Narcissistic individuals exhibit poor recognition memory
Faculty Advisor
Date
2021
Keywords
facial recognition, memory, narcissism, personality
Abstract (summary)
Here, we examine face memory among individuals who are self-focused and care little about others' needs: grandiose narcissists. Given narcissistic individuals' excessive self-focus and tendency to disregard the needs of others, they may struggle to recognize faces and their surrounding environment. Indeed, narcissistic individuals demonstrated worse recognition memory than non-narcissistic individuals in recognition memory tests for faces (Studies 1 [N = 332] and 2 [N = 261]). This difference also occurred for nonsocial stimuli (i.e., objects, houses, cars), suggesting a broad recognition deficit (Study 3A [N = 178], 3B [N = 203], 3C [N = 274]). Narcissistic individuals' excessive self-focus predicted this memory deficit (Study 4 [N = 187]). Grandiose narcissism may therefore influence visual recognition memory, highlighting the potential for future research linking personality and cognitive performance.
Publication Information
Giacomin, M., Brinton, C., & Rule, N. O. (2022). Narcissistic individuals exhibit poor recognition memory. Journal of Personality, 90, 675–689. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12690
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Article
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