The associations between grandiose narcissism and perfectionism: New insights into an old debate

A long tradition of research has focused on the association between narcissism and perfectionism. The current research investigates this association by differentiating between assertive and antagonistic aspects of grandiose narcissism, as described in the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept. Participants (n = 402) completed the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire as well as two widely used measures of perfectionism. Results showed that the pattern of correlations that Admiration and Rivalry exhibited with several aspects and dimensions of perfectionism can be efficiently summarized by embracing the distinction between the overarching factors of Perfectionistic Strivings and Concerns. Admiration correlated primarily with Perfectionistic Strivings, an individual’s tendency to set high standards of performance that may encompass adaptive features. Rivalry, by contrast, was mostly related to Perfectionistic Concerns, which predominantly reflects maladaptive aspects (e.g., concern over others’ expectations, self-doubts, and negative reactions to perceived failure). This pattern holds even after controlling for outwardly directed forms of perfectionism, such as the tendency to set unrealistically high standards for others and harshly devaluate their imperfections. Findings from this study provide novel insight into how different manifestations of grandiose narcissism (i.e., aggrandizing oneself and devaluating others) are related to distinct aspects of perfectionism.