Narcissism includes grandiose narcissism, characterized by arrogance, dominance, and excessive self-admiration; vulnerable narcissism, marked by sensitivity, insecurity, and defensiveness; and entitlement, involving the belief one inherently deserves special treatment.
These traits influence how individuals respond to interpersonal conflicts, impacting their willingness to forgive or tendency toward resentment.
Ryan, K. M., Sprechini, G., Beery, S. H., & Watsula, A. (2025). Do responsibility attributions mediate the relationship between narcissism and unforgiveness in intimate relationships? Journal of Individual Differences, 46(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000429
Key Points
- Focus: This research explores the relationship between different forms of narcissism (grandiose, vulnerable, and entitlement) and unforgiveness following conflicts in intimate relationships.
- Aims: The aim was to investigate whether negative responsibility attributions mediate the relationship between narcissistic traits and unforgiveness, testing Morf and Rhodewalt’s Dynamic Self-Regulatory Processing Model.
- Findings: Negative responsibility attributions partially or fully mediated the relationship between narcissism and unforgiveness, with differences in results based on narcissism type, gender, and study context.
- Implications: Understanding these mechanisms could enhance therapeutic interventions by addressing specific attributional processes in relationships affected by narcissistic dynamics.
Rationale
Prior research has established that narcissism is linked to interpersonal difficulties, aggression, and reduced forgiveness in intimate relationships.
Narcissistic individuals frequently see themselves as victims of relational transgressions, leading to less forgiving attitudes and greater desire for revenge.
However, previous studies have not fully clarified whether this process involves conscious, rational attributions (cold processing) or impulsive, emotional reactions (hot processing).
This study investigates these processes explicitly, clarifying the mediating role of responsibility attributions between narcissism and unforgiveness.
The next logical step involves understanding how specific narcissistic traits influence conflict responses in intimate relationships, informing targeted interventions to improve relationship outcomes.
Method
Three studies were conducted, employing surveys and self-report questionnaires to examine the role of narcissism and negative attributions in predicting unforgiveness.
Procedure
- Participants identified their most significant relationship conflict (Study 1 individually selected, Study 2 mutually agreed upon, Study 3 online MTurk sample).
- Participants completed narcissism, attribution, and unforgiveness measures independently.
Sample
- Study 1: 63 heterosexual college couples, primarily Caucasian, ages 18-22.
- Study 2: 57 heterosexual college couples, primarily Caucasian, ages 18-22.
- Study 3: 506 diverse MTurk participants, mixed gender, age, sexual orientation, and relationship status.
Measures
- Narcissism: Narcissistic Personality Inventory (grandiose narcissism), Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (vulnerable narcissism), Psychological Entitlement Scale (entitlement).
- Attributions: Negative Intentions Questionnaire and Responsibility Attribution Questionnaire, assessing blame and negative intentions.
- Unforgiveness: Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivation Inventory, measuring revenge and avoidance desires.
Statistical measures
Mediation analyses using Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIMeM) with bootstrapping for confidence intervals.
Results
- Negative responsibility attributions mediated grandiose narcissism and unforgiveness relationship significantly in males.
- Vulnerable narcissism had direct associations with unforgiveness in females in Study 1 but not significantly in Study 2.
- Study 3 showed partial mediation of responsibility attributions for all narcissism types in both genders.
Insight
This research highlights the complexity of narcissism’s impact on intimate relationships.
It confirms the coexistence of rational (cold) and emotional (hot) processes, particularly with grandiose narcissism in men.
It extends previous research by incorporating vulnerable narcissism and entitlement, indicating these traits also engage cognitive attributional processes.
Future research should investigate gender-specific interventions targeting narcissistic attributional styles and explore diverse relational contexts beyond dating couples.
Implications
Practitioners could apply these findings by developing targeted strategies to modify negative responsibility attributions, potentially reducing relational conflicts involving narcissistic partners.
Policymakers might consider supporting programs enhancing relationship skills, emphasizing emotional regulation and cognitive restructuring.
However, challenges may arise due to resistance from highly narcissistic individuals who might view therapeutic interventions negatively.
Strengths
This study had several methodological strengths, including:
- Comprehensive investigation across multiple narcissism types.
- Inclusion of diverse samples and methodological approaches (couples and individual data).
- Robust statistical analyses (APIMeM) enhancing reliability of mediation findings.
Limitations
This study also had several limitations, including:
- Limited generalizability due to predominantly young, college-based, Caucasian samples in Studies 1 and 2.
- Potential influence of study context (presence of partner during data collection).
- Cross-sectional design limiting causal interpretations.
Socratic Questions
- How might the inclusion of a more diverse sample alter the relationships observed between narcissism, attributions, and unforgiveness?
- What alternative explanations could exist for the gender differences found in narcissistic responses to relationship conflict?
- How could future research distinguish more clearly between hot and cold processing in narcissistic individuals?
- What are the potential ethical considerations when intervening with highly narcissistic individuals in clinical or policy settings?
- How might findings differ if studied in the context of long-term marriages rather than dating relationships?
