Narcissism and Prosocial Behavior in Public Situations
Author Information
Author(s): Song Yining, Chen Qiong, Ren Ping, Ma Jing, Li Caina
Primary Institution: Shaanxi Normal University
Hypothesis
Public situations would lead individuals with higher levels of trait narcissism or state narcissism to demonstrate more prosocial behaviors.
Conclusion
Individuals with higher levels of narcissism tend to engage in more prosocial behaviors in public situations compared to anonymous situations.
Supporting Evidence
- Trait narcissism positively predicted prosocial behavior tendencies in public situations.
- State narcissism led to greater prosocial behavior in public compared to anonymous situations.
- Self-enhancement mediated the relationship between state narcissism and prosocial behavior.
Takeaway
People who think highly of themselves are more likely to help others when they know others are watching.
Methodology
Three studies were conducted, including a questionnaire survey and experiments to measure the relationship between narcissism and prosocial behavior.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from self-reported measures of narcissism and prosocial behavior.
Limitations
The study was limited to undergraduate students from a single university, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
932 undergraduates, with an average age of 20.11 years, including 705 males.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
[0.08, 0.46]
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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