Distracted by the mirror? Associations between narcissism, self-esteem and gaze behavior during self-face viewing

• Eye-tracking was used to examine gaze behavior during self-face exposure in a mirror. • In a novel visual probe task, the own face reflected in a mirror served as a distractor. • Higher narcissism and self-esteem were linked to increased face fixation time. • People with higher self-esteem or narcissism may be more distracted by their face. Self-viewing varies significantly among individuals. The present eye-tracking study investigated whether specific facets of grandiose narcissism and self-esteem are associated with gaze behavior during self-face viewing. In a novel visual probe task, participants pressed a button when a visual target appeared next to a mirror reflecting their face. The task required participants to shift their attention away from their reflection that acted as a distractor. Task performance and gaze behavior were analyzed in relation to general grandiose narcissism, domain-specific narcissism, self-esteem, and self-worth contingencies. Participants with higher grandiose narcissism and self-esteem spent more time fixating their face, suggesting that people with higher self-esteem or narcissism are more easily distracted by their face than people with lower levels of these traits.