A study in Italy found that individuals with pronounced narcissistic traits are more likely to self-report having unusual, aggression-laden sexual fantasies and behaviors. The research was published in the Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Narcissism is a group of psychological traits characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. It exists on a spectrum from normal self-confidence to pathological narcissistic personality disorder. Psychologists distinguish between grandiose narcissism, marked by arrogance and dominance, and vulnerable narcissism, marked by insecurity, hypersensitivity, and a need for reassurance.
Grandiose narcissists tend to seek power and status, while vulnerable narcissists often feel underappreciated and are easily hurt. There is also an extreme form called malignant narcissism that combines grandiosity and a lack of empathy with aggression, paranoia, and antisocial traits.
Narcissistic individuals may appear charming and confident at first but are prone to manipulating others to maintain a sense of superiority. They crave admiration and validation and tend to react angrily or defensively to criticism. In relationships, they often prioritize their own needs and struggle with genuine emotional intimacy.
Narcissistic individuals tend to idealize partners early on and later devalue them once the relationship no longer boosts their ego. They sometimes pursue multiple partners simultaneously or engage in risky sexual behavior to reinforce feelings of desirability and control. Over time, their relationships tend to become unstable due to a lack of empathy and emotional reciprocity.
Study author Antonella Somma and her colleagues wanted to assess the association between different manifestations of narcissism and sexual fantasies and behaviors in a group of adults. They note that while sexual fantasies—defined as constellations of mental imagery that are erotic or sexually arousing—play a central role in shaping sexual behavior, empirical research on the specific sexual interests of narcissistic individuals remains sparse.
The study involved 583 Italian adults with an average age of 31, of whom 63% were women and 28% were married.
Participants completed assessments of sexual fantasies (the Sexual Fantasies Inventory), sexual behavior (the Sexual Behavior Inventory), malignant narcissism (the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Short Form, Malignant Narcissism Index), and grandiose and vulnerable narcissism (the Five Factor Narcissism Inventory – Super Short Form).
The results revealed distinct patterns for each type of narcissism. Grandiose narcissism was linked to a broad range of sexual interests, including both conventional (“normophilic”) sex and fantasies involving power and dominance. In contrast, malignant narcissism was the strongest predictor of non-normophilic fantasies and behaviors, particularly those involving power dynamics (sadism, submission, humiliation) and intrusion (e.g., voyeurism).
Crucially, the study found that vulnerable narcissism showed no significant association with any of the sexual fantasies or behaviors measured.
“Our findings may improve extant knowledge on sexual fantasies and sexual behaviors and their associations with grandiose, vulnerable, and malignant narcissism, paving the way for additional research on the role of antagonistic personality dimensions as possible roots for non-normophilic [unusual] sexual fantasies and behaviors across different contexts,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the links between sexual fantasies, behaviors, and narcissism. However, because all data came from self-reports, the results could be affected by reporting bias. It therefore remains unknown whether narcissistic individuals are truly more likely to have unusual sexual interests or are simply more likely to report them (along with their narcissistic traits) in a research study.
The paper, “Sexual Fantasies and Sexual Behaviors in the Perspective of Grandiose, Vulnerable, and Malignant Narcissism: A Community Study,” was authored by Antonella Somma, Leda Mastinu, and Andrea Fossati.