Virgil Zeigler-Hill

Oakland University · Department of Psychology

Cultural traditions in Israel’s Bedouin-Arab community encourage and permit men to take up to four wives, a practice supported by Islamic teachings. Despite legal prohibitions against polygyny in Israel, such marriages remain common and have profound effects on women, children, and broader society. This study explores how traditional notions of mas...

Previous research suggests that human males, like males of many mammalian and avian species, adjust their ejaculate quality in accordance with sperm competition risk. Men who spend less time with their regular female partner since the couple’s last copulation produce ejaculates with more sperm at the couple’s next copulation (Baker & Bellis, 1993)....

This study aimed to examine the role of travel-related motivations and preferences for activities (such as learning about local culture, relaxation and entertainment, status and social recognition, escape and curiosity, and experience) in the relationship between narcissistic personality traits and the preference for luxury tourism versus cultural...

Drawing on signaling theory, the current experimental study (N = 593) investigated the influence of top employer awards on the connections between the full spectrum of narcissistic personality features (i.e., agentic, antagonistic, neurotic, and communal) and perceived company prestige. The results of our experiment show that employer awards enhanc...

Polygynous marriage is prevalent among Israel’s Bedouin-Arab community, despite being explicitly banned by state law. Cultural traditions and customs permit men to take multiple wives, and Islamic teachings do not prohibit the practice. The impact of polygyny is significant, affecting women, children, and society as a whole in various ways. We exam...

We examined the connections that narcissistic and borderline personality traits had with hypothetical responses to romantic infidelity in a sample of Israeli community members (N = 997). We distinguished between four forms of narcissism: extraverted narcissism (characterized by assertive self-enhancement), antagonistic narcissism (characterized by...

Respect has been shown to be an important aspect of romantic relationships. The current research explored whether the associations that status-based respect and inclusion-based respect had with romantic commitment would be mediated by satisfaction, investment, and the perceived quality of alternative romantic partners. Study 1 examined these associ...

We investigated the potential role played by the desire for power in the connections between narcissistic personality traits and indicators of romantic relationship functioning. In Study 1, we discovered that antagonistic narcissism had indirect connections with indicators of romantic relationship functioning via the desire for power. In Study 2, w...

This study used cubic polynomial regression with response surface analysis to examine the associations that mate value discrepancies (i.e., the difference between an individual's self‐reported mate value and their perceptions of their partner's mate value) had with mate retention behaviors performed by the individual and their perceptions of the ma...

Sexual violence has likely been a feature of warfare throughout human history and may even have been present during prehistoric conflicts. In recent decades, international policymakers have improved efforts to prohibit and prosecute wartime sexual violence, including holding criminal tribunals for suspected perpetrators of wartime rape. Social scie...

Narcissism is associated with a wide array of challenges in romantic relationships (e.g., heightened attention to alternative romantic partners). The connections that narcissistic personality traits had with romantic burnout were examined in a large Iranian community sample of 668 heterosexual romantic couples (N = 1336). Narcissistic personality t...

The present study explored potential factors that may mediate the relationship between narcissism and conspicuous consumption, as the underlying reasons for this connection remain uncertain. Specifically, we investigated the following variables as potential mediators of the links between narcissistic personality traits and conspicuous consumption:...

The present study concerned the connection between the desire for power and romantic commitment in LGBTQ relationships as well as the roles that indicators of relationship functioning (e.g., relationship satisfaction) and perceptions of power played in this association. These associations were examined in community members (N = 113) involved in an...

Objective To examine the associations that narcissistic personality traits had with the preference for solitude. Background Preference for solitude may be impacted by various characteristics. Narcissism may be one such characteristic given its association with specific motivations for engagement with other individuals (e.g., status attainment). M...

We investigated the roles that suspicious jealousy and reactive jealousy might play in the associations between borderline personality features (BPF) and mate retention behaviors. Study 1 (N = 406) found that BPF had positive indirect associations with benefit-provisioning behaviors and cost-inflicting behaviors through suspicious jealousy but not...

We examined the role that death anxiety (for self and others) and motivation for digital immortality played in the associations that narcissistic personality traits had with the desire for digital avatars (of self and others) in a sample of Israeli community members (N = 1041). We distinguished between four forms of narcissism: extraverted narcissi...

Status pursuit has been emphasized as a key motivational factor underlying narcissism, but research has just begun to unravel the processes by which more narcissistic individuals pursue status in their everyday social interactions. In this article, we combine process models of narcissistic status pursuit with three-factor models of narcissism to te...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) can have negative consequences for men and their intimate partners. The purpose of the present research was to replicate and extend the results of previous studies concerning the connections that ED has with partner-directed behaviors using a sample of heterosexual romantic couples. Specifically, we used an actor-partner i...

We examined the role that perceptions of social worth played in the connections that narcissistic personality features had with job-related attitudes in a sample of Israeli community members (N = 814). Our results showed that the positive associations that the extraverted aspect of narcissism had with each of the job-related attitudes were mediated...

We examined the associations that narcissistic personality traits had with psychological needs for social status, power, and belonging. Across three studies (N = 488/1113/704), extraverted narcissism, antagonistic narcis-sism, neurotic narcissism, and communal narcissism were positively associated with the need for social status, but they diverged...

Psychopathic men sometimes direct sexual aggression toward prospective female partners (e.g., using sexually aggressive behavior on a first date) and such behavior may be indicative of a high mating effort strategy. Less research has investigated the role of psychopathy in men’s use of sexually coercive behaviors in their intimate relationships (e....

The present studies investigated the relationships between men's perceived risk of experiencing sperm competition (i.e., when the ejaculates of two or more men simultaneously occupy the reproductive tract of a single woman), and their use of strategies to detect, prevent, and correct their partner's sexual infidelity. We investigated these associat...

Two studies examined perceptions of romantic partners, using the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept model to conceptualize narcissism. We examined three types of partner perceptions: partner-enhancement (perceiving one’s partner more positively than oneself), mean-level bias (perceiving one’s partner more positively than the partner’s self...

Personality dimensions have been found to be associated with a range of sexual attitudes and sexual behaviors. The present research aimed to replicate and extend previous work showing associations between basic personality dimensions and men’s experience with erectile dysfunction (ED) in heterosexual romantic relationships. In Study 1, we collected...

The present research examined the associations that age had with narcissistic personality features in two cross-sectional studies involving community members from the United States (Study 1; N = 3414) and Israel (Study 2; N = 2723). Age had a negative linear association with extraverted narcissism and antagonistic narcissism in both studies. Age di...

The literature regarding the Dark Triad of personality (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) has expanded rapidly during recent years with researchers evaluating the connections that these personality traits have with a variety of phenomena including philosophical beliefs and moral decision-making. The goal of the present study was...

Prior research has identified many factors that predict stigmatization toward those with mental illnesses. One such variable which has been suggested as a potential contributor is narcissism, specifically antagonistic narcissism, which is characterized by a heightened sensitivity to threats within one's social environment. The goal of the present r...

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and the manic and hypomanic episodes found in the bipolar disorders are characterized by grandiosity. It is possible that this shared grandiosity is a “homologous structure” or reflects a superficial similarity between two disparate conditions. It is, however, possible that NPD and the bipolar disorders are m...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been shown to be associated with several negative aspects of intimate relationships. Our goal for the present research was to examine whether ED was associated with men’s use of sexual coercion in their intimate relationships (which may include the use of physical coercion, psychological manipulation, or emotional mani...

Machiavellian individuals are callous, manipulative, and misanthropic, and they are also strategic and capable of delaying gratification. Many commonly used measures of Machiavellianism focus on the antagonistic aspects of Machiavellianism and devote few items to the strategic aspects of this construct. Because the HEXACO framework includes an Hone...

Although different aspects of narcissism share certain similarities, it is believed that they may differ with regard to the domains upon which feelings of self-worth are based. To explore this possibility, the present research examined the associations that narcissistic personality features had with domain-specific contingencies of self-worth. Acro...

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether narcissistic personality features had indirect associations with state self-esteem through perceived status and inclusion. We used a daily diary approach to examine whether daily perceptions of status and inclusion mediated the associations that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narc...

The current research examined personality and individual difference factors associated with the perceived ability to adapt to the significant challenges accompanying the ongoing public health crisis concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations among self-reported adaptability to the pandemic and persona...

Network analysis offers an opportunity to gain a more nuanced view of the connections between the darker aspects of personality by examining the interrelationships between the components that make up these constructs. We examined the associations that five dark personality dispositions (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism, and s...

Puberphonia refers to a vocal disorder that involves the persistence of a high-pitched voice beyond the age at which vocal maturation is expected to have occurred. We considered the romantic signaling function of the voice by examining whether puberphonia impacted the romantic desirability and perceived attractiveness of the target for short-term a...

The purpose of the present studies was to examine the connections that the dangerous and competitive social worldviews had with the likelihood of engaging in preemptive strikes. More specifically, the focus was on the possibility that the associations these social worldviews had with the likelihood to engage in preemptive strikes may be mediated by...

Mate retention behaviors are associated with several aspects of romantic relationships, but different categories of mate retention behaviors have divergent associations with relationship satisfaction. The present studies examined whether sexual communal strength – which refers to the motivation to meet the sexual needs of one’s partner – mediated t...

Previous research has shown that narcissism is associated with risk-taking. However, little is known about the factors that may contribute to narcissistic individuals being more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour. The present research examined whether social worldviews would mediate the associations that specific narcissistic personality fea...

Darker aspect of personality (e.g., narcissism, psychopathy) have been shown to be associated with a wide range of workplace outcomes. However, relatively little is known about the psychological mechanisms that may explain these associations. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the associations that dark personality features had...

Males of some species use mate retention behavior and investment in ejaculate quality as anti-cuckoldry tactics concurrently while others do so in a compensatory fashion. Leivers, Rhodes, and Simmons (2014) reported that men who performed mate retention less frequently produced higher-quality ejaculates, suggesting that humans use these tactics com...

The present research examined the associations that narcissistic personality features had with motives to pursue status through the use of dominance-based strategies, prestige-based strategies, and leadership-based strategies as well as whether these associations were mediated by either dangerous or competitive social worldviews. Across three studi...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been shown to have a considerable impact on romantic relationships. The purpose of the present research was to examine whether the associations that ED had with men’s mate retention behaviors, partner-directed insults, partner-directed violence, and injuries inflicted on the partner were mediated by suspicious jealousy...

The narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept (NARC) model of grandiose narcissism posits that striving for uniqueness, grandiose fantasies, and charmingness define narcissistic admiration, whereas striving for supremacy, devaluation, and aggressiveness define narcissistic rivalry. Given these complex interrelationships, we explored the structure...

The present research examined the associations that narcissistic personality features had with subjective arousal in response to sexually aggressive behaviors, as well as whether these associations were mediated by the power that was believed to accompany these behaviors. Participants were 221 community members (115 women, 106 men) who completed a...

The present research examined whether the associations that narcissistic personality features had with mate retention behaviors were mediated by the desire to have more power in the relationship. Across three studies (N = 497), narcissistic personality features had divergent associations with mate retention behaviors such that the assertive/extrave...

The present research examined whether the associations that narcissistic personality features had with exercise addiction were mediated by particular motives for engaging in exercise in a large Israeli community sample (N = 2629). The results revealed that each aspect of narcissism was positively associated with exercise addiction. Narcissistic adm...

Narcissism has been shown to be associated with a lack of trust in others, but little is known about the factors that may play a role in the tendency for narcissistic individuals to mistrust others. The present research examined whether the associations that specific narcissistic personality features had with social trust were mediated by social wo...

The Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept (NARC; Back et al., 2013) proposes two strategies for maintaining a grandiose self-image. These dimensions are positively correlated, but often have divergent associations with outcomes. When used simultaneously to predict outcome variables, suppression effects often occur. We examine suppression effe...

The purpose of the present study was to extend previous research concerning the negative perceptions of stuttering by considering the perceived leadership ability of targets who stuttered compared with targets who did not stutter. We were also interested in the possibility that negative perceptions of the targets (i.e., low levels of self-esteem, i...

This cross-sectional study investigated the associations among adaptability to the pandemic, personality, and levels of learning experiences (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) among higher education students required to adapt to an abrupt transition to synchronous online learning due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 1,217 college st...

If love is fundamentally important, those with pathological personality traits should desire to find it like anyone else. However, people's pathologies may influence their love styles leading to problematic relationship patterns. We examined how pathological personality traits were associated with love styles in adolescents (N = 311). While each pe...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the connections that the dangerous and competitive social worldviews of Israelis had with their attitudes toward peace with the Palestinians. More specifically, the focus was on the possibility that the associations these social worldviews had with attitudes toward peace may be mediated by the ideolog...

It has been argued that basic emotional systems (i.e., PLAYFULNESS, SEEKING, CARING, ANGER, FEAR, and SADNESS) may play a role in shaping the development of personality. The purpose of the present research was to examine whether basic emotional systems were associated with narcissistic personality features. Across two studies (N = 1051), we examine...

The present studies examined the possibility that narcissistic admiration (assertive self-enhancement and self-promotion) and narcissistic rivalry (self-protection and self-defense) would have divergent associations with benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting mate retention behaviors. Study 1 ( N = 625) revealed that narcissistic admiration was a...

Narcissism is associated with a wide array of interpersonal problems. The present studies examined the connections between narcissistic personality features and the experience of friendship. We were interested in the possibility that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism characterized by assertive self-enhancement and self-promotio...

The present research examined whether the associations that the assertive/extraverted, antagonistic/disagreeable, and vulnerable/neurotic aspects of narcissism had with ideological attitudes were mediated by social worldviews . The assertive/extraverted and antagonistic/disagreeable aspects of narcissism had similar associations with the competitiv...

Objectives Psychological stress may have an adverse impact on the voice. The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between the change in levels of perceived psychological stress and vocal symptoms among Israeli academic college professors required to shift to synchronous online teaching during the global C...

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether job-related attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction) would mediate the associations that narcissistic personality features had with job commitment. We distinguished between two dimensions of grandiose narcissism: narcissistic admiration (i.e., a form of agentic self-enhancement) and narcissistic riv...

The present studies examined the associations that narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism, and spitefulness had with the competitive and dangerous social worldviews as well as the possibility that these worldviews may explain, at least in part, the associations that these dark personality features had with the ideological attitudes of so...

It is incontrovertible that religious individuals differ from nonbelievers in the extent to which they seek factual information when it comes to endorsing values and beliefs, but is this relationship between religiosity and information seeking stable across domains other than belief systems? Is this a stable strategy related to individuals’ tendenc...

Some research has reported relationships between personality dimensions and ejaculate quality, but this research has methodological limitations. In the current study, we investigated the relationships between six major personality dimensions and ejaculate quality in a design that offered several methodological improvements over previous research. F...

Belief in supernatural agents is ubiquitous, as evidenced by its prevalence in religion, folklore, and cultural practices. It is theorized that, given recurrent ancestral risks of predation and frequent contact with other dangerous agents, mechanisms for agency detection may have evolved and play an important role in facilitating belief in supernat...

The purpose of the present studies was to examine whether the associations that the desire for power had with perceptions of the romantic relationship (e.g., relationship satisfaction, commitment) were moderated by perceived power and gender. Study 1 examined these associations in a sample of 376 U.S. heterosexual participants. Results showed that...

Narcissism has been found to have conflicting associations with emotion dysregulation across previous studies.The purpose of the present study was to examine the connections between particular aspects of narcissism and emotion regulation difficulties. More specifically, we were interested in the possibility that narcissistic ad-miration (an agentic...

Two studies assessed the associations that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism characterized by assertive self-enhancement and self-promotion) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism characterized by self-protection and self-defense) have with self-enhancing and communal motivations for sharing romantic relat...

The purpose of the present research was to investigate the connections that narcissistic admiration (i.e., assertive self-enhancement) and narcissistic rivalry (i.e., antagonistic self-protection) had with respect in romantic relationships. The results of Study 1 (N= 432) revealed that narcissistic admiration was positively associated with perceive...

Science identity based frameworks have proven fruitful in predicting persistence in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). However, much of the research in this area is qualitative or relies on measures of science identity that have not been validated. Here, we propose and provide initial evidence for the validity and...

Stuttering is a disorder in oral communication that is often accompanied by negative stereotypes and social stigma. The primary goal of the present study was to examine whether opposite-sex perceivers rated the romantic desirability of targets who stuttered differently than targets who did not stutter. We were also interested in examining whether p...

The present research examined the connections that narcissism had with attitudes toward alternative romantic partners and romantic commitment. Across four studies, we examined whether narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had indirect associations with commitment through attitudes toward alternative romantic partners. Results revealed th...

The purpose of the present research was to examine the connections that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism characterized by assertive self-enhancement and self-promotion) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism characterized by self-protection and self-defense) had with perceived power in the context of roma...

Prior research has evaluated which personality traits predict mate poaching behavior (i.e., attempts to attract an individual known to be in a relationship with another person) by soliciting retrospective reports of mate poaching success. Here we investigate differences in personality among those who are presently within poached versus non-poached...

Narcissism is often associated with interpersonal difficulties. The purpose of the present studies was to examine the connections between narcissistic personality features and the strategies that individuals use to influence their romantic partners. More specifically, we were interested in the possibility that narcissistic admiration (an agentic fo...

There are two broad approaches to understanding personality that have generally proceeded in isolation from each other. One approach focuses on the structure of personality, whereas the other approach focuses on personality processes. There have been numerous calls for integrating these two approaches but these attempts have had limited success. We...

Little research has examined the mechanisms through which adult children adopt beliefs across a range of contexts. Through an online survey, the authors examined belief transmission via the correspondence between beliefs of 837 young adults and the perceived ideological beliefs of their caregivers as a function of attachment, parental behavior, and...