The study appeared in the journal Self and Identity and used a very large, culturally diverse data set. More than 45,000 people from 53 countries completed surveys that measured levels of narcissism.
The researchers described narcissism as very high self‑esteem with relatively low empathy, a strong positive focus on the self, and low regard for others. They examined differences by age, gender and perceived status, and they also looked at country factors such as individualism versus collectivism and national wealth (GDP).
The main findings were clear: young adults scored higher than older adults, men scored higher than women, and people in wealthier countries tended to be more narcissistic. The team also noted that group‑oriented countries did not show greatly different patterns.
Difficult words
- narcissism — Extreme focus on one's own importance and image.narcissistic
- empathy — Ability to understand and share others' feelings.
- perceive — To see or understand something in a certain way.perceived
- individualism — Cultural value that favors personal independence and goals.
- collectivism — Cultural value that favors group interests over individuals.
- survey — A set of questions to collect people's answers.surveys
- data set — A large collection of organized information or measurements.
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Discussion questions
- Why might people in wealthier countries be more narcissistic?
- Can you give one example that shows empathy or low empathy?
