Vulnerable and grandiose narcissism in adolescence: Associations with anger and hostility

Abstract

There is increasing consensus on the importance of distinguishing between grandiose and vulnerable subtypes of narcissism. Yet, little is known about these traits and their differential correlates in youth. Recent findings in adults suggest that narcissistic vulnerability, rather than grandiosity, is a critical determinant of internal aggression triggers, i.e. dispositional anger and hostility. The present study tests associations between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism and hostility and anger. Participants were high school pupils (n = 291, M age = 15.91) from Poland. As hypothesized, vulnerable narcissism (as compared to grandiose narcissism) was associated with higher levels of dispositional anger and hostility. These effects were independent of pupils’ level of self-esteem, but not of neuroticism. The current study contributes to the literature by illustrating differential correlates of vulnerable and grandiose narcissism in adolescents.