Inflated Titles, Inflated Egos: Narcissism Predicts the Desire for Public Rewards

Rewards can be given publicly or privately. In four studies (plus three supplemental ones), we found that, while individuals generally prefer private rewards, people relatively higher in grandiose narcissism also like public rewards. Specifically, people higher (vs. lower) in narcissism were more motivated by public rewards in their workplaces, more likely to prefer public versions of the same rewards, and more likely to accept a job with a better title rather than higher pay. This greater desire for public rewards was associated with a heightened desire for status, a lesser concern about others’ envy, and with both the admiration and rivalry components of narcissism. This research suggests that narcissistic status pursuit may lead people higher in narcissism to like public rewards that others are not as fond of, suggesting, for example, that title inflation in the workplace might be more motivating to employees higher rather than lower in narcissism.