Is Narcissism Linked to Stress Reactivity Under Social-Evaluative Threat?

Previous research reported that different subtypes of narcissism lead to stronger or weaker stress responses, due to narcissistic individual’s sensitivity to social evaluation. However, evidence remains mixed. In the current preregistered study, we investigated psychological and physiological stress response indicators (self-reports, salivary cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate) of N = 161 male participants exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) or a control condition. Narcissism subtypes (i.e., grandiose and vulnerable) and the two facets of grandiose narcissism (i.e., narcissistic admiration and rivalry) were assessed via self-report questionnaires. Results suggest that the TSST led to stronger stress responses as compared with the control condition. However, we found no compelling evidence of any narcissism subtype or facet being associated with stronger stress responses. These results question the proposal that narcissism is a way to compensate for an ultimately weak, or fragile, self.