The Implications of Adolescent Narcissism For Interpersonal Relationships

The prevalence and consequences of adolescent narcissism have been the focus of increased societal and empirical attention. Narcissism is characterized, in part, by a desire to be viewed favorably by, and relative to, others. Some of the features of narcissism (e.g., sense of entitlement, fragile self-esteem, and exploitativeness) lend themselves to problematic interpersonal interactions. Indeed, much of the existing research in this area has examined the social consequences of narcissism among adults and adolescents. Studies have demonstrated a consistent relation between adolescent narcissism and aggression toward others, particularly for personal gain (e.g., Barry & Kauten, 2014; Seah & Ang, 2008). Furthermore, although narcissism is associated with perceptions of having positive relationships with others (Barry & Wallace, 2010), evidence indicates that peers view fellow adolescents with high levels of narcissism as antagonistic (Grafeman, Barry, Marcus, & Leachman, in press). This chapter will highlight the extant research on the social correlates of adolescent narcissism, how those associations vary across dimensions of narcissism, and the prevention/intervention implications of this work. The chapter will also outline proposed areas for future inquiry, including broadening the scope of empirical investigations to account for the various venues (e.g., social networking) in which adolescents\u27 interact and in which narcissism may exert its social impact