Grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic states in interpersonal situations

Clinicians have noted that narcissistic individuals fluctuate in levels of grandiosity and vulnerability. The present study is the first to examine narcissistic states assessed during interpersonal situations. Perceptions of others’ warmth and dominance, momentary grandiosity and vulnerability, and one’s own warm and dominant behavior were assessed across situations in daily life (person N = 286; occasion N = 6,837). Results revealed that more grandiose individuals perceived others as colder and behaved more dominant and colder, on average. But in the moment, higher grandiosity was associated with perceiving others as warmer and more submissive, resulting in more dominant and warm behavior. Trait vulnerability was associated with perceptions of coldness and cold behavior, and this was amplified in the moment.