A new study published in Personality and Individual Differences found that extraverted narcissism reduces romantic burnout, whereas antagonistic and neurotic narcissism increase it, through a desire for power. Men’s narcissism affects their partners’ romantic experiences, but women’s narcissism does not show a similar effect on their male partners.
Narcissism, which involves a strong focus on oneself, can lead to problems in how people connect with their partners. The research breaks down narcissism into two main types: grandiose (where people are very confident and seek attention) and vulnerable (where people are sensitive and insecure).
These traits can make romantic relationships challenging because they affect how people interact with their partners. One of the main issues studied is how these narcissistic traits affect the balance of power in a relationship. People with high levels of narcissism often want to be in control, which can create tension and problems in their relationships.
In this work, Ali Mohammad Beigi and Virgil Zeigler-Hill recruited 1802 participants from the Iranian community, consisting of 668 heterosexual couples who volunteered through flyers and social media postings. The criteria for participation included being 18 or older and in a committed romantic relationship for at least one year. Data was collected from July 2020 to June 2021 using online self-report questionnaires translated into Persian through a back-translation process. Each partner was asked to respond separately to ensure privacy and independence of responses.
These couples had an average relationship duration of 11.22 years, with the majority being married (89%) and having at least one child (66%). The average age for women and men was 33.6 and 37.8 years, respectively.
Narcissism was measured using the short form of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory, assessing extraverted, antagonistic, and neurotic narcissism through statements rated on a scale from 1 (disagree strongly) to 5 (agree strongly). The Desire for Power Scale, adjusted to focus on romantic relationships, asked participants to rate their agreement with statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), measuring their desire for more power within their relationships.
Romantic burnout was evaluated using the Couple Burnout Measure, where participants rated the frequency of experiencing symptoms of burnout on a scale from 1 (never) to 7 (always). Items on the measure include statements such as “I feel disappointed with my spouse/partner” and “I feel trapped.”
For both men and women, extraverted narcissism was negatively associated with romantic burnout, indicating that those with higher levels of extraverted narcissism experienced less romantic burnout. In contrast, both antagonistic and neurotic narcissism showed positive associations with the desire for power, and neurotic narcissism was directly linked to higher levels of romantic burnout.
Interestingly, the desire for power was found to mediate the relationship between narcissistic traits and romantic burnout. Specifically, antagonistic and neurotic narcissism were positively associated with romantic burnout through an increased desire for power. This suggests that the link between these forms of narcissism and romantic burnout is partly explained by a desire to have more power in the relationship.
Partner effects were also found, with women’s desire for power being linked to increased romantic burnout in their male partners. However, men’s extraverted narcissism was associated with a decrease in their female partners’ desire for power, and their antagonistic narcissism was linked to an increase in female partners’ desire for power.
These findings highlight the complex role of narcissism in romantic relationships, suggesting that different narcissistic traits can either buffer against or exacerbate romantic burnout, with gender playing a significant role in these dynamics. The researchers note that the study’s conclusions are limited by its reliance on self-reported data, lack of causal evidence, and cultural specificity, calling for further research in diverse contexts.
The study, “Narcissism and romantic burnout: The mediating role of the desire for power”, was authored by Ali Mohammad Beigi and Virgil Zeigler-Hill.