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Extremes of self‐esteem and narcissism and the experience and expression of anger and aggression
Author(s) -
Papps Benjamin P.,
O'Carroll Ronan E.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2337(1998)24:6<421::aid-ab3>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - narcissism , anger , psychology , aggression , self esteem , personality , social psychology , poison control , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , environmental health
This study examined the level of self‐esteem and narcissism as personality variables involved in the disposition to experience and express anger. Three hundred thirty‐eight subjects were sampled across two higher education centres and one student teaching programme in the United Kingdom. It was reasoned that individuals with both high self‐esteem and narcissism would report especially high tendencies to experience and express anger and aggression and that those with high self‐esteem and low narcissism would report the lowest. These predictions were influenced by theories that emphasise the role of threats to high self‐esteem in the production of aggression and violence. Results indicate that groups defined by their extreme scores on self‐esteem and narcissism scales produced levels of anger expression in the predicted direction. The importance of considering extreme levels of self‐esteem and narcissism (in conjunction with other factors) in an analysis of anger is discussed with reference to currently influential theories in the field. Aggr. Behav. 24:421–438, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.