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Conversational narcissism
Communication Monographs
Abstract
Conversational narcissism is typified by an extreme self‐focusing in a conversation, to the exclusion of appropriate concerns for the other. Whether conceptualized as a conversational style, possessed to varying degrees by various individuals, or as a conversational feature associated with various situational demands, conversational narcissism has important implications for the structure, goals, and outcomes of conversation. Results of six studies reported here revealed that people had behavioral referents for the term “conversational narcissism” such as boasting, refocusing the topic of the conversation on the self, exaggerating hand and body movements, using a loud tone of voice, and “glazing over” when others speak. The behavior of individuals role‐playing narcissistic conversational behavior was consistent with the recalled referents. Further, people enacting narcissistic conversational behaviors were rated significantly lower on social attraction than people not acting narcissistic. While conversational narcissism is generally perceived as a negative social strategy, respondents reported a number of contexts in which focusing attention on the self (to the exclusion of the other) is an appropriate move. Taken together, the data suggest that conversational narcissism is determined interactively, by the needs and conversational goals of both participants.
... Narcissists attempt to control personal interactions to assert their dominance over others and to reinforce a positive self-image (Morf and Rhodewalt, 2001). A primary means of narcissistic control is through conversation, for purposes including self-enhancement (DeWall et al., 2011) and exploitation of the listener (Vangelisti et al., 1990). Verbal cues of narcissism include frequent self-reference through personal pronouns (Chatterjee and Hambrick, 2007;DeWall et al., 2011) and language that reinforces the speaker's status and power (Vangelisti et al., 1990;Kacewicz et al., 2014). ...
... A primary means of narcissistic control is through conversation, for purposes including self-enhancement (DeWall et al., 2011) and exploitation of the listener (Vangelisti et al., 1990). Verbal cues of narcissism include frequent self-reference through personal pronouns (Chatterjee and Hambrick, 2007;DeWall et al., 2011) and language that reinforces the speaker's status and power (Vangelisti et al., 1990;Kacewicz et al., 2014). ...
Global capital markets rely heavily on independent and skeptical auditors as gatekeepers to provide assurance that corporate financial reports are free of material fraud. The rise of narcissism among the ranks of both client and audit professionals challenge this gatekeeper function. In addition, auditor moral disengagement may undermine auditor skepticism, further eroding public confidence in the integrity of financial reporting and the audit process. We conduct a quasi-experiment with 118 auditors from three international audit firms. In a simulated interview with a client CFO, we examine whether auditors underestimate risks of fraudulent financial statements due to the interactive effects of (1) client narcissism (manipulated verbally and nonverbally) and (2) auditor narcissism. We also examine the influence of auditor moral disengagement on client risk assessments. Results indicate that CFO verbal and nonverbal narcissism significantly influenced auditors’ assessment of management-related client risk. Moreover, auditor narcissism was found to interactively influence client risk inferences such that auditors higher in narcissism exhibited narcissistic tolerance (lower risk assessments) when the hypothetical CFO displayed high verbal narcissism. Auditor moral disengagement was negatively associated with client risk assessments. We discuss the implication of these findings on future audit judgment research, audit firm policy and training on maintaining auditor skepticism, and the audit oversight role of standard-setters.
... Because their own self-image is fragile, they require constant admiration and attention. The four main characteristics of narcissism, as identified by Vangelisti, Knapp and Daly [100], are self-importance, exploitation, exhibitionism and impersonal relationships. It has been suggested that the new media have had the effect of making society as a whole increasingly narcissistic [101,102]. ...
... It was found that Gen Y is more prone to exhibitionism and more nonchalant toward surveillance as a means of self-promotion, as compared to older generations. Therefore, based on the fact that exhibitionism is one of the dimensions of narcissism [100,106], we may formulate the following hypothesis: ...
On-demand radio has radically changed the definition and essence of the radio landscape, providing consumers greater flexibility to manage their content consumption anytime and anywhere. Since on-demand radio is a relatively new way to consume radio, it is important to understand how different consumer groups adopt and use this innovation. The main purpose of the study was to evaluate differences between three generational cohorts: Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y in the effects of personality traits and digital skills on on-demand radio usage. The research was conducted by means of an internet survey among a representative sample of the Jewish population in Israel. Different patterns of effects of personality traits between generations were found. For Baby Boomers, a positive association between digital skills and the frequency of on-demand radio use was found. Among Generation X, hedonism and multitasking were positively correlated with on-demand radio use, while need for social approval was negatively correlated with the dependent variable. Among Generation Y, a positive correlation between need for social approval and frequency of on-demand radio use was found. Based on our findings, we propose a generational approach to marketing strategy for on-demand radio and suggest specific practical implications.
... We asked the annotators to indicate whether individuals believed boomerasking would yield any of the interpersonal benefits common to question-asking (Huang et al., 2017) or indirect impression management strategies, listed some other reason, or did not provide any reason. Specifically, the annotators indicated whether participants favored boomerasking because it (a) conveys interest in one's partner (Reis et al., 1996;Reis & Shaver, 1988), (b) allows one's partner to share about themselves (Greene et al., 2006;Omarzu, 2000;Tamir & Mitchell, 2012;Yeomans, 2019), (c) makes the communicator appear less self-centered and vain (Derber, 1979;Pin & Turndorf, 1985;Vangelisti et al., 1990), (d) better conforms to conversational norms and expectations (Derber, 1979;Goffman, 1967), (e) feels more natural than sharing out of the blue (Holtgraves & Srull, 1989;Tal-Or, 2010), or (f) listed some other reason or did not list any intelligible reason (e.g., responded "yes" or "nice," or left the item blank). ...
Humans spend much of their lives in conversation, where they tend to hold many simultaneous motives. We examine two fundamental desires: to be responsive to a partner and to disclose about oneself. We introduce one pervasive way people attempt to reconcile these competing goals—boomerasking—a sequence in which individuals first pose a question to their conversation partner (“How was your weekend?”), let their partner answer, and then answer the question themselves (“Mine was amazing!”). The boomerask starts with someone asking a question, but—like a boomerang—the question returns quickly to its source. We document three types of boomerasks: ask-bragging (asking a question followed by disclosing something positive, e.g., an amazing vacation); ask-complaining (asking a question followed by disclosing something negative, e.g., a family funeral); and ask-sharing (asking a question followed by disclosing something neutral, e.g., a weird dream). Though boomeraskers believe they leave positive impressions, in practice, their decision to share their own answer—rather than follow up on their partner’s—appears egocentric and disinterested in their partner’s perspective. As a result, people perceive boomeraskers as insincere and prefer conversation partners who straightforwardly self-disclose.
... We conceptualized conversational self-focus as a behavioral manifestation of the cognitive constructs of self-focused attention and rumination (Mor & Winquist, 2002;Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991). Although it is possible to self-focus about positive or neutral topics (Vangelisti, Knapp, & Daly, 1990), we have studied conversational self-focus in the context of adolescent friends' problem talk. ...
Friendships are central relationships during adolescence. Given the increased experience of stress during adolescence, friends are especially critical sources of support at this time. Although experiencing social support is related to well-being, adolescents' experiences sharing problems with friends is not always positive. In this chapter, we consider two forms of problematic talk, co-rumination and conversational self-focus. Co-rumination refers to conversations about problems that is excessive, repetitive, speculative, and focused on negative affect. Conversational self-focus refers to adolescents re-directing conversations about friends' problems to oneself. Both co-rumination and conversational self-focus are associated with depressive symptoms. However, whereas co-rumination draws friends together and is associated with positive friendship quality, adolescents who engage in conversational self-focus are increasingly rejected by friends. Directions for future research and applied implications of studying social support processes between friends are discussed.
... To carry out this analysis it is necessary to explore interdisciplinary approaches existing in modern practices (Vangelisti 1990, Ting-Toomey 1994, Wilmot 2001, Littlejohn 1989, Burgoon 1996, Ickes 1991. From Renaissance period scientists have used the word fascination to describe the hypnotic power of persuasion (Dumont, 2015: 80). ...
The article investigates the phenomenon of fascination in the context of modern approach to interpersonal communication in cooperative and nonviolent way. Effectiveness of communication process mainly depends on the quality of interpersonal relations, the degree and quality of emotions, the willingness of communication partners to adjust to verbal contact. We shall undertake linguistic analysis of fascination as one of discursive strategies. Fascination is defined as the person’s quality to be liked via peculiar semiotic way of self-presentation, aimed at minimizing unpleasant emotional tone in communication and maximizing positive communication climate. According to fascination’s nature to enchant, charm, express sympathy, elicit negative emotions and make positive impression, it can be stated that positive communication climate is created by special fascinating way of communication. Such kind of communication is made up of a system of verbal and nonverbal components and connections between the fascinator and the object of fascination. As fascination is able to change emotional state and create positive tone in interpersonal relations, we consider fascination as supportive strategy of positive communication climate. The purpose of our study is to explore fascination as supportive strategy in relation to making positive communication climate.
... În situația în care ascultătorul este centrat pe propriile trăiri interne, el deviază, inevitabil, de la rolul de ascultător receptiv, devenind incapabil să urmărească receptarea plenară a mesajului. • Să manifestăm narcisism conversațional (Vangelisti, Knapp, & Daly, 1990). ...
Araştırmada narsisizmin iletişim becerisi üzerinde etkisi ve bu etkide özgüvenin aracı rolünün incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla araştırmada ilişkisel tarama modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya Türkiye’nin farklı bölgelerinden 502 kişi katılmıştır. Katılımcıların 330’u kadın, 172’si erkektir.Araştırmada kişisel bilgi formu, narsistik kişilik envanteri, iletişim becerileri ölçeği ve özgüven ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Veriler tanımlayıcı istatistikler, korelasyon, güvenilirlik analizi ve yapısal eşitlik modelikullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Verilerin analizi iki aşamada gerçekleştirilmiştir. İlk olarak narsisizmin iletişim becerisi üzerindeki etkisi incelenmiştir ve pozitif etki görülmüştür. Ancak modele özgüvenin dâhil edilmesi ile narsisizmin iletişim becerisi üzerindeki etkisinin anlamsız olduğu görülmüştür. Modelde narsisizmin iletişim becerisi üzerinde doğrudan etkisinin bulunmadığı, narsisizmin özgüveni etkilediği, özgüvenin de iletişim becerilerini etkilediği ve özgüvenin tam aracı bir rol üstlendiği görülmüştür.
Examined the ecological validity of role-played dating interactions. 45 male undergraduates, categorized into low-, medium-, and high-frequency dating groups (Social Activity Questionnaire), participated in 4 heterosexual social (heterosocial) situations in a laboratory. Two situations were role plays simulating dating interactions, and 2 were more naturalistic waiting-period interactions. Controls for confederate familiarity and role-play order were used. Judges rated Ss as more skillful in role plays than waiting periods and rated low-frequency daters as more anxious than high-frequency daters. High-frequency daters rated themselves as more skillful than did low-frequency daters. Ss rated the waiting-period interactions as more like "real life" and their behavior in waiting periods as more representative of everyday heterosocial interactions. However ANOVAs did not result in major differences between role plays and waiting periods, and correlational analyses indicated that the relative ranking of Ss was similar in role plays and waiting periods. Implications for the use of role-play assessments in the heterosocial skill area are discussed. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
The study reports a factor analytic investigation of the interpersonal attraction construct. Two‐hundred and fifteen subjects completed 30 Likert‐type, seven‐step scales concerning an acquaintance. Factor analysis indicated three dimensions of the interpersonal attraction construct which were labeled “task” “social” and “physical.” The results of this study and four replications suggest that the resulting 15‐item instrument can be expected to measure reliably three dimensions of interpersonal attraction.
The purpose of this research was to examine the narcissistic tendency of middle-aged women compared with other age groups. The narcissistic tendencies of adolescent and pregnant women had already been found (Hosoi, 1981a, 1981 b). A questionnaire was administered to 386 subjects aged 18–49 (336 females and 50 males). Three factors were found by factor analysis. The narcissistic tendencies toned by “self-love” and “exhibition” were clearly found for two groups of midde-aged women (aged 35–39 and 45–49) as in adolescents. The narcissistic tendencies toned by “sameness”, found for male adolescents and middle-aged women, were alike. © 1984, The Japanese Psychological Association. All rights reserved.
The manner in which the concept of reciprocity is implicated in functional theory is explored, enabling a reanalysis of the concepts of "survival" and "exploitation." The need to distinguish between the concepts of complementarity and reciprocity is stressed. Distinctions are also drawn between (1) reciprocity as a pattern of mutually contingent exchange of gratifications, (2) the existential or folk belief in reciprocity, and (3) the generalized moral norm of reciprocity. Reciprocity as a moral norm is analyzed; it is hypothesized that it is one of the universal "principal components" of moral codes. As Westermarck states, "To requite a benefit, or to be grateful to him who bestows it, is probably everywhere, at least under certain circumstances, regarded as a duty. This is a subject which in the present connection calls for special consideration." Ways in which the norm of reciprocity is implicated in the maintenance of stable social systems are examined.