Two faces of narcissism among university students: Associations between narcissistic rivalry, narcissistic admiration, subjective well-being, and student satisfaction

Abstract The Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept distinguishes between narcissistic admiration (self-promotion) and rivalry (self-defense) as strategies to maintain a grandiose self. Across two studies ( N s = 632, 892), path analyses revealed that rivalry negatively predicted life satisfaction, mood levels, and all dimensions of student satisfaction measured in the two studies, while positively predicting self-doubt. Admiration, in contrast, was associated with higher life satisfaction and mood levels, and lower self-doubt. It also positively predicted satisfaction with study content and overall student satisfaction, but not satisfaction with study conditions or satisfaction with coping with study-related stress. These findings underscore the maladaptive nature of narcissistic rivalry and suggest that admiration may have domain-specific benefits for academic well-being.