Recollections of parenting styles in the development of narcissism: The role of gender

Abstract

Narcissism in females is under-theorized in the literature due to a predominant focus on grandiose features indicative of the male gender. This study aimed to investigate recalled parenting styles in the development of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism to enhance theoretical knowledge regarding gender differences in the personality construct. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that strict parenting by the father would predict grandiose narcissism in males, and cold parenting by the mother would predict vulnerable narcissism in females. Participants (N = 328; 176 females) recruited from the normal population completed scales for grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, and perceived parenting styles. Results showed that females scored significantly higher on vulnerable narcissism than males, but no gender differences were found for grandiose narcissism. Findings linked retrospective reports of paternal overprotectiveness as a significant positive predictor of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in males; for females, recollections of maternal warmth significantly negatively predicted unique variance in vulnerable narcissism. Findings suggest that the interplay between parental styles and parent gender may be associated with different manifestations of narcissism in males and females. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for future research made.