A new study says that men are more narcissistic than women based on a three-decade collection of data from more than 475,000 participants. The authors of the study were from the University of Buffalo School of Management.
The study will be featured in the March issue of the Psychological Bulletin, the journal of the American Psychological Association wherein they reviewed survey data from nearly half a million participants. Their findings have shown that men are more narcissistic than women regardless of age.
According to lead author Emily Grijalva, PhD, assistant professor of organization and human resources in the UB School of Management, "Narcissism is associated with various interpersonal dysfunctions, including an inability to maintain healthy long-term relationships, unethical behavior and aggression.
"At the same time, narcissism is shown to boost self-esteem, emotional stability and the tendency to emerge as a leader. By examining gender differences in narcissism, we may be able to explain gender disparities in these important outcomes", she added based on a report by Science Daily,
According to Medical News Today, narcissistic disorder is characterized by an individual displaying a distorted self-image, unstable and intense emotions, preoccupation with vanity, prestige, power, lack of empathy and has an exaggerated sense of superiority.
The authors were able to examine more than 355 journal articles, manuscripts, and dissertations. They analysed gender differences in terms of the three facets of narcissism including leadership or authority, grandiose or exhibitionism, and entitlement.
In terms of entitlement, there is a big difference between the two genders because they found out that men are more likely to exploit others and they feel that they are entitled to many privileges. On the other hand, the next largest difference can be seen in authority.
Grijalva explained, "Compared with women, men exhibit more assertiveness and desire for power. But there was no difference in the exhibitionism aspect, meaning both genders are equally likely to display vanity or self-absorption."
However, the researchers emphasized that the differences in attitude and personality do not necessarily mean that just because you are a man means you're going to be egotistical. Perhaps gender stereotypes and societal expectations that have been engrained in our brains can explain these gender differences.
