It’s easier to spot a woman looking in her mirror, but it’s actually the men who are more narcissistic, according to a new study. The research gathered data from more than 475,000 participants in 31 years and found that men consistently scored higher in narcissism across multiple generations and regardless of age.
After studying gender differences in the three aspects of narcissism – leadership/authority, grandiose/exhibitionism and entitlement – researchers from the University at Buffalo School of Management discovered the widest gap in entitlement, suggesting that men are more likely than women to exploit others and feel entitled to certain privileges.
“Narcissism is associated with various interpersonal dysfunctions, including an inability to maintain healthy long-term relationships, unethical behavior and aggression,” says lead author Emily Grijalva, PhD, assistant professor of organization and human resources in the UB School of Management.
“At the same time, narcissism is shown to boost self-esteem, emotional stability and the tendency to emerge as a leader,” she says. “By examining gender differences in narcissism, we may be able to explain gender disparities in these important outcomes.”
The second largest difference was in leadership/authority, meaning that men have more assertiveness and desire for power, while the exhibitionism aspect showed no difference between genders, as both men and women being equally likely to display vanity or self-absorption.
The study has also shown that narcissism can be caused by gender stereotypes and expectations that have been ingrained over time. Researchers explained that the persistent lack of women in leadership roles may partially stem from the disparity between stereotypes of femininity and leadership.
“Individuals tend to observe and learn gender roles from a young age, and may face backlash for deviating from society’s expectations. In particular, women often receive harsh criticism for being aggressive or authoritative, which creates pressure for women, more so than for men, to suppress displays of narcissistic behavior,” Grijalva concluded.
The data collected between 1990 and 2013 found no evidence that either gender has become more narcissistic over time.