purposes across the lifespan.     

Exercise schema and motivational regulation of college students: A person-centered analysis

To further understand the complex psychological processes involved with motivating health behavior, we sought to examine how one's exercise schema may align with self-determined exercise motivation regulations. Few studies have examined patterns of motivation regulations that may be associated with exercise schema in order to better identify unique motivation-based profiles. We conducted a latent profile analysis on responses from 427 college-aged adults to an exercise self-schema measure (schema identification and schema strength) and five exercise regulation subscales (external, introjected, identified, integrated, intrinsic). A three-class latent profile model fit this data best considering both the fit indices and theoretical implications and confirmed previous research grouping individuals into pre-exerciser schematics, aschematics, and exerciser schematics. However, the model also captured individuals that would have been unclassifiable in the original scoring analysis. Future research may examine the stability of these profiles and methods to better understand schema-regulation profiles and exercise behavior.     

Examining profiles of the big five and sensation seeking among competitive climbers

The present study sought to identify distinct personality profiles in competitive climbers (N = 331, Mean age = 29.85, SD = 10.92), and also sought to explore whether these climbers differed in their sensation seeking tendencies based on these personality profiles. Employing a cross-sectional design, participants completed measures of the big five personality dimensions (agreeableness; conscientiousness; extraversion; neuroticism; openness to experience) and sensation seeking (boredom susceptibility; experience seeking; disinhibition; thrill and adventure seeking). Latent profile analysis identified four distinct big five personality profiles (Curious and Impulsive; Emotionally Unstable; Healthy; and Measured and Compliant). MANCOVA and follow-up ANCOVAs demonstrated significant differences between the four personality profiles in relation to thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, and disinhibition. The findings suggest that the identification of distinct personality profiles using a person-centred approach is a useful way of distinguishing and optimizing typical behaviors and preferences in adventure sports in the future.     

Nonimmediate language style and inconsistency between private and expressed evaluations

It was hypothesized that certain language style variations would reflect apprehension about affirming the validity of communication content. Wiener and Mehrabian (Language within language: Immediacy, a channel in verbal communication. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts,1968) have identified a cluster of such variations called verbal nonimmediacy, which they describe as indicators of psychological distance between the communicator and his/her communication. Four experiments are reported. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that communication about positive manifestations of disliked traits and negative manifestations of liked traits was more nonimmediate than when positive manifestations of liked traits or negative manifestations of disliked traits were described. This was true both when one's own or another's personality traits were described. In Experiment 3, nonimmediacy was found to increase when communications involved clear fabrications about either one's liked or disliked traits. Experiment 4 showed that when self-regard was experimentally manipulated, low self-regard subjects showed more opinion conformity and nonimmediacy in their disclosures to a confederate than did high self-regard subjects.     

Linking psychological risk profiles to running-related injuries and chronic fatigue in long-distance runners: A latent profile analysis

IntroductionConsistently predicting adverse outcomes of long-distance running, such as running-related injuries (RRIs) and chronic fatigue, has proven to be a complicated matter. However, research suggests that a stronger focus on psychological factors of runners might provide further insights. Consequently, in this study, we explored the interplay between self-regulatory coping strategies and motivational aspects. Using a person-centered approach, we investigated whether latent psychological profiles of runners were associated with RRIs and chronic fatigue.MethodsQuestionnaire data were gathered from Dutch recreational long-distance runners (N = 425) using a cross-sectional design. We determined whether specific psychological combinations (i.e., latent profiles) based on coping strategies (i.e., running-related resources and recovery) and motivational aspects (i.e., harmonious and obsessive passion) could be distinguished using latent profile analysis (LPA). The resulting profiles were tested for their associations with RRIs and chronic fatigue.ResultsLPA revealed three different psychological risk profiles, termed the ‘low-risk’, ‘medium-risk’, and ‘high-risk’ profile. The low-risk profile showed low scores on obsessive passion and high scores on all recovery dimensions, whereas the high-risk profile resembled the opposite pattern. Furthermore, the low-risk profile showed significantly fewer RRIs and lower chronic fatigue scores than the high-risk profile.DiscussionThe results reveal that (1) patterns of passion and coping strategies interact in defining different profiles and (2) that such profiles are indeed linked to RRIs and chronic fatigue. Utilizing profiles might enable targeted intervention and more effective preventative measures by pinpointing at-risk runners. Specific combinations of psychological aspects, as reflected by our profiles, thus appear a worthwhile direction to consider in understanding RRIs and chronic fatigue in long-distance running.     

Core self-evaluations and job and life satisfaction: the role of self-concordance and goal attainment

The present study tested a model explaining how the core self-evaluations (i.e., positive self-regard) concept is linked to job and life satisfaction. The self-concordance model, which focuses on motives underlying goal pursuit, was used as an explanatory framework. Data were collected from 2 samples: (a) 183 university students (longitudinal measures of goal attainment and life satisfaction were used) and (b) 251 employees (longitudinal measures of goal attainment and job satisfaction were utilized). In both studies, the core self-evaluations concept was positively related to goal self-concordance, meaning that individuals with positive self-regard were more likely to pursue goals for intrinsic and identified (value-congruent) reasons. Furthermore, in both studies, goal self-concordance was related to satisfaction (job satisfaction in Study 1 and life satisfaction in Study 2).     

Managerial motivational profiles: Composition,antecedents, and consequences

Using a person-centered approach, we identified managers' (N = 321) motivational profiles and tested a model of the antecedents and consequences of these profiles. The profiles were based on four motivational types delineated by self-determination theory (i.e., external, introjected, identified, intrinsic). Latent profile analysis revealed six distinct motivational profiles. One of these was a self-determined profile (high identified and intrinsic motivation, moderately low introjected motivation, and low external motivation). Four other profiles combined average levels of external motivation with either very low, low, moderately low, or high internal (i.e., introjected, identified, and intrinsic) motivation. The final profile involved moderately high levels of all four motives. The antecedents of profile membership examined were perceived supervisor support and perceived organizational politics. The career-related outcomes of profile membership were work attitudes and promotability. The self-determined and high internal motivation profiles were associated with the most favorable work attitudes, followed by the moderately high motivation profile. The low internal motivation profiles were associated with the least favorable attitudes. Promotability did not differ across the profiles. With respect to the antecedents, low levels of supervisor support and high levels of politics increased the odds that a manager would exhibit profiles that were less desirable than the self-determined profile. Our findings provide initial information about managers' motivational profiles, as well as the antecedents and consequences of these profiles. Further, these results demonstrate the promise of a person-centered approach for advancing motivation research and management development.     

The role of individual and parental expectations in student-athletes’ career adaptability profiles

ObjectivesTo support holistic development, adolescent student-athletes are encouraged to integrate sport with education/academics (i.e., dual careers). Career adaptability, as a psychological resource, may help youth athletes cope with transitions and successfully manage their careers. Individuals with a plan and higher expectations for the future demonstrate higher career adaptability and are better prepared for the future. In the present study, we examined what kinds of distinct career adaptability profiles could be identified among youth athletes in Finland at the transition stage to a sports high school (i.e., specialized school for athletes). Moreover, we investigated whether youth athletes’ success expectations about school and sport, and corresponding parental expectations, predicted the probability of student-athletes demonstrating a certain career adaptability profile. Next, we examined how gender was represented in the different profiles. Design and methods: The present study is part of the Longitudinal Finnish Dual Career study. A total of 391 student-athletes (51% females) from six sports high schools in Finland, and 448 parents (42% fathers) participated in the study. The student-athletes answered questionnaires on career adaptability (Career Adapt-Abilities Scale – Dual Career Form) and success expectations at the beginning and then again at the end of the first year of sports high school. At the beginning of sports high school, parents responded to a questionnaire about their expectations of success for their children in both academics and in sport. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and latent profile analysis. Results: Five distinct adaptability profiles across time were identified: stable, very low adaptability, stable low adaptability, stable moderate adaptability, stable high adaptability, and increased adaptability. Student-athletes’ high success expectations in academics and sport, and mothers’ high success expectations in academics, increased the probability of student-athletes showing higher adaptability profiles. Conclusions: The student-athletes’ high level of expectations for both sport and academics are associated with career adaptability, and mothers’ high expectations of student-athletes’ academic success relate to higher career adaptability profiles among student-athletes and can thus be considered an important factor in supporting their dual careers.