DOCSLIB.ORG

Impulsivity and the Self-Defeating Behavior of Narcissists

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Impulsivity and the Self-Defeating Behavior of Narcissists Personality and Social Psychology Review Copyright © 2006 by 2006, Vol. 10, No. 2, 154–165 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Impulsivity and the Self-Defeating Behavior of Narcissists Simine Vazire Department of Psychology The University of Texas at Austin David C. Funder Department of Psychology University of California, Riverside Currently prominent models of narcissism (e.g., Morf & Rhodewalt, 2001) primarily explain narcissists’self-defeating behaviors in terms of conscious cognitive and affec- tive processes. We propose that the disposition of impulsivity may also play an impor- tant role. We offer 2 forms of evidence. First, we present a meta-analysis demonstrat- ing a strong positive relationship between narcissism and impulsivity. Second, we review and reinterpret the literature on 3 hallmarks of narcissism: self-enhancement, aggression, and negative long-term outcomes. Our reinterpretation argues that impulsivity provides a more parsimonious explanation for at least some of narcissists’ self-defeating behavior than do existing models. These 2 sources of evidence suggest that narcissists’ quest for the status and recognition they so intensely desire is thwarted, in part, by their lack of the self-control necessary to achieve those goals. Narcissists are a puzzle. Their bragging and arro- This article begins by proposing that the widely ac- gance interferes with the attainment of the status and cepted cognitive–affective processing model presented recognition they so poignantly desire. Why do they by Morf and Rhodewalt (2001) be extended to include continually undermine themselves in this way? The re- dispositional impulsivity. We then review the empirical search literature appears to have achieved some con- evidence for our proposal by presenting a sensus about the nature of sub-clinical narcissism1 meta-analysis of the relationship between narcissism with respect to underlying cognitive, social, and affec- and impulsivity, including unpublished results from tive processes (e.g., Morf & Rhodewalt, 2001). The two large data sets. Although researchers have been consensual model serves as a solid foundation for inte- tangentially aware of this relationship for decades, grating narcissism research, and provides a partial ex- none have looked to impulsivity as a central explana- planation for narcissists’ perplexing behavior, but it re- tion for narcissists’ behavior. The final section of the lies heavily on conscious cognitive processes and article examines the implications of our proposal by re- omits an important category of explanatory variables: interpreting major findings in the literature in light of dispositions. We shall argue that one possible key to the relationship between narcissism and impulsivity. the puzzle posed by narcissists’ behavior is that they By incorporating dispositional impulsivity into exist- are dispositionally impulsive: They lack the ing models of narcissism, our proposal seeks both to self-control necessary to inhibit the behaviors that extend and to simplify the understanding of thwart the attainment of their goals. narcissism. Theoretical Framework 1Throughout the paper, we use the term narcissism to refer to subclinical narcissism. Narcissism is generally seen as deriving from an at- Portions of this research were supported by National Institute of tempt to regulate and maintain unrealistically high lev- Mental Health Grant R01–MH52391 to James Pennebaker. Data gathering for the Riverside Accuracy Project was supported by Na- els of self-esteem (Raskin, Novacek, & Hogan, 1991b; tional Institute of Mental Health Grant R01–MH42427 to David Robins & John, 1997). Narcissists’ self-views are on Funder. the one hand lofty (Paulhus & John, 1998), making it We are grateful to Sam Gosling, Del Paulhus, and Kathleen Vohs difficult for them to find affirmation, and on the other for their helpful comments on this article, and to Matthias Mehl for hand vulnerable or unstable (Jordan, Spencer, Zanna, making his data available. Correspondence should be sent to Simine Vazire, Department of Hoshino-Browne, & Correll, 2003), making such affir- Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, mation particularly important. This combination of ar- A800, Austin, TX 78712. E-mail: [email protected] rogance and vulnerability is one of the paradoxes that 154 NARCISSISM AND IMPULSIVITY Morf and Rhodewalt (2001) addressed in their cogni- relationship between narcissism and impulsivity. tive–affective processing model. As they and others ar- Then, we review the literature on narcissism and argue gue (e.g., Westen, 1990), much of narcissists’ cogni- that much of narcissists’ behavior can be reinterpreted tive, affective, and behavioral responses are in the and understood in terms of patterns of behavior charac- service of defending and affirming an unrealistic teristic of impulsive people. Specifically, we reinter- self-concept. pret the literature with respect to three self-defeating How do narcissists go about the difficult task of behaviors that are well-established hallmarks of nar- maintaining a self-concept that is both overly positive cissism: self-enhancement, aggression, and negative and highly fragile? Not very successfully. The research long-term outcomes. literature shows that narcissists engage in behaviors such as bragging, derogating others, reacting to ego threats with hostility and aggression, making internal A Meta-Analysis of the Empirical attributions for success and external attributions for Evidence for our Proposal failure, and overestimating future outcomes and per- formance even in the face of disconfirming feedback. In the early days of empirical research on narcis- Clearly these are not behaviors well-chosen to earn the sism, impulsivity appeared frequently among long lists respect and esteem of others. Indeed, research has of associated traits. In one of the most cited early arti- shown that narcissists are disliked by their peers (after cles, Raskin and Terry (1988) described narcissists as making a fleeting positive first impression; Paulhus, “relatively dominant, extraverted, exhibitionistic, ag- 1998), are psychologically maladjusted (Colvin, gressive, impulsive, self-centered, subjectively Block, & Funder, 1995), and become increasingly un- self-satisfied, self-indulgent, and nonconforming” (p. happy and disengaged from academics over the course 899). Several of these characteristics have been studied of college (Robins & Beer, 2001). In short, “as they extensively (e.g., aggression, Bushman & Baumeister, yearn and reach for self-affirmation, [narcissists] de- 1998; self-centeredness, Robins & John, 1997), but stroy the very relationships on which they are depend- impulsivity seems to have largely escaped subsequent ent” (Morf & Rhodewalt, 2001, p. 179). research attention. Cognitive–affective processing models (e.g., Morf An exception can be found in the literature on clini- & Rhodewalt, 2001) maintain that narcissists engage in cal narcissism (Narcissistic Personality Disorder; ineffective or even counterproductive interpersonal NPD). Although NPD and subclinical narcissism have strategies because they are insensitive to others’ con- been traditionally treated as separate lines of research, cerns. In other words, although their behavior seems the clinical literature provides a strong basis for sus- self-defeating to the outside observer, it is actually a pecting a central role for impulsivity in subclinical nar- deliberate, though ill-conceived, strategy that makes cissism. Hollander and Rosen (2000) argued that sense from the point of view of their internal subjective impulsivity is an important component of many disor- logic. We propose a more parsimonious explanation ders, including NPD, and that a complete understand- for at least some of these self-defeating behaviors: The ing and successful treatment of narcissism in particular behaviors are not strategic at all, narcissists simply requires an understanding of the role of impulsivity. can’t help themselves. Similarly, Casillas and Clark (2002) found that the cor- We propose that narcissists suffer from a relation between NPD and impulsivity was .35 (p < dispositional lack of self-control (i.e., impulsivity, a .01) when impulsivity was measured with the Schedule concept closely akin to ego undercontrol; Block, 2002; for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP; Block & Block, 1980), and this contributes to their in- Clark, 1993), and .41 (p < .01) when measured with the ability to meet the high self-regulatory demands of an Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS; Patton, Stanford, & inflated, unstable self-concept. As a result, they are un- Barratt, 1995). Furthermore, Casillas and Clark found able to successfully negotiate their social environments that “In the case of narcissistic PD, its entire relation- to obtain the recognition they crave. As we point out in ship with substance abuse was [statistically] explained our reinterpretation of the narcissism literature, many by [impulsivity and self-harm]” (p. 434). of narcissists’ behaviors may provide temporary im- Although little or no research has focused directly mediate gratification of their desire for recognition, but on the role of impulsivity in subclinical narcissism, it comes at the cost of long-term success—the classic many of the early construct-validation studies of nar- framework of the concept of delay of gratification cissism scales reported correlations with large batteries (e.g., Funder, Block & Block, 1983; Mischel & Ayduk, of other
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Why Susie Sells Seashells by the Seashore: Implicit Egotism and Major Life Decisions
    ATTITUDES AND SOCIAL COGNITION Why Susie Sells Seashells by the Seashore: Implicit Egotism and Major Life Decisions Brett W. Pelham, Matthew C. Mirenberg, and John T. Jones State University of New York at Buffalo Because most people possess positive associations about themselves, most people prefer things that are connected to the self (e.g., the letters in one’s name). The authors refer to such preferences as implicit egotism. Ten studies assessed the role of implicit egotism in 2 major life decisions: where people choose to live and what people choose to do for a living. Studies 1–5 showed that people are disproportionately likely to live in places whose names resemble their own first or last names (e.g., people named Louis are disproportionately likely to live in St. Louis). Study 6 extended this finding to birthday number preferences. People were disproportionately likely to live in cities whose names began with their birthday numbers (e.g., Two Harbors, MN). Studies 7–10 suggested that people disproportionately choose careers whose labels resemble their names (e.g., people named Dennis or Denise are overrepresented among dentists). Implicit egotism appears to influence major life decisions. This idea stands in sharp contrast to many models of rational choice and attests to the importance of understanding implicit beliefs. What role do people’s thoughts and feelings about themselves important role in major life decisions. For example, only a handful play in their important day-to-day decisions and behaviors? Con- of studies have examined whether self-regulation processes influ- temporary research on the self-concept suggests many answers to ence people’s choice of relationship partners.
    [Show full text]
  • Relationships and the Self: Egosystem and Ecosystem
    C HAPTER 4 RELATIONSHIPS AND THE SELF: EGOSYSTEM AND ECOSYSTEM Jennifer Crocker and Amy Canevello Most social scientists assume that people are funda- Crocker & Canevello, 2008, 2012b;ASSOCIATION Crocker, mentally self-interested, that they do what they Olivier, & Nuer, 2009). We first describe this perceive to be advantageous to themselves (Miller, system in general terms that apply to most, if not all, 1999). Unsurprisingly, this view pervades research types of relationships. Then, because romantic rela- on the self, in which people are depicted as self- tionships are the focus of a great deal of interest and enhancing and self-protective, seeking validation research, we describe the principles of romantic and affirmation, and taking credit for successes but relationships driven by egosystem motivation. dodging blame for failures. Perhaps more surprising, We next describe an emerging alternate view, in this view also pervades a great deal of research on which people have the capacity to transcend self- relationships, which presumably involve shared interestPSYCHOLOGICAL and care deeply about people and things bonds between people and feelings such as close- beyond themselves, which we call ecosystem motiva- ness, caring, affection, or love. Many researchers tion (Crocker, 2008; Crocker & Canevello, 2008, assume that people in relationships, as in the rest of 2012b; Crocker et al., 2006). In relationships, their lives, are fundamentally self-centered and people driven by ecosystem motivation seek to pro- self-serving. In this view, people want to AMERICANbe in rela- mote the well-being of the relationship partner not tionships to promote their own ends, ©they use rela- out of selfish motives to obtain benefits in return, tionship partners to satisfy their own needs, and but because they care about the partner or because they sacrifice and compromise in relationships to both people care about the well-being of someone or keep their relationship partners happy so they can something beyond themselves.
    [Show full text]
  • Origins of Narcissism in Children
    Origins of narcissism in children Eddie Brummelmana,b,1, Sander Thomaesb,c, Stefanie A. Nelemansd, Bram Orobio de Castrob, Geertjan Overbeeka, and Brad J. Bushmane,f aResearch Institute of Child Development and Education, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1001 NG, The Netherlands; bDepartment of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CS, The Netherlands; cCenter for Research on Self and Identity, Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, England; dResearch Centre Adolescent Development, Department of Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CS, The Netherlands; eDepartment of Communication and Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1339; and fDepartment of Communication Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands Edited by Susan T. Fiske, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved February 12, 2015 (received for review November 7, 2014) Narcissism levels have been increasing among Western youth, and (9) and “are under a compulsion to ascribe every perfection to contribute to societal problems such as aggression and violence. the child—which sober observation would find no occasion to The origins of narcissism, however, are not well understood. Here, do” (10). Consequently, children might internalize the belief that we report, to our knowledge, the first prospective longitudinal they are special individuals who are entitled to privileges. In evidence on the origins of narcissism in children. We compared contrast, psychoanalytic theory holds that children are likely to two perspectives: social learning theory (positing that narcissism is grow up to be narcissistic when their parents lack warmth toward cultivated by parental overvaluation) and psychoanalytic theory them (11, 12).
    [Show full text]
  • The Dirty Dozen: a Concise Measure of the Dark Triad
    Psychological Assessment © 2010 American Psychological Association 2010, Vol. 22, No. 2, 420–432 1040-3590/10/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0019265 The Dirty Dozen: A Concise Measure of the Dark Triad Peter K. Jonason Gregory D. Webster University of West Florida University of Florida There has been an exponential increase of interest in the dark side of human nature during the last decade. To better understand this dark side, the authors developed and validated a concise, 12-item measure of the Dark Triad: narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism. In 4 studies involving 1,085 participants, they examined its structural reliability, convergent and discriminant validity (Studies 1, 2, and 4), and test–retest reliability (Study 3). Their measure retained the flexibility needed to measure these 3 independent-yet-related constructs while improving its efficiency by reducing its item count by 87% (from 91 to 12 items). The measure retained its core of disagreeableness, short-term mating, and aggressiveness. They call this measure the Dirty Dozen, but it cleanly measures the Dark Triad. Keywords: Dark Triad, narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, measurement The Dark Triad is a term used to describe a constellation of quiring scores on each measure to be standardized (Jonason, Li, three socially undesirable personality traits: narcissism, psychop- Webster, & Schmitt, 2009). athy, and Machiavellianism (Paulhus & Williams, 2002). Research Second, assessing the Dark Triad’s 91 items is inefficient, on the Dark Triad has increased exponentially over the last decade. time-consuming, and may cause response fatigue in some partic- An analysis of Google Scholar hit counts for “Dark Triad” in ipants. When studying the Dark Triad and one or more other scientific works reveals an explosive increase from one in 2002 to measures of interest (e.g., self-esteem, Big Five personality traits), at least 38 in 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Intellectual Humility and the Curse of Knowledge
    Forthcoming in Arrogance and Polarization. Eds. A. Tanesini and M. Lynch. Routledge. Intellectual Humility and the Curse of Knowledge Michael Hannon University of Nottingham This chapter explores an unappreciated psychological dimension of intellectual humility. In particular, I argue there is a plausible connection between intellectual humility and epistemic egocentrism. Epistemic egocentrism is a well-known cognitive bias – often called ‘the curse of knowledge’ – whereby an agent attributes his or her own mental states to other people. I hypothesize that an individual who exhibits this bias is more likely to possess a variety of traits that are characteristic of intellectual humility. This is surprising because intellectual humility is often regarded as an antidote to cognitive biases, whereas I claim that a particular cognitive bias (namely, the curse of knowledge) may help foster an intellectual virtue. Introduction Intellectual humility is widely considered a virtue.1 Although there is no consensus within philosophy or psychology on a precise definition of intellectual humility, it has been linked to an assortment of desirable traits. For example, intellectual humble people have been said to: not think too highly of themselves; not ascribe to themselves greater excellence than they possesses; show low concern for how special their talents are; take complaints and criticism seriously; generously acknowledge the contributions of others; and not demand special treatment, even 1 For example, see Church and Barrett (2016), Hazlett (2012), Roberts and Wood (2003), Samuelson et al. (2015), Tanesini (2018), and Whitcomb et al. (2017). when deserving. This virtue has been studied by philosophers, psychologists, and theologians, and it seems to involve a mix of cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and motivational components.
    [Show full text]
  • Implicit and Explicit Self-Esteem in Relation to the Dark Triad
    © 2014 WUPJ, September 2014, Volume 2 Personality Implicit and Explicit Self-Esteem in Relation to the Dark Triad Lauren Stenason* Individuals with characteristics encompassing the three domains of the Dark Triad (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) are often thought to possess inflated levels of self-esteem however, there has been controversy as to whether this inflated self-esteem represents their true underlying level of self-esteem. The present study investigated the relationships between the Dark Triad, explicit, and implicit self-esteem. Participants consisted of 231 individuals from The University of Western Ontario with an age range of 17 to 45 years (M = 19.390, SD = 2.908). 81% of participants were female and 19% of participants were male. Participants completed an online survey consisting of the Short Dark Triad, Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale, and the Name Letter Task. The analysis revealed that Machiavellianism showed a weak negative correlation with last name initial. However, Machiavellianism and explicit self-esteem were not significantly correlated with first name initial. Narcissism showed a moderate positive correlation with explicit self-esteem and a weak positive correlation with last name initial but no significant relationship between narcissism and first name initial. Psychopathy did not reveal any significant correlations with either explicit or implicit self-esteem. Multiple regression analysis revealed that narcissism and psychopathy added significantly to the prediction of explicit self-esteem. Self-esteem is involved in many domains The components of the Dark Triad are regarding personality, psychological disorders, considered maladaptive personality traits that and overall mental health. Different types of include narcissism, psychopathy, and personality characteristics involve varying Machiavellianism.
    [Show full text]
  • Threatened Egotism, Narcissism, Self-Esteem, and Direct and Displaced Aggression: Does Self-Love Or Self-Hate Lead to Violence?
    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Copyright 1998 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 1998, Vol. 75, No. 1, 219-229 0022-3514/98/S3.00 Threatened Egotism, Narcissism, Self-Esteem, and Direct and Displaced Aggression: Does Self-Love or Self-Hate Lead to Violence? Brad J. Bushman Roy F. Baumeister Iowa State University Case Western Reserve University It has been widely asserted that low self-esteem causes violence, but laboratory evidence is lacking, and some contrary observations have characterized aggressors as having favorable self-opinions. In 2 studies, both simple self-esteem and narcissism were measured, and then individual participants were given an opportunity to aggress against someone who had insulted them or praised them or against an innocent third person. Self-esteem proved irrelevant to aggression. The combination of narcissism and insult led to exceptionally high levels of aggression toward the source of the insult. Neither form of self-regard affected displaced aggression, which was low in general. These findings contradict the popular view that low self-esteem causes aggression and point instead toward threat- ened egotism as an important cause. How do people's thoughts and feelings about themselves in- of personal and social problems (e.g., California Task Force, fluence their propensities to perform acts of aggression against 1990). Consistent with this view, it has been widely asserted others? Multiple answers to this question can be suggested. For that low self-esteem is a cause of violence (e.g., Kirschner, decades, clinical psychologists have subscribed to a conven- 1992; Long, 1990; Oates & Forrest, 1985; Schoenfeld, 1988; tional view that low self-esteem underlies aggression.
    [Show full text]
  • Our Vulnerable Dark Side—Two Laboratory Approaches
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article Our Vulnerable Dark Side—Two Laboratory Approaches Lena Lämmle 1,* and Matthias Ziegler 2 1 Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg, 20457 Hamburg, Germany 2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The Dark Triad of personality has been associated with aggression against others as a reaction to perceived provocations. However, previous work has also shown that such responsive aggression even occurs if it means harming oneself. The first of two laboratory studies aimed to investigate whether this relation between the Dark Triad and self-harming behavior also occurs in situations where no others are affected but self-harm is likely. The second laboratory study considered two different settings in a within-participants design in order to analyze the stability of self-harming behavior and to what extent the Dark Triad constructs influence this behavior. The sample for study 1 consisted of 151 students (45.7% female) with a mean age of 21.40 years (SD = 2.19); the sample for study 2 consisted of 251 students (76.0% female) with a mean age of 22.21 years (SD = 3.90). Aside from the Dark Triad’s common core, depending on how self-harm was triggered (ego-threat (mainly narcissism), being alone with one’s own thoughts (mainly psychopathy), or reward condition (mainly Machiavellianism)), the Dark Triad traits differed in their responsiveness but were stable over the last two conditions, thereby suggesting a vulnerable side of the Dark Triad.
    [Show full text]
  • The Empathy Paradox: Increasing Disconnection in the Age of Increasing Connection
    The Empathy Paradox: Increasing disconnection in the age of increasing connection Cite as: Konrath, S. (in press, 2012) The empathy paradox: Increasing disconnection in the age of increasing connection. In Handbook of Research on Technoself: Identity in a Technological Society, Rocci Luppicini (Ed.), IGI Global. Sara Konrath Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Email: [email protected] Phone: 734-763-1512 Author bio: Sara Konrath received her PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan in 2007. She is currently an Assistant Research Professor at the Institute for Social Research at University of Michigan, with affiliations in Social Psychology (University of Michigan) and Psychiatry (University of Rochester). Konrath is the director of the Interdisciplinary Program on Empathy and Altruism Research (iPEAR), a research lab with a primary focus on empathy, altruism, and other-focused behavior. Her work examines causes, consequences, and changes in empathy and related traits from a variety of perspectives, including psychophysiological and neurological. Konrath’s work has been funded by the American Association for University Women, the Hay Group, and the Templeton Foundation. See sarakonrath.com for recent publications. 1 ABSTRACT The purpose of this chapter is to summarize changes in personality traits that have co-occurred with the rise of new social media, and to evaluate the plausibility of the hypothesis that new social media are a partial explanation for these dramatic changes. Studies have found a rise in social disconnection among recent generations of young Americans. Self-esteem and narcissism have been rising in college students from the late 1970s to 2010, with simultaneous declines in empathy.
    [Show full text]
  • On Within-Defense Variability and Defenses in Male Federal Offenders
    On Within-Defense Variability and Defenses in Male Federal Offenders A thesis submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Psychology University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon © Michael Sheppard, November 2009, all rights reserved Within-defense variability i PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this university may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my dissertation work, or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my dissertation. DISCLAIMER Reference in this dissertation to any specific commercial products, process, or service my trade name, trademark, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by the University of Saskatchewan. The views and opinions of the author expressed herein do not state or reflect those of the University of Saskatchewan, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Shame in General, Intimate and Sexual Violence Perpetration
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264897258 The role of shame in general, intimate and sexual violence perpetration Chapter · January 2014 READS 2,626 4 authors, including: Lauren Hansen Aaron Kivisto University of Indianapolis University of Indianapolis 3 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS 26 PUBLICATIONS 137 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, Available from: Aaron Kivisto letting you access and read them immediately. Retrieved on: 07 August 2016 Running head: SHAME AND VIOLENCE PERPETRATION The Role of Shame in General, Intimate, and Sexual Violence Perpetration Devona Gruber, B.A. Lauren Hansen, B.A. Katrina Soaper, M.A. Aaron J. Kivisto, Ph.D. University of Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences Recommended Citation: Gruber, D., Hansen, L., Soaper, K., & Kivisto, A.J. (2014). The role of shame in general, intimate, and sexual violence perpetration. In K.G. Lockhart (Ed.), Psychology of Shame: New Research. New York: Nova Science. Address correspondence to: Aaron J. Kivisto, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Indianapolis, School of Psychological Sciences, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227. Phone: 317-788-3541. Email: [email protected]. SHAME AND VIOLENCE PERPETRATION 2 The Role of Shame in General, Intimate, and Sexual Violence Perpetration The relationship between violence and shame is complex, bidirectional, and interactive, although research has tended to emphasize certain aspects of this association and to deemphasize others. In particular, much has been written about shame as a consequence of violence victimization, suggesting that victims of interpersonal violence are at greater risk for developing global self-devaluations (cf.
    [Show full text]
  • Rethinking Self-Esteem Why Nonprofits Should Stop Pushing Self-Esteem and Start Endorsing Self-Control
    Rethinking Self-Esteem Why nonprofits should stop pushing self-esteem and start endorsing self-control By Roy Baumeister Stanford Social Innovation Review Winter 2005 Copyright 2005 by Leland Stanford Jr. University All Rights Reserved Stanford Social Innovation Review 518 Memorial Way, Stanford, CA 94305-5015 Ph: 650-725-5399. Fax: 650-723-0516 Email: [email protected], www.ssireview.com rethinking Self- Esteem Why nonprofits should stop pushing self-esteem and start endorsing self-control by ROY BAUMEISTER FOR THREE DECADES, I and many other psycholo- gists viewed self-esteem as our profession’s Holy Grail: a psychological trait that would soothe most of individuals’ and society’s woes. We thought that high self-esteem would impart not only success, health, happiness, and pros- perity to the people who possessed it, but also stronger marriages, higher employment, and greater educational IMAGES PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUGAL WATERS/GETTY attainment in the communities that supported it. Psychologists have not been alone in their faith in self- esteem. Organizations ranging from the Girl Scouts to the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks, from the Southern Baptist Convention to the Jewish Community Center Associ- ation sponsor programs to increase self-esteem. Public initia- tives like the California Task Force to Promote Self-Esteem and Personal and Social Responsibility deployed widespread interventions to improve citizens’ self-regard. 34 STANFORD SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW www.ssireview.com From Little League coaches to legislators, many Ameri- fidence, and pride. Note that this definition doesn’t imply any- cans are convinced that success – whether defined as raising good thing about reality.
    [Show full text]