A recent study has found that individuals with higher levels of narcissistic traits are more likely to be involved in feminist activism. This research suggests that for some, activism may serve not just as a platform for societal change, but also as a means to fulfill personal, egocentric needs. The findings have been published in Current Psychology.
The study was inspired by the idea that while many engage in activism for altruistic reasons or due to direct personal impact by the issues at hand, others might be motivated by less noble desires, such as the fulfillment of narcissistic needs. This notion aligns with the concept that activism can be used as a vehicle for individuals to achieve personal gains, such as attention, status, or fame.
“Based on the results of a previous study, in which we investigated the relationship between dark personality traits (e.g., narcissism) and anti-sexual assault activism, we were interested to further explore the notion that some individuals may be involved in certain forms of activism (i.e., feminist activism) to (merely) satisfy their own ego-focused needs (instead of prosocial goals),” explained study authors Ann Krispenz, a postdoctoral associate, and Professor Alex Bertrams, the head of the Division of Educational Psychology of the University of Bern.
The study involved 458 participants from the United States, who were recruited through an online platform known as Prolific, ensuring a representative sample. The participants completed a range of psychological measures to assess various traits and behaviors, which was presented as an “Attitudes and Behaviors Study.”
The Pathological Narcissism Inventory was used to measure narcissistic traits, breaking them down into grandiosity and vulnerability aspects. Grandiosity reflects traits like an inflated self-image, entitlement, and a desire for admiration and respect. It’s characterized by outwardly expressed behaviors like seeking attention and recognition. Narcissistic vulnerability, on the other hand, involves sensitivity to criticism, feelings of inadequacy, and fluctuating self-esteem, often leading to defensive and compensatory behaviors.
Participants’ involvement in feminist activism was gauged using the Involvement in Feminist Activities Scale, which considers activities like participating in demonstrations and rallies. Participants’ involvement in feminist activism was measured using the Involvement in Feminist Activities Scale, encompassing actions like participating in demonstrations or advocating for women’s rights. The study also assessed feminist conversational interaction behaviors and and self-identification as a feminist.
Additionally, the study assessed altruism with the Self-Report Altruism Scale. Together, these measures provided a comprehensive view of each participant’s psychological profile and their engagement in activism.
The researchers found a significant relationship between higher levels of narcissistic grandiosity and greater involvement in feminist activism. This relationship remained significant even after accounting for factors such age, gender, narcissistic vulnerability, altruism, and feminist self-identification. Furthermore, the study revealed that the narcissistic trait of exploitativeness, characterized by a manipulative interpersonal orientation and the inclination to dominate others, was particularly influential in this regard.
“In the present study, higher pathological narcissism was associated with greater involvement in feminist activism,” Krispenz and Bertrams told PsyPost. “One explanation for this result may be that political and social activism (such as feminist activism) is an attractive vehicle for individuals with high narcissistic traits because it provides them with opportunities for the gain of social status, positive self-presentation and displays of moral superiority, the domination of others, and the engagement in social conflicts and aggression – a phenomenon we coined ‘dark-ego-vehicle principle’ (DEVP).”
“According to this principle, individuals with dark personalities – such as high narcissistic traits – are attracted to certain forms of political and social activism which they can use as a vehicle to satisfy their own ego-focused needs instead of actually aiming at social justice and equality. However, the dark-ego-vehicle principle does not mean that feminist activism is per se narcissistic – our results also show that people get involved in feminist activism due to their altruistic motives.”
The researchers also delved into how narcissism might influence specific behaviors within the context of feminist activism, such as the use of feminist language or the correction of others’ non-feminist language. It was found that those with higher narcissistic traits were more likely to engage in these behaviors.
“An important practical implication of our findings (and the dark-ego-vehicle principle) is that the success of feminist activism may be reduced by individuals high in narcissism as those individuals may be more likely than individuals low in narcissism to set the tone for feminist activism,” Krispenz and Bertrams said. “However, while pretending to be prosocial, individuals with high narcissistic traits tend to have low empathy and to be primarily interested in satisfying their self-centered needs. Therefore, it appears unlikely to us that speakers and influencers high in narcissistic grandiosity are authentically motivated to find the most reasonable solutions in terms of women’s rights.”
“From a logical viewpoint, they should rather be interested in keeping the perception of problems going to maintain their highlighted position. Moreover, individuals with high narcissistic traits may use the financial and immaterial resources of feminist movements for their own private purposes, thereby causing irreparable financial and reputational harm to the movement. For example, individuals high in narcissistic traits may use donations made to a feminist movement and spend them on personal items due to their sense of entitlement.”
“Additionally, the public perception of such narcissistic behaviors within an activist movement may lead to dwindling support for the cause by the public and could even be wielded against the respective movement,” the researchers added. “Thus, prosocial activist movements should be made aware of the narcissistic ‘enemies’ from within their activist movement as these individuals could hijack the cause, thereby reducing the success of the feminist activism in many ways.”
Contrary to what might be expected, the relationship between narcissism and activism was not influenced by gender. This indicates that narcissistic traits play a similar role in both men and women when it comes to their involvement in feminist activism.
“Based on previous research, we had expected that the relationship between pathological narcissism and involvement in feminist activism would be stronger for women than for men,” Krispenz and Bertrams said. “Our results do not support this assumption, indicating that even narcissistic men may find ways to exploit activism that is primarily oriented toward women’s rights.”
The findings are in line with previous research. For example, a 2020 study found a significant correlation between narcissism and political participation in both Denmark and the United States. Narcissistic traits have also been linked to both right-wing authoritarianism and left-wing authoritarianism.
Importantly, Krispenz and Bertrams also found that higher levels of altruism and stronger self-identification as a feminist were related to greater involvement in feminist activism. This indicates that while narcissistic traits can play a role, many individuals are genuinely motivated by altruistic reasons and a strong belief in feminist principles. “This also shows that activism is not per se narcissistic,” the researchers said.
This study paves the way for further exploration in several areas. Future research could delve into how different forms of feminism relate to narcissistic traits and whether other forms of activism attract similar personality profiles. Investigating the role of other dark personality traits, such as Machiavellianism or psychopathy, in activism could provide a broader understanding of activist motivations. Additionally, examining the mechanisms through which narcissism influences behaviors within activism, like virtue signaling or dominance, would deepen our understanding of these complex dynamics.
“At present, the dark-ego-vehicle principle is not an elaborated theory as it is yet unclear whether it refers to a robust, stable, and reproducible empirical phenomenon,” Krispenz and Bertrams told PsyPost. “Therefore, we are currently investigating the validity of the dark-ego-vehicle principle in the context of different forms of activism (e.g., LGBQ activism, gender identity activism, environmental activism, etc.)”
“Future research should also empirically address the nomological network of the dark personality–activism relationship,” the researchers said. “Furthermore, future research is necessary to help our understanding of the boundary conditions of the dark-ego-vehicle principle by examining possible moderating influences. We do not believe that every kind of activism is equally usable as a dark-ego vehicle. As a minimum requirement, the activism must provide benefits that narcissists can repurpose to satisfy their dark personalities’ needs. For example, activistic causes receiving little to no public interest may attract narcissists less than activism which is widely noticed.”
The study, “Further basic evidence for the dark‑ego‑vehicle principle: Higher pathological narcissism is associated with greater involvement in feminist activism“, was published November 29, 2023.
