The impact of narcissistic dimensions on feelings of envy

Abstract

Research on the effects of envy in marketing situations suggests that envious consumer reactions can come in a positive form, benign envy, and a negative form, malicious envy. In this research it is shown that narcissistic personality dimensions differently impact benign and malicious envy. More specifically, results indicate that authority and exploitativeness reduces benign envy while exhibitionism reduces malicious envy. Entitlement increases both benign and malicious envy. This means that narcissistic traits are associated with both positive, benign envy, but also negative, malicious envy.