A new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reveals that narcissists not only tend to feel excluded but are actually excluded more frequently than those with less egocentric personalities. The research found that individuals with higher levels of narcissism reported experiencing more ostracism in their daily lives.
Researchers observed that feelings of exclusion were associated with changes in narcissism levels one year later—and vice versa—demonstrating that ostracism seems to solidify narcissistic traits over time.
Büttner worked with an international team of researchers who used large-scale surveys, samples, and controlled experiments with participants from Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and New Zealand. In total, the studies involved the participation of 77,000 individuals across experiments and real-life scenarios. The researchers wanted to understand who is excluded more frequently and why.
The results showed that narcissistic individuals were more likely to perceive ambiguous social interactions as excluding, even when ostracism was not explicitly manifested. They tend to perceive exclusion even when it is not occurring. Narcissists often interpret social signals, such as an evasive glance or lack of interaction on social media, as negative or as acts of ostracism, even when they are not intended that way.
"The findings align with our previous research, which shows that narcissists can be paranoid and believe that others want to harm them, even when there is no evidence for it," said Erica Hepper, a psychology professor at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom who was not involved in the study. "Our research suggests that this is due to the constant need of narcissists to protect their grandiose but fragile self-image—they are always alert to any threat to the ego so they can neutralize it quickly."
The study distinguishes between two types of narcissists: narcissistic rivals and narcissistic admirers. Narcissistic rivals are more aggressive and competitive, and they are more prone to experience exclusion because their behaviors provoke negative reactions in others, as reported by Público. In contrast, narcissistic admirers seek attention and status in socially more attractive ways, often through performance in the spotlight of attention, but only when it benefits them, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Experiments revealed that people often prefer to avoid highly narcissistic individuals, reinforcing the perception of social exclusion for narcissists. Their disruptive and arrogant behavior increases the likelihood that others will distance themselves from them, as noted by El Mundo. In one study, participants played a virtual ball-tossing game where two other players could include or exclude them. Narcissistic individuals reported feeling excluded more frequently, even when they were included equally.
"Narcissists not only see themselves as victims of social exclusion, but their behavior also contributes to that exclusion, creating a cycle that can 'feed the development of narcissistic traits,'" said Büttner.
Over a period of 14 years, a feedback loop was observed: being excluded was associated with increasing narcissistic traits, creating a "self-reinforcing cycle," according to the researchers. Büttner explained, "That means excluded narcissists may become even more narcissistic in response, potentially increasing their likelihood of future exclusion."
The study reveals that this exaggerated perception of exclusion can generate a destructive cycle. Narcissists, feeling marginalized, often adopt a victim mentality, noted This behavior increases the likelihood that others will distance themselves from them, exacerbating their social isolation.
"Understanding how to interrupt these behavioral patterns or avoid them is a question for future research," concluded Büttner. She added that these findings highlight the complex interaction between personality traits and social experiences. "Our findings supported the hypothesis that narcissists, especially those with more antagonistic and competitive traits, report being ostracized more frequently," said Büttner.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.