Wheeler Madison A, Burns Lawrence R, Stephenson Paul
Psychology Department, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49417, USA.
Statistics Department, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49417, USA.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2023 Sep 14;13(9):762. doi: 10.3390/bs13090762.
The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of vanity in its longstanding theoretical association with narcissism. This is particularly germane, as the conceptualization and measurement of narcissism have evolved in recent years. This is observed in the development of spectrum and/or dimensional models of narcissism, concomitant with the conceptual developments of vanity that have emerged since its original inclusion in the Narcissism Personality Inventory. Specifically, our research question evaluated whether vanity remains as traditionally construed, i.e., as a facet of narcissism, or is better conceptualized as a distinct construct separated from the earlier models of narcissism and therefore provide novel implications in understanding personality and social behavior. Based on the traits of pride, empathy, and several social behavior variables, it was hypothesized that a differentiation between narcissism and vanity would be observed. The participants were 441 undergraduate students from a large public midwestern university who participated in a self-report online survey. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted. The results revealed that the characterization of vanity is limited to pride and an absence of empathy and social behavior. Findings reaffirm behavior patterns of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism regarding selflessness, image management, and sensitivity to others. The core motivations of vanity are explicated as based on social comparison theory to assess one's subjective and/or objective value though it is not characterized as a "social" trait or by social behavior, in contrast to how narcissism is characterized. Based on our findings and an improved understanding of the narcissism model, we conclude that vanity is more closely related to the grandiose dimension of narcissism and discuss how the underlying motivations of vanity improve our understanding of grandiose narcissism. We discuss the implications that these findings provide to the developing, modern conceptualizations of narcissism and affirm and expand our understanding of vanity in personality.
本研究的主要目的是评估虚荣在其与自恋的长期理论关联中的作用。这一点尤为相关，因为近年来自恋的概念化和测量方法已经有所发展。这在自恋的光谱和/或维度模型的发展中可以观察到，同时自虚荣最初被纳入《自恋人格量表》以来，其概念也有了发展。具体而言，我们的研究问题是评估虚荣是否仍如传统所认为的那样，是自恋的一个方面，还是更应被概念化为一个与早期自恋模型分离的独特结构，从而为理解人格和社会行为提供新的启示。基于骄傲、同理心和几个社会行为变量的特征，我们假设自恋和虚荣之间会存在差异。参与者是来自中西部一所大型公立大学的441名本科生，他们参与了一项在线自陈式调查。我们进行了相关分析和回归分析。结果显示，虚荣的特征仅限于骄傲，缺乏同理心和社会行为。研究结果再次证实了在无私、形象管理和对他人的敏感度方面，夸大型和脆弱型自恋的行为模式。虚荣的核心动机基于社会比较理论，即通过社会比较来评估一个人的主观和/或客观价值，尽管与自恋的特征不同，虚荣并不被视为一种“社会”特质，也没有通过社会行为来体现。基于我们的研究结果以及对自恋模型的进一步理解，我们得出结论，虚荣与自恋的夸大维度更为密切相关，并讨论了虚荣的潜在动机如何增进我们对夸大型自恋的理解。我们还讨论了这些研究结果对自恋的发展中现代概念化的影响，并肯定和扩展了我们对人格中虚荣的理解。
