Narcissism and passive-aggression: testing the moderating effect of perceived ostracism

The present study examined the relationship between narcissism and passive aggressive behaviors, which were operationalized as three conceptually distinct sub-components: inducing criticism, ostracizing others, and sabotaging behavior. The study also explored the potential moderating role of perceived ostracism (i.e., feeling ignored or excluded by others). Consistent with our hypothesis, data from an online sample (N= 219) showed that narcissism was positively related to passive aggressive behaviors. However, a significant moderating effect of perceived ostracism was observed in relation to inducing criticism, but not in relation to ostracizing others or engaging in sabotage. Specifically, at high levels of perceived ostracism there was a stronger relationship between narcissism and inducing criticism compared to when perceived ostracism was low. As such, perceived ostracism may act to amplify this passive aggressive behavior in narcissists. Implications of the present study are discussed.