Narcissistic Users in Virtual Space: The Discriminational Role of Brain – Behavioral Systems and Positive and Negative Affect

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of Health Psychology, Kharazmi University of Tehran, Tehran,Iran

2 Kharazmi University of Tehran.،Tehran,Iran

3 Professor of Psychology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the discriminational role of brain – behavioral systems and positive and negative affect in discrimination of narcissistic and normal users in virtual space. The present study had a two-group discriminant function design. The research population was consisted of all users of active social networking in virtual space, aged between 18 to 30 years and living in Tehran.
195 participants selected by snowball sampling method in a telegram program environment. Data was collected with the Positive and Negative Experience scale, Narcissistic Personality scale, and Behavioral Inhibition/ Activation Systems Scale. The results of discriminantion analysis showed that the activation system had the strongest relationship with this function, and could distinct narcissistic group from normal. But, the discrimination power of four other variables (including negative affect, inhibition systems, positive affect and affect balance) were weaker. So, in combination with other characteristics of narcissistic individuals, the assessment of activity level of activation system can also be used to discriminate narcissistic individuals from normal.

Keywords


 
Abdi, R. and Nasiri, A. (2015). The role of abnormal personality dimensions in predicting narcissistic personality traits. Journal of Thought Behavior in Clinical Psychology, 9 (37): 27-36. [Text in Persian]
Atlas, G.D. and Them, M.A. (2008). Narcissism and sensitivity to criticism: a preliminary investigation. Current Psychology, 27(1): 62–76.
Baiyun, C. and Marcus, J. (2012). Students’ self-presentation on Facebook: An examination of personality and self-construal factor. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(6): 2091–2099.
Barry, C.T., McDougall, K.H., Anderson, A.C. and Bindon, A.L. (2018). Global and contingent self-esteem as moderators in the relations between adolescent narcissism, callous-unemotional traits, and aggression. Personality and Individual Differences, 123(3):1-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.10.036
Besser, A. and Zeigler-Hill, V. (2010). The influence of pathological narcissism on emotional and motivational responses to negative events: The roles of visibility and concern about humiliation. Journal of Research in Personality, 44 (4): 520–534.
Carver, C.S. and White, T.L. (1994). Behavioral inhibition, Behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(2): 319-333.
Kim, D.H. and Jang, S.C. (2018). Online sharing behavior on social networking sites: Examining narcissism and gender effects. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 89-93 (1): 68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.09.015
Kormi-Nouri, R., Farahani, M. N. and Trost, K. (2013) The role of positive and negative affect on well-being amongst Swedish and Iranian university students. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(5): 435-443.
Krupić, D., Corr, PH.J., Ručević, S., Križanić, V. and Gračanin, A. (2016). Five reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) of personality questionnaires: Comparison, validity and generalization. Personality and Individual Differences, 97 (7): 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.012
Ksinan, A.J. and Vazsonyi, A.Y. (2016). Narcissism, Internet, and social relations: A study of two tales. Personality and Individual Differences, 94(5): 118-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.01.016
Malesza, M. and Kaczmarek, M.C. (2018). Grandiose narcissism versus vulnerable narcissism and impulsivity. Personality and Individual Dierences, 126(1): 61-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.01.021
McCain, J.L., Borg, Z.G., Rothenberg, A.H., Churillo, K.M., Weiler, P. and Campbell, W.K. (2016). Personality and selfies: Narcissism and the Dark Triad. Computers in Human Behavior, 64(11): 126–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.06.050
Mehdizadeh, S. (2010). Self-Presentation 2.0: Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(4): 357-364.
Miller, J.D. and Campbell, W.K. (2008). Comparing clinical and social-personality conceptualizations of narcissism. Journal of Personality, 76(3): 449–476.
Mohammad Zadeh, A. (2010). Validation of narcissistic personality inventory (NPI-16) in Iranian society. Fundamentals of Mental Health, 4 (11): 276-281(Text in Persian).
Mohammadi, N. (2008). The Psychometric Properties of the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales Among Students of Shiraz University. Clinical Psychology and Personality, 1 (28): 61-68(Text in Persian).
Mowlaie, M., Abolghasemi, A. and Aghababaei, N. (2016). Pathological narcissism, brain behavioral systems and tendency to substance abuse: The mediating role of self-control. Personality and Individual Differences, 88(1): 247–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.09.019
Noreen Y.R., Geenen, N.Y.R., Urbig, D., Muehlfeld, K., Van Witteloostuijn, A. and Gargalianou, V. (2016). BIS and BAS: Biobehaviorally rooted drivers of entrepreneurial intent. Personality and Individual Differences, 95(6): 204–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.02.023
Pantic, I., Milanovic, A., Loboda, B., Błachnio, L., Przepiorka, A., Nesic, D., Mazic, S., Dugalic S. and Ristic, S. (2017). Association between physiological oscillations in self-esteem, narcissism and internet addiction: A cross-sectional study. Psychiatry Research,258(12):239-243 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychre­s.2017.08.044
Spencer, C., Foster, J. and Bedwell, J. (2017). Structural Relationships among the Revised Reward Sensitivity Theory and Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism. Biological Psychiatry,  81(10): 197-203.
Stenason, L. and Vernon, P.A. (2016). The Dark Triad, reinforcement sensitivity and substance use. Personality and Individual Differences, 94 (5): 59-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.01.010
Stoeber, J. and Corr, P.J. (2015). Perfectionism, personality, and affective experiences: New insights from revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory. Personality and Individual Differences, 86(11): 354-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.06.045
Tajikzadeh, F., Sadeghi, R., Mehrabizade Honarmand, M. and Davoudi, I. (2015). The Brain/ Behavioral Systems, Perfectionism and Depression Symptoms among the University Students. Quarterly Journal Psychological Studies, 11(3): 119-140(Text in Persian).
Watson, D., Wiese, D., Vaidya, J. and Tellegen, A. (1999). The two general activation systems of affect: Structural findings, evolutionary considerations, and psychobiological evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(5): 820–838.
Zhang, H., Wang, Z., You, X., Lü, W. and Luo, Y. (2015). Associations between narcissism and emotion regulation difficulties: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity as a moderator. Biological Psychology, 110(9): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.06.014