Experiments Concerning The Different Aggressive Behavior Between The Overt And Covert Narcissists In The Peer Rejection Circumstance

Narcissism is the hot topic in the western world. The most researches focus on the sub-clinical narcissism or normal narcissism in these decades. It proves there is positive correlation between narcissism and aggression. Two different opinions explain this phenomenon. When the favorable self-appraisal is threatened by the unfavorable judgment, the narcissist will experience ego threaten and it leads to aggressive behavior in order to keep the high level of self-esteem. It is also probably narcissist's self-esteem is unstable and defensive. The self-image is so fragile that it collapses when is challenged, and it leads to aggressive behavior.However, all these researches base on the theory that the narcissism is continuum with the one unhealthy narcissistic polar and the other healthy narcissistic polar. Recently, some psychologists prove there exist two distinct forms of narcissism: Overt and Covert narcissism. They share some characteristics, such as inflated egotism. The difference is the overt narcissists eager to show themselves, but the covert narcissists are fragile and vulnerable. This thesis tries to study narcissism and aggression in this point view.There are two factors: circumstance and personality, which lead to aggression, so the background of this experiment is designed as social contact. First, it chooses the extreme overt or covert narcissists by way of using some scales, such as Narcissism Questionnaire, NPI and Hypersensitive Narcissism Scales and measures the level of self-esteem through Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Randomly, the subjects experience the different social contact: peer rejection and peer acceptance and are measured the self-esteem again by the Whole Self-Worth Scale. Then they are given the "weapon" to punish others: the right to set the time and frequency of the noise for the other persons. The results are as follow:(1) Generally, the overt and covert narcissists may experience the high level of self-esteem. It shows both of them feel good about themselves.(2) Overt and covert narcissists probably are not aggressive facing the peer acceptance.(3) Overt narcissists may adopt the direct aggression and displaced aggression in order to keep their high level of self-esteem. Covert narcissists may bring down their self-esteem level and not be aggressive.