Vulnerable narcissism predicts greater spiteful punishment of a third-party transgressor

Abstract Individuals high in narcissism have been shown to self-enhance through aggression after self-esteem threats. Research distinguishes between two types of narcissism: grandiose and vulnerable. The present study investigated spiteful punishment (punishments with the chief purpose to inflict harm) as a possible covert, aggressive self-enhancement method. Participants ( N  = 456) completed measures of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, and then either experienced a self-esteem threat or a control condition. Participants read a vignette about a transgressor and rated their endorsement of a series of punishments. Participants high in vulnerable narcissism endorsed more spiteful punishment compared to those lower in vulnerable narcissism, regardless of self-threat. This suggests that those high in vulnerable narcissism may have a base-line degree of covert antisocial self-enhancement.