Date of Award

Spring 5-2014

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Christopher Barry

Advisor Department

Psychology

Abstract

The present study examined the moderating effects of academic and religious motivational orientations on the relation between adolescent narcissism and delinquency and aggression. It was hypothesized that adolescent narcissism would be significantly correlated with extrinsic orientation in religion and academics. In addition, it was expected that participants who reported high levels of adolescent narcissism and extrinsic motivation would report the highest levels of delinquency and proactive aggression and that an intrinsic orientation would mitigate this relationship. Data were acquired through the self-report surveys of 143 adolescents (111 males, 32 females), ranging in age from 16 to 19 (M = 17.05, SD = .86), who were enrolled in a residential program in the summer and fall of 2013. Neither non-pathological nor pathological (i.e. grandiose, vulnerable) narcissism was correlated with extrinsic orientation in religion or academics. Higher levels of proactive aggression were associated with a combination of extrinsic-personal religious motivation and grandiose narcissism. Higher levels of reactive aggression were associated with high levels of extrinsic-personal religious motivation and both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Contrary to hypotheses, intrinsic orientation heightened the associations of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism with aggression. Implications of these findings, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Included in

Psychology Commons

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