Contingent Self-Esteem and Narcissism: An Exploration of Momentary Processes

Contingent self-esteem, or the notion that self-worth is tied to successes or failures, is theorized to be important to narcissism. Contingent self-esteem likely manifests as a dynamic between transient states (e.g., emotions) and feelings of self-worth. The current study examined whether narcissism was associated with the link between negative affect and self-esteem. Participants (N = 862) came from two samples of undergraduates and one of community individuals. Participants completed trait-based assessments of narcissism and an ecological momentary assessment protocol capturing state-level negative affect and self-esteem. Grandiosity was associated with higher average momentary self-esteem (β = .12). Vulnerability and contingent self-esteem were associated with higher momentary averages of negative affect (βs = .23; 20, respectively) and lower momentary averages of self-esteem (βs = -.37; -.32, respectively). Vulnerability and contingent self-esteem also amplified the negative affect and self-esteem link (βs = -0.10 and -0.11, respectively). The findings suggest that contingent self-esteem is an important process underlying narcissism.