The Relationship between the Implicit Self-Esteem, the Behavioral Activation and Inhibition Systems (BAS/BIS), and Narcissistic Traits in Students

Naser  Herfedoost; Seyed Mahmoud  Tabatabaei

doi:10.18502/jabs.v15i4.19737

Naser Herfedoost Department of Clinical Psychology, TaMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
Seyed Mahmoud Tabatabaei Department of Medical Physiology, TaMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jabs.v15i4.19737

Keywords: Narcissistic traits, implicit self-esteem, behavioral activation system, behavioral inhibition system, students

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Narcissistic personality traits are shaped by multiplecognitive and behavioral processes. This study investigated the extent to which implicitself-esteem and the behavioral activation and inhibition systems (BAS/BIS) predictnarcissistic personality traits in students.

Materials & Methods: This descriptive correlational study included 295 students whowere selected by simple random sampling. Participants completed the Dirty DozenNarcissistic Personality Questionnaire, the Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire,and the Implicit Association Test for self-esteem. Relationships among variables wereexamined using correlation and multiple regression analyses to determine the variance innarcissistic traits.

Results: Results revealed significant correlations between narcissistic personality traitsand implicit self-esteem (r = −0.48), the behavioral inhibition system (r = −0.53), and thebehavioral activation system (r = 0.82). Multiple regression analysis indicated that implicitself-esteem and the behavioral systems together accounted for 74% of the variance innarcissistic traits. Although this R² is large, it is atypical in behavioral research andtherefore warrants replication to rule out overfitting.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the roles of implicit self-esteem and reinforcementsensitivity in shaping narcissistic traits and offer guidance for psychologists and counselorsdeveloping culturally informed preventive and therapeutic interventions for students