Li Jingyuan, Struthers C Ward, Rebrov Dmytro O, Shoikhedbrod Ariel, Guilfoyle Joshua R
Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada.
J Soc Psychol. 2025 Jan 2;165(1):21-36. doi: 10.1080/00224545.2023.2286587. Epub 2023 Nov 25.
Two nonexperimental studies were conducted to test how and why transgression victims' narcissism influences their grudge holding, using undergraduate students and a community sample of adults, respectively. Study 1 tested the association between victims' vulnerable narcissism and grudge holding, including emotional persistence, perceived longevity, and disdain toward the transgressor. It also tested the extent to which victims' grandiose narcissism moderated the association. Study 2 was conducted to replicate Study 1 and test whether victims' rumination about the transgression mediated the moderated association. Overall, those with higher degrees of grandiosity showed a positive relation between vulnerable narcissism and reported emotional persistence (Studies 1 and 2) and perceived longevity (Study 2). Finally, rumination explained the moderated relation (Study 2).