Narcissism and Interpersonal Relationships: Examining the Use of Prosocial and Coercive Behavior Strategies Among Adolescents in a Residential Setting

The association between Machiavellianism and bistrategic control has been demonstrated in children and adolescents (Hawley, 2003). Machiavellianism shares several features with narcissism. The present study investigated whether adolescents with higher levels of narcissism were perceived by peers as engaging in prosocial or antisocial behaviors depending on the phase of the relationship and whether control strategies translated to peers’ ratings of likability. Forty-seven participants (43 males, 4 females) provided data for this study. Overall, individuals who reported higher levels of Machiavellianism also reported using more coercive behavior strategies. Self-reported narcissism was only associated with self-reported use of more coercive control strategies at the five-month follow-up. Furthermore, individuals who were seen as using more coercive behavior strategies were liked less, but more respected, by their peers. Therefore, although narcissism and Machiavellianism are tied to similar resource control styles, they appear to affect peer perceptions in somewhat different ways