Living in the Age of Living in the Age of EntitlementEntitlement

W. Keith Campbell, W. Keith Campbell, Ph.D.Ph.D.

Psychology Professor and Psychology Professor and

Department HeadDepartment Head

University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Images of the Narcissism Images of the Narcissism EpidemicEpidemic

Politicians, Athletes and Politicians, Athletes and Business LeadersBusiness Leaders

What is Narcissism?What is Narcissism? Positive and inflated self-views: Positive and inflated self-views:

special, unique, attractive, entitled, special, unique, attractive, entitled, grandiose) grandiose)

Lack of intimacy, empathy and Lack of intimacy, empathy and warmthwarmth

Self-regulation strategiesSelf-regulation strategies Three issues:Three issues:

Narcissistic personality vs. Narcissistic Narcissistic personality vs. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)Personality Disorder (NPD)

Grandiose vs. Vulnerable NarcissismGrandiose vs. Vulnerable Narcissism Self-esteem vs. narcissismSelf-esteem vs. narcissism

Measuring Narcissism Measuring Narcissism and Self-esteemand Self-esteem

Narcissistic Narcissistic Personality InventoryPersonality Inventory If I ruled the world it If I ruled the world it

would be a much would be a much better place.better place.

I think I am a special I think I am a special person. person.

I wish someone would I wish someone would someday write my someday write my biography. biography.

I like to look at myself I like to look at myself in the mirror.in the mirror.

Rosenberg Self-Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventoryesteem Inventory I feel that I am a person I feel that I am a person

of worth, at least on an of worth, at least on an equal plane with othersequal plane with others

I take a positive I take a positive attitude toward myself. attitude toward myself.

I am able to do things I am able to do things as well as most other as well as most other people. people.

I feel that I have a I feel that I have a number of good number of good qualities.qualities.

Narcissism Increases in Narcissism Increases in U.S. College StudentsU.S. College Students

Twenge & Foster (2009)

Stinson et al., 2008; reanalyzed data by Trull and colleagues

Lifetime Prevalence of NPD Lifetime Prevalence of NPD (nationally representative sample; (nationally representative sample;

N > 34,000)N > 34,000)

AgeAge

Perc

en

tP

erc

en

t

Increases in Self-esteem Increases in Self-esteem (U.S.)(U.S.)

Gentile, Twenge & Campbell, under review

College Freshman Rating Self College Freshman Rating Self Above AverageAbove Average

Data from American Freshman Survey; n = 6.2 million (Twenge & Campbell, in

press)

But haven’t people always But haven’t people always said narcissism was said narcissism was

increasing?increasing? A major cultural shift A major cultural shift

seems to have seems to have occurred in the occurred in the 1970’s 1970’s

Wolfe “The ‘Me’ Wolfe “The ‘Me’ Decade and the third Decade and the third great awakening” great awakening” (1976) (1976)

Lasch “The Culture Lasch “The Culture of Narcissism” of Narcissism” (1979)(1979)

LEXIS/NEXIS publications on Narcissism

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Psychology Publications - PsychInfo

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Narcissism

Publications on Narcissism (1940s-present):

1. PsychInfo

2. LEXIS/NEXIS

3. Library of Congress

Narcissism and Self-esteem in Narcissism and Self-esteem in the Pressthe Press

Publications in Major News Outlets - LEXIS/NEXIS

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5000

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1942

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Books Catalogued in Library of Congress

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Cultural Symptoms of the Cultural Symptoms of the Narcissism EpidemicNarcissism Epidemic

VanityVanity MaterialismMaterialism UniquenessUniqueness Antisocial behaviorAntisocial behavior Relationship troublesRelationship troubles EntitlementEntitlement ReligionReligion

Vanity: Increase in Vanity: Increase in Cosmetic ProceduresCosmetic Procedures

Americans Undergoing Cosmetic Procedures (1997-2007)

0

2,000,000

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1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

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1997 2002 2007

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Liposuction

Breast Augmentation

Eyelid Surgery

Abdominoplasty

Materialism: Materialism: Increased Square Increased Square

Footage of U.S. Footage of U.S. HomesHomes

Square Footage of U.S. Homes

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2400

2600

1970 1990 2005

Year

Tota

l Squ

are

Feet

National Association of Homebuilders

Uniqueness: The Decline Uniqueness: The Decline of of

Common NamesCommon NamesJames James RobertRobertJohnJohn

Mary Mary LindaLindaBarbaraBarbara

Jacob Jacob Michael Michael EthanEthan

Emily Emily IsabellaIsabellaEmmaEmma

Twenge, Adebe & Campbell, 2010

Antisocial Antisocial Behavior:Behavior:

Violence and Violence and trusttrust Overall violence Overall violence

rates downrates down Public or Public or

“YouTube” “YouTube” violence upviolence up

School shootingsSchool shootings Videotaped Videotaped

beatingsbeatings Trust in declineTrust in decline

Robert Hawkins (19) Killed 8 people in Omaha Mall

Suicide note reference to fame

Can people be trusted?Can people be trusted?

Data from General Social Survey (GSS)

Antisocial Antisocial Behavior:Behavior:

Sex, Drugs and Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ RollRock n’ Roll Sex (changing – increased Sex (changing – increased

“hooking up”; infidelity)“hooking up”; infidelity) Drugs (changing – e.g., Drugs (changing – e.g.,

YouTube Drug experience)YouTube Drug experience) Rock and Roll (more Rock and Roll (more

individualized, personally individualized, personally and lyrically)and lyrically)

Song Lyrics over TimeSong Lyrics over Time

DeWall, Pond, Campbell & Twenge, under review

Causes of the Narcissism Causes of the Narcissism Epidemic: The Fantasy Epidemic: The Fantasy

PrinciplePrinciple Any element in society Any element in society

that allows individuals to that allows individuals to think they are grander think they are grander than they actually are can than they actually are can become a possible route become a possible route for increasing narcissismfor increasing narcissism Self-esteem Focused Self-esteem Focused

Education/ParentingEducation/Parenting New Media (Social New Media (Social

networking, blogs, etc.)networking, blogs, etc.) Celebrity CultureCelebrity Culture Easy CreditEasy Credit

Self-Esteem Focused Self-Esteem Focused EducationEducation

“All About Me” Project

““I am special” song for I am special” song for preschoolerspreschoolers(to the tune of "Frere Jacques")

I am special,I am special,Look at me,You will see,Someone very special,Someone very special,It is me,It is me.

More Self-esteem More Self-esteem Development ToolsDevelopment Tools

Everyone is a Winner!Everyone is a Winner! Everyone gets a Everyone gets a

trophytrophy Or everyone gets Or everyone gets

the same size the same size trophy no matter trophy no matter who wins or loseswho wins or loses

Not keeping scoreNot keeping score School awardsSchool awards

High School Grade High School Grade IncreasesIncreases

U.S. Department of Education

Is Ability Improving?Is Ability Improving?

There are long-term data from U.S. Department of Education.

Little evidence for improvement in high school students

Some improvement in younger kids; primarily the worse performers are improving

Math Scores Math Scores

Reading ScoresReading Scores

Are Expectations Are Expectations Increasing?Increasing?

Monitoring the Future Data; Reynolds et al. 2006

Changes in Self-Views in Changes in Self-Views in High SchoolHigh School

Twenge & Campbell (2008)

Entitlement in U.S. Entitlement in U.S. College StudentsCollege Students

““Trying hard” a valid reason for a professor Trying hard” a valid reason for a professor to increase a grade:to increase a grade:

66% (2 out of 3)66% (2 out of 3) ““If I have attended most classes for a If I have attended most classes for a

course, I deserve at least a B”:course, I deserve at least a B”: 34% (1 out of 3)34% (1 out of 3) Professors who won’t let me schedule the Professors who won’t let me schedule the

final exam around my vacation are too final exam around my vacation are too strict:strict:

30% (almost 1 out of 3)30% (almost 1 out of 3)

Greenberger et al. (2008)

Media and Celebrity Media and Celebrity NarcissismNarcissism Reality Reality

TelevisionTelevision Changes in Changes in

Celebrity Celebrity CultureCulture

Modeling Modeling effects (“The effects (“The Mirror Effect”)Mirror Effect”)

Narcissism in CelebritiesNarcissism in Celebrities

13

14

15

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Comedians Musicians Reality TV Actors Mean fromGeneral Pop.

Young & Pinsky, 2006

Poll of 18- to 25-year-olds: Poll of 18- to 25-year-olds: Important Goals of your Important Goals of your

GenerationGeneration

Pew Center (2007)

New MediaNew Media

FacebookFacebook TwitterTwitter Blogs Blogs YouTubeYouTube

Narcissism and Narcissism and Facebook Facebook ProfilesProfiles

Narcissism predicts:Narcissism predicts: More friendsMore friends More wallpostsMore wallposts Self-promoting infoSelf-promoting info Self-promoting quotesSelf-promoting quotes Attractive, sexy, fun, self-Attractive, sexy, fun, self-

promoting photospromoting photos

Strangers detect narcissism from:Strangers detect narcissism from: Self-promoting main photosSelf-promoting main photos Attractive main photosAttractive main photos Quantity of social interactionQuantity of social interaction

Buffardi & Campbell (2008)

Easy CreditEasy Credit Credit allows Credit allows

some individuals some individuals to realize to realize narcissistic narcissistic fantasiesfantasies

This changes This changes norms for norms for everyoneeveryone

Consumer DebtConsumer Debt

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1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008

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Debt

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So …So …

Where do we go Where do we go

from here?from here?

The Future of the The Future of the Narcissism EpidemicNarcissism Epidemic

Most arrows point up Most arrows point up to greater cultural to greater cultural narcissismnarcissism

Credit bubble is the Credit bubble is the big exceptionbig exception

Economic collapse Economic collapse could shift cultural could shift cultural values (similar to values (similar to Great Depression) – Great Depression) – or we could just end or we could just end up with more up with more entitlemententitlement

Changes to Combat Changes to Combat NarcissismNarcissism

Drop self-Drop self-esteem as a esteem as a cultural goalcultural goal

Communal Communal activation activation

Gratitude Gratitude Self-compassionSelf-compassion ResponsibilityResponsibility ThriftThrift HumorHumor

Thank You!Thank You!