The money attitude of covert and overt narcissists

• Published in: Personality and individual differences 2011-07, Vol.51 (2), p.160-165
• Main Authors: Ng, Henry K.S., Tam, Kim-Pong, Shu, Tse-Mei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Approach-avoidance orientation; Attitudes; Avoidance; Biological and medical sciences; Covert narcissism; Distrust; Fear of social evaluation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Money; Money attitude; Narcissism; Need for power; Overt narcissism; Personality traits; Personality. Affectivity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social dominance orientation
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.03.036

The money attitude of covert and overt narcissists was studied. Both covert and overt narcissism predicted the power-prestige dimension of money attitude, which were both mediated by the need for social power. Interestingly, the relationship for covert narcissism was also mediated by the fear of negative social evaluation, confirming its socially vulnerable and hypersensitive features. In addition, the anxiety and distrust factors of money attitude were correlated with covert narcissism only. Anxiety was explained by the need for power and avoidance motivation, but no significant mediator was found for distrust. These findings provide evidence to the similarities and differences between the two types of narcissism. They also shed light on narcissists’ money-related behaviors, such as investment strategy and consumer behaviors.